can I use 3TB drive as data drive?

[michael]

Hi Guys,
I have one serious question regarding my 3TB Segate barracuda 6Gbps SATA drive.

When I connect this 3TB hard disk in my older systems it just asks to format it, and I can not afford the format because it has data, so I use Segate Goflex SATA to USB dock adapter to access that 3Tb data.


If I use this as whole 3 TB data drive in my system (i7 3770k +Asus V Deluxe) , then I can use this drive as data drive in some of my older Intel dual core system with old motherboard ?
If NOT, I guess, can I use this 3TB as data drive with help of SATA TO USB connector in my older system ?

Thanks.

 

[brandonwh64]

So you are saying if you connect with USB you can see the data but connected directly to the motherboard it wants to format?

 

[RCoon]

You will have to check your old Motherboard manufacturer for SATA 3TB+ support.
Likely it doesnt, and will only work on your newer motherboard. (Unless you continue to use it with a USB adapter).

 

[michael]

So you are saying if you connect with USB you can see the data but connected directly to the motherboard it wants to format?

Exactly.

One thing I dont really understand here is that, why if the one drive is used as DATA drive in one system can not be used as DATA drive in another system ?
Why the next system ask to format it , even if it used as DATA drive.
But then again if I use this DATA drive with USB adapter (Segate goflex SATA TO USB) it access all data of DATA drive.

Why cant we use 3TB drive as DATA drive in old systems ?????

So which adaptor should I buy eSATA or USB 3 as my Asus V Deluxe has both?

Thanks.

 

[qubit]

It's as rcoon said, it boils down to the 3TB+ support on the motherboard. It's got nothing to do with the data on it.

It sounds like that old motherboard doesn't support it. A BIOS update may add the support, but it's not all that likely.

Whatever you do, don't format it! Also, make sure to have a backup of your data at all times.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

3TB hasnt always been an industry standard when it comes to hard drives. Its a newer technology. Granted, you can have 3TB+ while raiding multiple hard drives together, but even then, im not sure it would be supported. Having 3TB plus just on a single hard drive across multiple platters is something thats only come out within the last few years. So any computer probably 5+ years old wont have the support for it.

 

[michael]

yeah, Thats reason why I have to do lots of copying work.
In order to copy my data from 3TB internal drive to my 2TB Segate Goflex External drive .
I am first copying my data from 3Tb drive to my 1TB internal drive by connecting my 3TB to goflex USB adapter and then I will copy data from my 1 Tb drive to my 2 Tb External drive, as I have only one USB adapter.

EDIT:--Is it a good idea/practice to use whole 3TB internal hard disk as one DATA partition ?
YOU KNOW GUYS, What I am planning to do as my Asus Deluxe also support 3Tb bootable drive so I am going to install one separate os on my 3TB drive with 100Gb given for boot partition and then rest whole space as one partiton , so that whenever my 256Gb SSD drive failed to start or my oS gets corrupt , I can at least quickly switch to my this 3TB bootable drive and can start working quickly.

IS NOT IT A GREAT IDEA TO USE YOUR 3TB INTENAL DRIVE AS DATA DRIVE CUM BOOTABLE DRIVE ???

 

[CBRworm]

For a boot disk backup, I would be more inclined to make a clone of the SSD onto a separate small drive every so often - that way you can just plug it in if required and boot from it - and be amazed how much faster your SSD is. Having a clone of the active boot partition (SSD) on another active drive in the system sometimes causes problems in windows - I have seen drive letters get messed up and render both partitions corrupt and non-bootable.

Something I have found with some of the larger external Seagate (GoFlex, Backup Plus) drives is that there is 'magic' being done in the base. If you pull the drive and plug it into a regular SATA port, it does not show up as a GPT disk - which is what it needs to be to access all the space in Windows. However - if you format the disk as a GPT disk on an internal port, it still works fine if you move it back to the USB3 base adapter.

Of course, if you partition and format the drive in windows, any previously stored data will be erased.

 

[Mussels]

if you split the 3TB into a 1TB and 2TB partition (or anything <2TB) it should work in the older systems for a data drive.

 

[Jetster]

As long as your not using it as a boot drive it should work

 

[michael]

Need urgent help

Guys, I really need solution for this now.

Look I have 256Gb SSD drive and 3TB segate internal drive.

