New Hard Drive Not Formatting Entire Drive; Instead Left with Unallocated Space. Help!

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ganymede-

ganymede-

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Jul 25, 2008
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Hi, I just purchased a 3TB WD hard drive and when I plugged into my system it appeared initally only under Disk Management. There it was listed as having unallocated space, but it also showed the drive partitioned with about 800GB in a separate area of unallocated space. I was able to format the first section of the drive (about 2.1TB) by using the one option available to me which was to click on "Simple Volume" as all other choices (aside from Properties) were grayed out. This process formatted the first partition but did not cannot effect the second partition of the drive.

The second partition remains as unallocated space. When I right-click on it it only shows me Properties and nothing else. From Properties I cannot do anything that would allow me to format the drive. I also tried using the Expand feature on the first partition in the second. That might not even be what the Expand feature is for but I tried it, but nothing changed.

I am absolutely perplexed as to how to proceed. I have reformatted it a couples of time and I have unplugged the SATA wires and switched the port that it feeds into, but nothing changes.

I would be grateful if someone could offer up an idea or two about how to proceed in fixing this, or does this sound like a problem with the drive and I need to return and exchange it for another 3TB drive. Let me know. Thanks.
 
Solution
MarkW
OK. Open up Disk Management. I run Windows 8.1, and I see it on the so-called start menu, in the control panel, and I can search for it.

Once in Disk Management, there is an upper section using one line per device, and in the lower section, the same devices are shown in a somewhat graphical way.

Figure out which drive is your 3TB drive, and right click the lower section, and delete the partition. Then right click on the same section for the 3TB drive, but all the way over to the left where is says Drive 1 or whatever device number that drive has been assigned, and select Convert to GPT disk.
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ganymede-

ganymede-

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Jul 25, 2008
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Hi. I went into my BIOS and could find nothing regarding the disc drive except about hot swampping them which is disabled for all drives. But there was nothing at all that I could find, and I went into the Advanced Mode too, that indicated drive type MBR or GPT.
I am using an Asus MB from about two years ago which has not been updated since I installed it. I could never figured out how to make the .CAP file that I was suppose to use to update the BIOS. But I do not think it would make a difference with this issue.
Do you or anyone else have any suggestions about whatelse to do or where to find these MBR/GPT settings. I thought MBR was the Master Boot Record which I am only remembering from disk deframentation programs from years ago. Or maybe I am off here. I do not know.
If I returned the hard drive would have likely have the same problem? Because i have never had this type issue before to deal with. I am very frustrated righ now.
As an afterthought, I just reinstalled Windows 7 yesterday because of problems with the old OS. But again I am not sure that would have an effect on my problem here.
Let me know how to proceed. All good feedback is welcome. Thank you!
 
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MarkW

MarkW

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Dec 7, 2009
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OK. Open up Disk Management. I run Windows 8.1, and I see it on the so-called start menu, in the control panel, and I can search for it.

Once in Disk Management, there is an upper section using one line per device, and in the lower section, the same devices are shown in a somewhat graphical way.

Figure out which drive is your 3TB drive, and right click the lower section, and delete the partition. Then right click on the same section for the 3TB drive, but all the way over to the left where is says Drive 1 or whatever device number that drive has been assigned, and select Convert to GPT disk.
 
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Solution
ganymede-

ganymede-

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Jul 25, 2008
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Thank you so much for working with me on this dilemma. I was so flummoxed and irritated about the issue. Not my best day today. I never thought of right-clicking on the number of the drive on the far left, but when I did I saw what you wrote about and just like that the problem was fixed. I now have access to all 3TBs! Thanks so much!!
 
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