WD Green 3TB only showing as 746GB.

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crashtestaddict

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This is the 2nd WD 3TB HD I have tried to format on my Gateway FX-6840-23, Intel i7, 8GB RAM, 1TB HD computer. The first one was returned to Western Digital under warranty due to an apparent defect tech support stated to me. When I got the 2nd drive, the same thing happened. The WD 3TB HD would only show 746GB. WD tech support walked me through setting it up. They also walked me through connecting the drive to the computer with an extra SATA cable I had and power supply plug by-passing the plug-in drive bay. My computer has a bay in front with brackets that will hold 2 HD's. I have one for storage already, an older WD 1TB HD. I needed more storage so I got a WD Green 3TB HD. The computer will not show the full drive space and I believe the specs on my computer should handle that size drive. I am stumped, frustrated, and out of places to turn to. I can't believe that both new WD 3TB HD's were, and are defective. I am running WINDOWS 7 Premium - 64bit. I also haveIDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers - (Intel - PCH SATA AHCI Controller) HELP!!!
 
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mcnumpty23




chances are you just have an unallocated space--which can be sorted in disk management
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skitszo

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Check it with Hard Disk Sentinel. they have a free trial version. It should tell give you enough info in the S.M.A.R.T. info. It also has a quick self test that will tell you if anything mechanical is going on.
 
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crashtestaddict

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You just lost me. Disk management? As far as what? I am somewhat computer literate, but some of this stuff is over my head. But I am a quick learner.
 
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crashtestaddict

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I will see about that, thanks.
 
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MarkW

MarkW

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Windows comes with a tool that is called Disk Management. I am running Windows 8.1, and I get to it by right clicking the windows icon in the lower left corner, and it is on the list of programs that appears then. You may need to use your Search function to find it.

It lists what windows sees, and also shows how the drive is partitioned in a somewhat graphical manner. That should make it every easy to see exactly what Windows sees on that drive.

This is what I see when I run it.

154vwyd.jpg
 
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mcnumpty23

mcnumpty23

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chances are you just have an unallocated space--which can be sorted in disk management
 
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crashtestaddict

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It shows the drive, and after initializing it, setting a Volume letter, etc., it still shows one continuous line, blue showing 746.39GB's. I don't think my BIOS will handle drives of that size. It is from 2010, American Megatrends.

Thanks for your help.
 
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crashtestaddict

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I don't think my BIOS can handle that size drive. It is from 2010, American Megatrends.

Thanks for your help. That program is a good one, however.
 
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mcnumpty23

mcnumpty23

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yes it could be a 2 tb bios limitation--obviously getting a newer bios for a gateway may be difficult

but make sure all your intel rst drivers are up to date just to see if it makes any difference--may possibly be able to convert it to a gpt disk to allow greater size

and pretty sure when i got my asus board 4 years ago it came with some sort of software to allow drives over 2tb

though cant remember if that was to allow the full size to be seen or to allow it to be bootable as it was 4 years ago

 
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MarkW

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There has never been a 746GB hard drive limit. There have been all kinds of size limits over the years, but 746GB, or anything even close to that number, has never been one of them. Until you showed up... :p

I suspect your hard drive is using MBR Style partitioning. Check and see if there is a setting in your BIOS showing hard drive partition style of MBR, and if there is, change it to GPT. Microsoft went to this in the 2003-2004 timeframe, so that should be in a 2010 BIOS. Here is why:

The second method to bypass the partition size limitation is to use a GPT (Guid Partition Table) configuration. In Windows 2003 SP1 Microsoft introduced its implementation of the GPT. A disk configured to be GPT rather than the MBR style would have a 32 sector partition array instead of a tiny 64 byte partition table.
NOTE: 32 sectors is equal to 16,384 bytes
The partitions that can be defined on a GPT disk can be up to 16EB in size.

The text above in blue came from this page, which might offer other ways to bypass this limit for you.
http://blogs.technet.com/b/askcore/archive/2010/02/18/understanding-the-2-tb-limit-in-windows-storage.aspx
 
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crashtestaddict

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All the drivers are up to date and they are dated from 2006. So that pretty much ruins it for me. I've already seen the BIOS from American Megatrends from 2013 and mine is 2010. I looked at all the driver updates on my computer and it says they all have the latest ones, from 2006 mind you. I just have to return the drive and get more HD's no larger than 1 or 2 TB's. I need them for storage of photographic files mostly with the ability to edit them and re-save to those HD's. My HD that came with the computer is 1TB and almost full of photos, videos, etc., and quite of few programs including Photoshop CC 2015, and Lightroom 6 and more photo and video programs. BTW, I already did the GPT thing when trying to get the drive going.

Thanks for your help.
 
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crashtestaddict

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Mark, it actually shows 746.39GB. But I don't think I will be able to go into the BIOS and screw around with that. Not that computer literate. I will check out the page you posted for other ways to bypass the limit as well. I can also just return the drive and get a 2TB as well.

I appreciate your help in this. Thanks
 
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