3TB windows 7 install

Hi all,
I have a 3TB hdd that I've installed in a Dell Optiplex 745 slim model. I want to install windows 7 on it. I usually make a 40GB partition and use the rest as storage or what not. When I tried to install on the 3TB it creates the 40GB drive but then shows 2008GB unallocated and another entry for 768GB unallocated. Now I know about GPT and UEFI. I'm assuming that the optiplex 745 has UEFI because it shows the full 3TB under the disk section. Does anyone have any ideas on how to install Windows 7 on a 3TB drive?

Thanks,
BlueKalel

Make sure you've updated your BIOS as it may require it to handle that large a HD.

Try a 100gb Win7 partition after deleting and creating new during Install: Clean Install Windows 7

If you're installing 64 bit to a UEFI BIOS it requires special steps here: UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums

With all that space I`d make a 500 GB windows partition. You will not have to deal with running out of room for a long....... long.......... time.

Yep, you got to be kidding with that 40 GB system partition. I have 8 months old Win 7 laptop, really nothing on it, I clear it on regular basis, including restore and internet caches and Windows directory alone is about 18 GB now. Add to this 8 GB swap file, another 8gb for hibernation, plus couple restore points and you out of space and where is space for users folder, program folders etc? I'm not sure now, but I think my laptop used somewhere around 40GB on fresh factory install. Granted, you can realocate folders and things like swap file to another partition, but some things and some program installation really want to be on C: Make your life easier and allocate at least 100GB for system partition. Also keep in mind, if HDD used space is above 90% defragmentation gets tricky as well.

OK thank you all for the information. However the 40GB partition is not the problem I'm having. It's the fact that I can't see or use the full 3TB. Also I had Windows 7 installed on this computer before with a 1.5TB and 40GB as system partition and the rest was used as a fileserver. All the 40GB hold is the OS and a virus scanner and firefox and thats it. 40GB is plenty, at least in the previous build I did.

UPDATE: the Optiplex 745 doesn't have UEFI so I can't boot off the 3TB drive so I' stuck using another drive that is smaller and using the 3TB as storage.

Thanks,
BlueKalel

Most mobos require BIOS updates to handle drives that large. That's why I asked about a newer BIOS update. Maybe you missed it.

Gregrocker I got your info and thanks for it. I checked and I did update the bios but it doesn't have uefi support. My reply above was mainly to keep what I was asking help for on track. I didn't want this to turn into a "how much space you need for Windows" thread.

Again thanks for the information,
BlueKalel

I think you should at least try the larger 100mb install partition as it does solve this issue with extremely large HD's in the past. It has to do with the partition table. I'd also wipe the boot sector to make sure it doesn't have any code interfering with reinstall.

Keep us posted.

UPDATE: the Optiplex 745 doesn't have UEFI so I can't boot off the 3TB drive so I' stuck using another drive that is smaller and using the 3TB as storage.

Use the 3tb as storage only, set to GPT.