Breakthrough 2TB Limit 3TB hard drive installed operating system combat

The intel® 6 Series chipset uses the UEFI BIOS, so the 6-series motherboard can support 3TB hard drives. This article gives a detailed introduction on how to use 3TB hard disk for MSI 6 series motherboards.

First, MBR and GPT

Learn a bit about hard disk partitioning first.

Prior to 2011, PC systems used a traditional PC bios, which was characterized by the use of Master Boot Records (MBR). The MBR partition defines 512 bytes per sector, disk addressing 32-bit addresses, and the maximum disk capacity to access is 2.19TB (232 * 512byte). Windows is booted from the MBR, so each MBR is limited to 2.19TB.

GPT is the meaning of the GUID partition table (GUID Partition tables), which is the meaning of the globally unique identity (globally unique Identifier). GPT's full name is the globally unique identity partition table. GPT uses long logical block (long LBA) addressing mode to support up to 264 logical blocks, manages maximum disk capacity up to 18EB (1EB=106TB), and GPT breaks the MBR's 2.19TB limit.

Uefi is the meaning of the unified Extensible Firmware Interface (Unified extensible firmware Interface). It is a new type of BIOS. In addition to supporting MBR partitions, this BIOS supports GPT partitioning.

Therefore, to use a 3TB hard drive must be a UEFI bios and GPT partition.

In the operating system, the 64-bit WIN7 and Vista,linux and Mac OS X1.6 support GPT booting, so you have to install 64-bit WIN7 or Vista, or Linux and Mac OS X1.6, to do the system disk with a 3TB hard drive.

Second, support the 3TB hard drive operating system

As you can see from the table above, you must use Vista and WIN7 (32-bit, 64-bit), XP 64-bit to make a data disk using a 3TB hard disk. If you are using a 3TB hard disk as a system disk, you can use only 64-bit Vista or Win 7.

Three, 3TB as a data disk method

A 3TB hard disk is converted to a GPT disk when used as a data disk. The conversion method is specialized software, such as disk Management and data Recovery Software diskette Genius 3.1 and above version, Seagate Disc Wizard V3 and so on.

In addition to specialized software, you can also convert the 3TB hard drive into a GPT disk under the system. All systems that support GPT data disks in the list above are available.

Converting to a GPT disk under the system is done in Disk Management.

1, the disk tube is the default MBR disk.

3TB hard disk is divided into 2 parts, 2048GB is in MBR mode can be recognized and used, 2048 is hexadecimal, is the decimal 2190GB.

2. Convert the MBR disk into a GPT disk.

3, the converted 3TB hard drive.

2794.39GB is also the hexadecimal calculation, if it is the decimal is 3000GB.

4, the GPT disk can also be converted into MBR disk.

5, set up the partition on the GPT disk

Create a partition directly on disk Management, which is to create a "simple volume."

The size of the volume can be set by itself. The following figure is divided into 6 partitions.

If you make a data disk, convert it to a GPT disk, and create a partition and Logical disk format to use.

Four, 3TB as a system disk method

1, first select the installation CD

At present, the market or network download system installation disk has many kinds, especially some have been modified to process the system installation disk. These system Setup disks are not available for installation on 3TB disks.

Only those system installation disks that maintain the original mode, such as WIN7 (64) installation disk, must be in a single version.

On a system CD just a version of the WIN7, as shown above, has only one flagship version of Windows 7. This single version only supports the UEFI BIOS.

This multiple version does not support UEFI.

Some media reported that the P67 motherboard for the UEFI BIOS could not install win 7 64 on the 3TB hard drive for the reason that this multiple version of the win 7 installation disk could be used.

In addition to a single version of this condition, the disc must have an EFI folder, the folder must have EFI boot files.

2, optical drive connected to the 6X South Bridge SATA Interface

Some high-end 6-series motherboards tend to add SATA interfaces provided by Third-party chips, and the optical drive does not connect to SATA interfaces provided by Third-party chips.

3. Convert hard disk to GPT disk

3TB before installing the system, the system must be converted to a GPT disk without conversion, because the win 7 (64) Installation cannot convert the MBR to GPT and must be converted beforehand.

This is not converted to a GPT disk and the MBR disk cannot be installed.

The disk is converted to GPT, the system installation disk is not correct, and cannot be installed.

4. Installation Steps

4-1, set up UEFI DVD boot

DVD connected to the Serial ATA Connector in the South Bridge, the optical drive inserts the correct WIN7 (64) installation disk, the boot into the BIOS settings, find the Boot Settings menu, in the UEFI boot Drive BBS priorities set UEFI:DVD for the first boot device. Note that if the DVD is connected to a Third-party chip SATA interface, or the disc is a multiple version system, or there is no EFI boot file. There is no Uefi:dvd option in the UEFI Boot Drive BBS Priorities settings entry.

The Uefi:dvd is also set to be the first boot device in the overall boot sequence.

4-2, WIN 7 (64) Set the hard disk and installation

Entering the win 7 (64) Installation interface to the hard drive Setup interface, you can see that the disk automatically has a reserved partition and unallocated space. The system can be installed in 2794.4GB space.

Typically for 2794.4GB space partitions, you can create a C disk of the installation system with drive options (advanced). The rest can go to the disk Management partition after the system is installed.

Establish a 100GB C disk.

You are prompted to create additional partitions, and of course agree to click "OK", or you will not be able to continue the installation.

This is the established partition, the system will be installed on the 97.6GB partition 3, click "Next" to start the installation.

There is a prompt to eject a GPT disk during installation, choose to continue the installation, and click OK.

4-3. Continue to partition the remaining space under the system

At this point, the win 7 (64) system is installed on the 3TB hard drive. After the system is installed, the BIOS boot entry adds a startup entry: Uefi:windows Boot Manager (Windows startup administrator) and is the first boot entry.

Postscript

With a growing number of customers using 3TB hard drives, hard disk vendors, motherboard vendors are developing software that not only the Intel 6 series motherboards can use 3TB hard drives, the previous 5 series, 4 series and AMD motherboards will also be able to use 3TB hard drives.