Older Dell computer Win XP Pro SP3. I need to upgrage my STORAGE hard drive not my boot hard drive. Too many photos of travels.
If I purchase a 3TB HD I think . . . . that my BIOS (?) -- or maybe it is a limit on the MBR formating -- can only see it as a 2.2TB drive (?). Must I format it as a GPT? I am not sure my computer support GPT (?)
I need to be educated. .
Sorry I think I posted this in the wrong forum. Please move to correct on.
Please give me enough troubles, uncertainty, problems, obstacles and STRESS so that I do not become arrogant, proud, and smug in my own abilities, and enough blessings and good times that I realize that someone else is in charge of my life.
This is a limitation of the operating system you are using. If you have XP 32-bit version, there isn't much you can do. Use it as a 2.2 TB disk or upgrade your OS to windows 7 (a complete reinstall).
Even if your PC doesn't support 64-bit, windows 7 will work with this as a data drive. See this article for more info.
Travelling with the wife and two kids (16and14)...
5th: '08 Colorado 29BHDS (10-11,000 lbs wet)
TV : '04 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax/Allison Crew Cab
It's more than likely a BIOS limit. See if there is a newer BIOS that allows larger hard drives. Regardless, given the age of your computer, you likely don't have GPT support.
Definately would need GPT to utilize the eitire drive. Windows XP with SP3 will see and use GPT partitions; but as some have said, you may have a BIOS limiting issue.
I'd suggest a USB enclosure. This will eliminate all of these limitations.
Up-Date I purchased a Seagate 3TB internal drive. With Win XP Pro 32 bit, I could not format it as ONE 3TB partition. However, Seagate has software and a very good "how to video" that show how to use the drive as a 2.2TB partition and a 0.8TB partition. Not what I wanted but I still get 3TB of data storage on one physical drive. I now have an "F" and a "G" drive (read partitions) to store my photos on.
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. . that my BIOS (?) -- or maybe it is a limit on the MBR formating -- can only see it as a 2.2TB drive (?). Must I format it as a GPT? I am not sure my computer support GPT (?)
