2TB HDD only showing 1.98gb??

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FlashExplorer

FlashExplorer

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Sep 6, 2014
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I have a 2TB Seagate hard drive I recently bought, It's perfectly fine, and there's nothing on it; I wanted to move all my data to it so I can free up my 750gb HDD. However I must have formatted it wrong because I currently only see 1.98gb available in the disk manager. I can't figure out how to get it to recognize the space it actually has. Do I have to go to my BIOS to reformat it? I have an ASUS motherboard by the way. Everything is plugged in correctly, I checked...
 
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Shaun o

Shaun o

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Oct 7, 2007
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A drive may state it has a 2TB storage size.

The quoted size however of the drive as a total in storage capacity is the one quoted as the Raw factory setting.

On every system, for every hard drive you place in it, the physical drive has to be formatted with a files system the working OS installed can read and write data to and from the drive.

The file system is created as part of the formatting type you select such as NTFS format.
And is used to map data put on the drive and as said so windows os can understand the drive and be able to read and write data to it.

To create the file system via formatting requires storage space of the drive to be used in its creation.
And why you never see the full 2TB of quoted storage capacity Flash.

2 Gb of data is being used for what we call the file allocation table of the drive you just formatted, the file system.

Windows os needs a location via the file system created where it can retrieve data from, and be able to write new data created or saved.

So it does not overwrite prior data unless requested.

It needs to know on a magnetic disk platter at what location the data is stored, how long the data block is in size And where the start and end points of the Data are for doing both reading and writing of data to and from the drive.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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I read the OP's statement as the drive only has 1.98GB available, not 2GB already used.
 
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Shaun o

Shaun o

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Oct 7, 2007
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Hope your well UsaRet, happy holidays.

Or should I say Merry Christmas.

And all the best !.

It`s that old stupid way to do with how HD space is calculated by drive vendors, and not informing people that it is the quoted Raw factory default settings of new drives isn`t it.

In stead of quoting the value after a drive is formatted and a file allocation system has been laid down for the Os to access the drives storage capacity.

Again, All the best to you Flash also !. I hope it explained why after formatting the drive it displays a maximum storage capacity of 1.98 TB

If you are seeing 1.98 GB. it will because depending on the Os version used the bit verison of it also 32 bit or 64bit.
And the format type you used such as NTFS. the maximum size of a single drive or partition is around 2TB or just bellow it as explained.

Any drive over 2TB in storage capacity Flash you wish to keep as a single drive or partition must use the GPT type of formatting and setup.

I just added it to let you know in case you ever intent to fit a drive with a capacity of 3Tb or above that you can buy also.
 
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FlashExplorer

FlashExplorer

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Hello,

I understand why a hard drive would have less than the quoted storage amount due to required filing systems and recovery partitions if allocated. The problem I am having is that the only partition showing up for my HDD is a 1.98GB one, as this screenshot should illustrate

http://imgur.com/a/POSom

What I want to know is how to create a new partition that is more in line with what the drive can actually store. Then, I would also appreciate any tips on migrating all of my data from disk0 and Disk1 so that W10's OS is the only thing on Disk0, apart from a healthy recovery partition. Then I can make my 750GB 2.5" HDD portable again, plug it into my XBone and everyone is happy.

Thanks for the responses so far guys.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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On Disk 3, what happens if you right click on that space?
What options does it give you?
 
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FlashExplorer

FlashExplorer

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Ok, but once I click 'Delete Volume', I'm still left with the 1.97GB of space. And if I try to make a new volume, it doesn't get any bigger than that; I cannot extend the volume. Am I missing something here??
 
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FlashExplorer

FlashExplorer

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Sep 6, 2014
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Bump

I'm still stuck with this, I went back to the shop I got the hard drive from, and they showed me how to make a new simple drive. He made a new 1TB partition easily, and when I try to replicate it at home, I erased that partition and I'm stuck again with a meager 2045MB for a volume size!! I still can't make a volume bigger than that!! :(

Please, I don't understand why I cant make a bigger partition but someone else can! What is it I'm missing??
 
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FlashExplorer

FlashExplorer

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Reporting in to say that there really is no solution to my hard drives problem, other than the fact that it was just a bunk hard drive. I went back to the store, I showed them the problem, and that was their conclusion. I got a refund, and a new hard drive in its place.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Mar 16, 2013
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Alrighty!
Some things just can't be 'fixed'.
 
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