Using a 3 terebyte HDD only show 2 terabyte?can i use it as boot drive?

askara · Sep 13, 2014

i just bought a 3TB HDD for my new built but it only show 2 TB useable. i know i need to covert it from mbr to gpt format but since i am using the 3TB drive as primary boot drive, i cant delete the partitions and convert it. so basically is there any other way to covert my HDD to gpt? or do i have to connect my 3TB HDD to my other computer and format it that way?

also i heard you cant use gpt HDD as boot drive is that true?

I5 4590
MSI H97 mobo
8G ram
window 7

i7Baby · Sep 13, 2014

Re-install Windows after backing up data.

askara · Sep 13, 2014

as far as i know you cant format it as long as HDD is in use as primary boot drive.

i7Baby · Sep 13, 2014

Put it in another PC.

Paperdoc · Sep 14, 2014

You cannot convert a MBR-Partitioned Drive to a GPT-Partitioned unit. You have to back up all the data on it, Delete the Partition(s) it has so it is an empty HDD, then re-Partition it specifying the GPT Partition system. THEN you can re-Install your OS and apps, and copy all your data to it. Actually, creating the new large (3 TB) GPT Partition can be done for you by the Windows Install process (see also item 1 below).

Before starting, you need to ensure you have TWO essential things right.
1. In order to use any HDD with a GPT Partition system (whether it is over 2 TB or not) you MUST have the correct device driver for it. In the case of all Windows versions, Microsoft only supplied drivers for GPT-type HDD units with the 64-bit versions. So you MUST install the 64-bit version of Win 7 to be able to use the GPT Partitioning system.
2. In order to BOOT from this unit, you must have a mobo BIOS that has UEFI support, and it must be configured to use that system to access that 3 TB unit.

Unless you can meet both requirements, you will not be able to boot from this unit as a full 3TB drive with GPT Partition.

askara · Sep 14, 2014

i am using Window 7 64bit but i am not able to format it to gpt when i installing window 7(no option available). i take it you have to go to BIOS enable UEFI, then the option to format to GPT will be available? if not how do i access that option??

My mobo is MSI H97 PC Mate Intel LGA1150 H97,so i guess it is UEFI supported. can you comfirm this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00K8KC8AM/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=

i7Baby · Sep 14, 2014

UEFI is the software that came with your motherboard. You can see this on the website for your motherboard

Paperdoc · Sep 15, 2014

See your mobo manual, p. 3-15, for the Boot Mode Select setting. You MAY have to force it to allow only UEFI boot mode, since the default option is to boot in either mode, depending on what hardware is found to boot from.

From your post I suspect strongly that you already have Win 7 Installed on your HDD using an MBT-type Partitioning system. You may have to wipe that out completely to start over. At the very beginning of the Install process, there should be an option to Delete any Partition found on the target HDD unit. Do that before trying to Install. And when you're looking for options, remember that you are not FORMATTING using the MBR system. You are Creating a Partition using GPT, and that Partition will be Formatted using the NTFS File System. Win 7 Install may group these two operations together as Create a New Simple Volume, instead of using the terms Partition and Format. But you should have the option to specify a GPT operation that will allow a disk to be nearly 3 TB in one Volume.

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Using a 3 terebyte HDD only show 2 terabyte?can i use it as boot drive?

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