How to use a 3tb hdd for windows

hackerz217 · Sep 24, 2016

I have a 3tb wd cavier black.i installed win u on it and realized that it isnt allocating 742 gb.later in artocles i read that mbr can recognize upto 2.2 tb only.is there any way though which i can use whole 3 tb of space with win 7 on it.?or will higher versions of windows will allow me to use whole 3 tb?

geofelt · Sep 24, 2016

If I am not mistaken, you need to format the drive as GPT instead of MBR to allow you to access greater than 2tb.

Here is now to convert MBR to GPT:
http://www.disk-partition.com/gpt-mbr/make-a-partition-size-larger-than-2tb-1004.html

And.. FWIW with today's low ssd prices, I would install windows on a 240gb or larger ssd and use the hard drive for storage.

D_Know_WD · Sep 26, 2016

Hi there hackerz217,

Sorry that you are facing some issues with your WD drive.
The drive should be initialized as GPT.

What is your OS?
Several requirements should be covered, so you can use a drive that is 3 TB as an OS one.
Check this KB article out (table in the middle): https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2581408

Keep in mind that you should always back up your data before reformatting/conversion/etc.

Cheers,
D_Know_WD

Paperdoc · Sep 26, 2016

Since you're installing Windows on this 3 TB unit (What is "win u" - maybe you meant Windows Vista?), you will need to be sure you have met three requirements:
1. Your mobo must have UEFI support in BIOS. Without that it cannot read a GPT Partition Table and boot from this unit.
2. You must do the initial Partitioning (during installation of Windows) using the GPT system, and NOT the older MBR system.
3. You must install a 64-bit version of Windows, Windows 7 or later. Only the 64-bit versions include the required built-in device driver for HDD's that use the GPT Partitioning system.

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How to use a 3tb hdd for windows

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