Can't install on 3TB HDD

When attempting to install Windows 7 x64 I get the error "Windows cannot install to this partition because this is the GPT partition style."

I was told in order to have a > 2TB drive as a bootable drive it MUST be formatted with GPT (which I did via DiskPart). I was able to install windows and extend the drive to 2TB post-installation, but in the MBR format. I attempted it with a GPT format and the drive is usable as data, and windows 7 installation recognizes it as a partition in setup, but gives the above error.

My ideal end-game would be to have Windows 7 installed with these 2 disks running in RAID 1, but unfortunately at this point I'll settle for having 2x 3TB drives with Windows 7 running on one of them....

Thanks!

An image of Disk Management:

ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting

Make sure you don't need a BIOS update to handle drives that large.

If not then the way you're doing it with MBR-disk and smaller Install partition sounds best to me.

If you have an EFI BIOS then there are special steps needed for install: UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums

Is there a listing in BIOS Boot Order for EFI Boot disk?

Thanks for the replies guys.

Here's my Mobo/HDDs:
Newegg.com - ASUS P8Z68 DELUXE/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST3000DM001 3TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive x2

I'm running BIOS version 0301, and that is from 9/2011. The new update doesn't seem to contain anything for large disks.

Is there a listing in BIOS Boot Order for EFI Boot disk?

No there is only the DVD drive and the bootable disk I currently have Windows installed to. I tried using a bootable flash drive from Seagate, and it showed as a bootable UEFI in BIOS, but wouldn't boot (went straight to Windows). I even tried connecting only the unused 3TB drive and booting from the flash drive and just get the wonderful blinking cursor at the top left.

And yes it seems to be a catch 22 as I don't use GPT and can only use 2TB yet can't install on a 3TB GPT.

Try writing the Win7 installer to flash stick using Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool.

Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 - same as for retail.

Thanks gregrocker.

I tried booting from the USB w/ the program previously and it wouldn't recognize my .iso I made via PowerISO of my Windows 7 64bit. I'm downloading the .iso from the website now hoping it will recognize it. I also tried booting with the .iso and with simply a direct copy to the USB and it ignores/doesn't recognize the USB (although it still shows up as a UEFI bootable device and I move it to first boot priority).

Will update when I try the .iso from the website.

You'd want UltraISO trial version and not PowerISO to write to flash stick: On File tab open ISO, on Bootable tab Write Disk Image, Format, Write. Boot under USB, Removable or HD's.

But if you're downloading the official ISO from Digital Life then it should write using Win7 Download tool.

I used the .iso from Digital River, and the USB DVD Tool. When I rebooted it recognized the flash drive as a UEFI bootable device in the BIOS, and I set it to primary. Saved & Reset and it ran POST and then went past BIOS screen and my monitor said "Out Of Range" for about 10 seconds then proceeded to normal Windows boot. I'm wondering if whatever the flash-as-installer is is a refresh rate my monitor can't handle? I have the following video card and monitor:

XFX FX797ATNBC Radeon HD 7970 Video Card - 3072MB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 3.0 (x16), 1x Dual-Link DVI-I, 2x Mini DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, DirectX 11, Dual-Slot, Eyefinity, CrossFireX Ready at TigerDirect.com

Amazon.com: ASUS VE276Q 27-Inch Wide (16:9) 2ms Response Time Display Port LCD Monitor - Black: Computers & Accessories

Have you tried the install steps given here: UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums