GPT

[ilkhan]

Do I need the disk setup with GPT to even have multiple partitions beyond 2TB? The empty space should be formatable beyond, but its not...

 

[nitrobass24]

hmmmm I would think you would be able to format that other 700gb of space with no problem but I havent tried to do anything like that. I just go with GPT and one large partition.

 

[sabregen]

I don't know if this applies or not, but I can tell you that if you system sees the storage as a SCSI block device, the limitation is 2TB per LUN. Are these SAS, or SATA drives on a controller that is filed under SCSI devices?

 

[ilkhan]

in sig, 5xWD7500AAKS (SATA) on a rocketraid 2320 controller.

Yeah I want to go GPT but the raid was setup under XP and is big enough that the non-critical but PITA to replace data is beyond my backup abilities, and to convert to GPT I believe you need an empty disk.

 

[sabregen]

yeah he can format it, but it will be a separate partition

 

[ilkhan]

yeah he can format it, but it will be a separate partition

No, thats my point, its not letting me setup a partition on it at all. Hence the picture and the thread.

 

[Blue Fox]

If you don't want to use GPT, you can use 4K blocks afaik.

 

[Christopher]

An MBR style partition uses 32-bit counters for the offset of the partition in the volume. You can't have a partition beyond the 2TB marker because of the counter limitation. If you want to use the space beyond 2TB, you have to use GPT or break the volume up into more logical volumes.

 

[DriveEuro]

I had an issue like this on my Highpoint 2310 raid card. I was expanding a 2tb array to 3tb (added another 1tb disc, duh). Windows would not expand the 2tb partition. Was showing up as 1x 2tb partition and a 900ish GB partition. Contacted highpoing tech support and they told me I had to trash the whole array and rebuild it from scratch. Man that was annoying backing up 2tb of files.

Long story short, you more than likely will have to delete whole array and rebuild it from scratch. I know, it sucks. I've done it.

 

[ilkhan]

An MBR style partition uses 32-bit counters for the offset of the partition in the volume. You can't have a partition beyond the 2TB marker because of the counter limitation. If you want to use the space beyond 2TB, you have to use GPT or break the volume up into more logical volumes.

So if I shrink the first partition by 100MB can I setup a second partition for the rest of the disk?

 

[Christopher]

So if I shrink the first partition by 100MB can I setup a second partition for the rest of the disk?

No, all the MBR partitions need to start and stop below the 2TB mark.

 

[ilkhan]

well, crap.