Hi
Just installed a 5TB HDD. It is is split into two volumes in Disk Mgmt, and I can format 2TB of it (one of the volumes), but the rest I can not.
Is there some kind of limitation here? And if so, anything I can do?
Thanks in advance.
I'm guessing you formatted as MBR, which has a 2.2TB limitation. You should have formatted it as GPT, which is essentially limitless (has a limit—I forget what it is—but you will never reach it anytime this decade). To fix it, go here for a tutorial on changing MBR to GPT. I've had my best luck with Option 2 but it's more work so you may prefer Option 1.
As MBR, every partition size is limited to 2.2T. So you must make another partition to be able to use it.
For what I know, to use GPT you must have a UEFI BIOS and set it appropriate.
Nope that`s only if you are going to use it as a OS drive.
A data drive can be GPT and the whole thing will be seen by a MBR windows install drive.
I`ve done it.
The simplest way to fix it is with Partition Wizard.
And don`t have any data on the drive because you will have to wipe the entire drive to unallocated space first.
AOMEI claims it will do it without loss of data, but I would not trust any program, backup any data first.
Learn to Convert MBR Hard Disk to GPT without Data Loss through Powerful Software
Free Convert MBR to GPT Without Data Loss - EaseUS
And it`s very easy to do it with Diskpart, but I highly advise against this if you are a novice.
Except you wouldn't be able to access another partition. You can't access any more that 2.2TB, no matter how many partitions you make. Been there, done that, didn't even get the T-shirt.
As AddRam said, that only applies to an OS drive. I have 21 4TB SSDs formatted to GPT and 20 of them are in service right now (one is a spare). I just retired 11 4TB HDDs, all of them are GPT, and all but two had data on them. All of them worked just fine either in my desktop (either permanently installed or in an internal dock with a direct to MOBO SATA port connection) or in an external dock connected to my desktop or one of my notebooks. The OS on all three of the computers I have in service are on 128GB or 500GB MBR SSDs.
Last edited by Lady Fitzgerald; 29 Dec 2016 at 10:21.
From Brink tutorial Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk
Differences Between MBR and GPT Disks:
MBR disks are supported (readable) by all Windows operating systems.
GPT disks are only supported (readable) by Windows server 2003 SP1 +, XP 64-bit, Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows 8, and above.
MBR disks use the standard BIOS partition table.
GPT disks use UEFI.
MBR disks supports up to 2TB per single partition.
GPT disks supports up to 256TB per single partition in Windows.
MBR disks supports up to 4 Primary partitions or 3 Primary partitions and 1 Extended partition with up to 128 logical volumes in the extended partition.
GPT disks supports up to 128 Primary partitions.
"I have 21 4TB SSDs"
Oh stop it Jean, what do you have an SSD tree out back
Could I have 4 of those 4 TB hard drives ????
Oh pertty please
Hi
This is not an OS disk.
I did indeed format it as MBR, not knowing any better.
If I wind up with two partitions that have two different letters, that's fine.
My MB has UEFI BIOS, according to the ASUS site.
Currently, my Disk Mgmt looks like this, whereas #2 is the 5TB HDD. It seems as tho Windows split the drive automatically?
Thanks for the replies. Tho, TBH, I am a little confused as to what to do.
And yet I was able to use 32 4TB GPT drives for DATA drives on Win 7 machines with the OS installed on MBR drives.
This, from >> MBR vs GPT: Which if Better For Your Hard Drive? (next to last sentence).
"Windows 7 and onward, however, can use GPT. Just not as a boot drive (without a UEFI BIOS)."
This, from Sean's tutorial that we both linked here (up at the top)
"While all Windows can boot from a MBR disk, you can only boot from a GPT disk if your motherboard has an enabled UEFI BIOS and you have an operating system (Windows 7 or Windows 8) that supports booting to GPT that is installed with UEFI.
You can still have a separate GPT disk as a data disk if your operating system (see below) supports reading a GPT disk, even if your system disk that Windows is installed on is still a MBR disk."
Oh, I wish I had an SSD tree out back (or anywhere else, for that matter)! I had a choice between going from mostly HDDs to all SSDs or buying a new pickup truck. I'm going to be driving my old truck for quite a few more years.
Nope!
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