4 TERIBYTE USB DRIVE NTFS shows up as 3.69T


  1. DonM123
    Posts : 140
    win7pro
       New #1

    4 TERIBYTE USB DRIVE NTFS shows up as 3.69T


    FOR WINDOWS 7 64 - 32 bit Operating Systems

    I thought NTFS could only see 2 terabytes but it does see 3.69 T on my usb external ? WHAT ?

    IS THIS STATEMENT TRUE FOR WINDOWS 7 32 64 :
    Is UEFI required for a GPT disk?
    No. GPT disks are self-identifying. All the information needed to interpret the partitioning scheme of a GPT disk is completely contained in structures in specified locations on the physical media.

    Will I need a UEFI computer Bios to format a GPT DISK or some special utilities ?

    I have yet to see any documentation that tells me whether or not a 4 T internal hard drive can be installed in a windows 7 64 /32 bit OS it appears if I use GPT I can use any size a disk I want. ?

    When I use NTFS can I split the drive up in 2 partitions ?
    Thank you !


    New Technology FILE SYSTEM
    Globally Unique Partition table
    Unified Extensible firmware interface
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  3. Pete4
    Posts : 124
    win7hp64
       New #2

    the only size restrictions I'm aware of is 2 to the power of 64 clusters, which is about 2TB for 512bytes cluster, which are used by MBR partitions. However GPT partitions can have larger size clusters and for 4kB cluster limit would be 16TB and 64kB cluster limit is 256TB. Those limits are for Win 7 and up and for example Win xp had other size restrictions on top. I've been using 3TB drive for backup for many years and it works fine.
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  4. Lady Fitzgerald
    Posts : 9,600
    Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
       New #3

    UEFI is needed with GPT disks only if installing an OS on them. I have 25 4TB disks all formatted GPT and all are working fine for data disks. All were formatted on machines using MBR drives for the OS and programs. Most likely, your 4TB external drive was formatted GPT.
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  6. SIW2
    Posts : 16,161
    7 X64
       New #4

    I thought NTFS could only see 2 terabytes
    NTFS is a filesystem. MBR and GPT are partitioning styles.

    MBR partitioned disks can only address up to 2tib.

    If you have a larger disk, use GPT.
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  7. DonM123
    Posts : 140
    win7pro
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    OK so yes NTFS is a file system FAT is a file system FAT32 is a file system

    I am safe believing I can buy a 6 T hd for my win 7 as long as partitioin the drive with a GTP
    I am a bit confused because when I format A disk I have a Choice between ntsf and fat

    At this point the only way I know of to format a disk GTP is to use acronis disk director 11 If I try to install windows on the drive and I dont have UEFI instead of A bios then it will split the 4T drive up because it has the missing info to run as a UEIF BUT if I has(have) a computer that does have UEFI interface then the windows setup disk is willing to format the drive GTP
    But if I set the drive up to be a data drive a computer would format the drive GTP and in that case I could format it without the modern UEFI RIGHT ?

    Can diskmgmt.msc be used to to partition the Disk as GTP ?
    Or would I use DISKPART ?

    I undestand UEFI is not needed to read a GTP but if an os is on the GTP it needs UEFI BUT the question I still have is CAN I format GTP with BIOS.

    Thank you for this help

    I setup many ssd disks but they are all small. A 4T ssd disk came along and it opened up a big can of worms for me and made me realize I am missing some knowledge. Thank you for your help in putting things right.
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  8. SIW2
    Posts : 16,161
    7 X64
       New #6

    Initialize the disk to a partition style.

    Format a volume to a filesystem.

    If it has already been initialized to a partitioning style, then it can be changed with 3rd party software - e.g. Aomei partition Assistant, Partition Guru, etc. some of them can do it without damaging any existing data on the diak.

    Windows disk management/diskpart command line can only change the partition style destructively.

    You can use MBR and/or GPT disks with BIOS firmware.

    But, if you want to boot windows from a GPT disk - you need to use EFI firmware.

    Disks are divided into partitions. Some people don't realize they have partitions - because they have only one. A disk has to be initialized to a partitioning system. Then partitions can be created and formatted to a filesystem. You can have partitions with different filesystems on the same disk.

    The MBR partitioning style only allows for 4 partitions. Though one can be an "extended partition " with several volumes inside. The MBR partition style is only suitable for disk up to 2TB.

    GPT allows far more partitions, and is theoretically usable for disks up to 2^64 logical blocks in length. However, Windows file systems currently are limited to 256 terabytes each.


    BIOS and EFI (or uefi) are firmware

    MBR and GPT are partitioning styles

    NTFS and FAT32 are filesystems.

    If you are using a GPT partitioned disk for booting Windows, the usual setup is a small EFI System partition formatted as FAT32. Other partitions on the disk are usually formatted NTFS.
    Last edited by SIW2; 16 Feb 2019 at 23:30.
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  10. DonM123
    Posts : 140
    win7pro
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    Thank you for these Clarifications. !
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  11. wither 2
    Posts : 2,246
    Windows 7 Pro SP1 64 bit
       New #8

    A 4 TB drive would read 3.73 TiB in Windows.
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