3TB harddrive only showing 750gb

TheMadS · 10-03-2011, 07:14 AM

Hey!

I bought a new Hitachi DeskStar 7k3000, and installed it to my server, but when I booted up and checked Disk management, it only showed 746,39 GB unallocated. Then i tried to installe it into my gaming laptop and it showed one unallocated partision of 746gb + one 2 tb...

So my server dont support that big harddrives?
Is it the OS, the motherboard, or something else that causes it to cap at 750gb?
Server motherboard: GA-K8NF-9
OS: Windows Server 2003, HomeServer

**pip22** · 10-03-2011, 07:28 AM

It's probably the motherboard BIOS that determines the 750GB limit. A BIOS update from the motherboard manufacturer's website may lift that limit.

TheMadS · 10-03-2011, 07:31 AM

But am running 3 1TB disks already...

TheMadS · 10-03-2011, 11:45 PM

bump! Anyone knows if its the OS or the motherboard who is making the 750gb limit? Everyone I talk to says different! Some say its the old OS, some say update BIOS, some tell me its the SATA controlller on my MB...

loda117 · 10-04-2011, 10:28 AM

First off all list all your specs for your computer
that is the one of the reason you are going to get different answers

Now is the system in raid?
How many total hard drives you have in system? and sizes

As for default the 2k3 will see 2.0TB if you put in one HDD 3TB size

steely74 · 10-04-2011, 10:38 AM

my understanding is that 3tb will not work on windows home server 2003 (without a work around). many 2tb don't work properly either. has to do with the advanced formatting. head over to

Server Storage and Disk Management - We Got Served Forums

and read a bit. there is a post titled

Guide: How To Make Gpt, 4K Sector Drives And 3Tb Drives Work As Storage Pool Drives In Whs Pp3 - We Got Served Forums

loda117 · 10-04-2011, 10:44 AM

hmm never messed with home server 2k3
I had no issue with seeing 2TB drives with 2k3 x 64 enterprise

steely74 · 10-04-2011, 10:47 AM

yea like I said even some 2tb drives have issues with whs. I stick to 1tb drives for mine and the ones I build.

TheMadS · 10-05-2011, 01:36 AM

I searched trough more forums and found this thread:
Windows Home Server Forums • View topic - 3TB drives support - MediaSmartServer.net

Some suggested links seemed interesting:

Patch for WinXP to support 3TB disks?
Still Running Windows XP and Want To Use 3TB Hard Drives? - Using Windows Home Server

Intel update, but is only for RAID support?
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Deta...eng&iid=dc_rss

But either way, unless there is a patch for the Driver Extender directly, I wont be able to add the harddrive to the pool in DE?

-------------

When it comes to the specs for the server.. I dont remember them now, but the most importent is the motherboard, OS and HDD setup?
Motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 . This is my old gaming laptop but works great as server.
OS: Windows HomeServer 2003, PP3 (SP2)
Hard-drive setup: Using DriveExtender, having atm 3 1TB disks, one is system+data, 1disk is data and one is shared folder backup... For those familiar with the DriveExtender, know how it works. Basicly makes a "raid" of all the drives added to the pool(makes one big partition).

TheMadS · 10-06-2011, 12:14 AM

UPDATE: Tried the Paragon GPT Loader, which states it will fix the hole problem, but of cause, still the same.

Then tried the Intel RAID driver, but that driver is for the HP HomeServer, and did not install on my server. Tried to find a similar one to my MB, and gonna try to install that later on when I get home.

Seems like steely's suggeston could be a good idea, gonna sit down and try it too later...

Quote:

Originally Posted by steely74

Guide: How To Make Gpt, 4K Sector Drives And 3Tb Drives Work As Storage Pool Drives In Whs Pp3 - We Got Served Forums

TheMadS · 10-06-2011, 12:45 AM

By reading trough the "Guide to make GPT, 4k sector....." guide that steely74 linked to, I realize that is not the same problem i've got. That guide only tell how to add a 3TB disk to the Storage Pool in DriveExtender. But in my case, the HDD wont show its full size even when its a GPT.

No matter what I do it only showes ONE UNNALLOCATED space of 746GB in DiskManager.
When I installed it to my gaming computer (Win7) it showed one unnallocated space of 746GB AND one of 2TB. Both where gray, which means they are unnallocated.
And even if I try swapping it to GPT by rightclicking the HDD in disk manager, or swapping it back to MBR, or logical disk or whatever, its only 746GB on the 3TB disk.

So it seems like its hardware+OS that makes it fail. I should prob buy and install Windows HomeServer 2011 or update my hardware?