1. I had installed my OS on 256GB SSD and everything was working fine. But then I connected my 3TB Segate internal drive to SATA port and try to install OS on my 3TB drive (My plan was to install OS on 100GB on this 3TB and keep rest whole space as one partition approx 2.5TB and then keep 256GB SSD as bootable drive and use my this 3TB as 100Gb + 2.5Tb as data drive) .but it showed following errors where I was unable to allocate more than 2TB space from this 3TB HD to system .So while deleting already created partition on this 3TB HD when I removed 100MB of this 3 Tb HD partiton ,I dont tknow somehow it damage my boot partition on SSD which later could not boot and gave bootmgr missing error.(Sadly now I need to do whole installation again on my SSD.)

2.So I disconnected my SSD and try to install OS on my 3TB HD but then too I was unable to allocate more than 2TB space for OS partiton, leaving 700Gb as unallocated space.
I really dont know what is problem here, I am using Asus V Deluxe MB which supports 3TB drive.

so How can I use my whole 3Tb as data drive by connecting it through SATA port ?

Please guide.

 

[Jetster]

Do not delete the 100mb or 350mb boot sector that windows creates. 3 Tb drives require a GPT partition not MBR. Another thing to remember is if you format and install windows on a drive and another drive is connected to the motherboard Windows will place the boot partition on the second drive. If you remove the second drive the first will not boot.

Also I dont understand what your trying to do here. You have a SSD why are you booting from your 3 Tb ?

Your picture shows two boot records because both are on that drive. Do not have a second drive attached when doing a windows install

Start over delete everything install the SSD and windows. After the install is complete and working. Only then atach the 3 Tb drive and change the partition type > http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725671.aspx

 

[michael]

Do not delete the 100mb or 350mb boot sector that windows creates. 3 Tb drives require a GPT partition not MBR. Another thing to remember is if you format and install windows on a drive and another drive is connected to the motherboard Windows will place the boot partition on the second drive. If you remove the second drive the first will not boot.

Also I dont understand what your trying to do here. You have a SSD why are you booting from your 3 Tb ?

Your picture shows two boot records because both are on that drive. Do not have a second drive attached when doing a windows install

Jester many thanks for your comments.

Now see what I want to do :-

1. I will install my OS on my 256G SSD with all 256Gb space.

2,Now I want to use my whole 3Tb hard disk as DATA drive by connecting it to SATA port internally. Now tell me how to do this as my window still dont recognise more than 2TB space keeping 750GB unallocated.

First tell me how to do this 2nd point.

 

[Jetster]

Read my post again

 

[michael]

Read my post again

Change the partition type to what?
Will I be able to use whole 3Tb space then ?

 

[Jetster]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725671.aspx

 

[michael]

Yes I installed OS on SSD again, Now I am thinking of installing all required s/w and then taking os image by acronics ,

Can I use this image to even come over this bootmgr error in future ?

I will read that link too

thanks for reply

 

[Jetster]

Here is the solution from Seagate.

http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/beyond-2tb/

[yt]g7qxCSeRumk#![/yt]

This is cool

http://support.seagate.com/kbimg/flash/218611/3TB_Desktop-Flash.html

 

[michael]

Thanks a lot

Ok , so I just need to right click on disk in disk management window and need to do convert to GPT, thats it ?

but would you please tell me how to install OS in 3 TB drive say 100Gb for install and 2500GB for data ?
my plan is to install OS on both 256GB SSD and 3Tb drive separately. and then boot from SSD and just use my 3TB drive as [100Gb + 2500GB ] DATA DRIVE.
ADVANTAGE OF DOING this IS THAT IF MY ssd OS GETS CORRUPT then i CAN STILL boot from my 3TB drive and just do with it.
EDIT:-Is there any youtube video like HOWTO for os installation on 3TB ?

Thanks a lot

EDIT:-
yes, I read some post it looks easy. just connect 3TB to sata port go into disk management convert it to GPT and then disconnect your SSD and then start installation on 3TB Hard disk.

Later connect your SSD and boot through SSD and use 100GB +2.5TB as data drive.
This is my plan, will check it in night.

Can anyone comment whether I am explaining it rightly ?

Thanks a lot.

 

[michael]

HI Guys, I am done with this. I have used Diskwizard software to make 2TB and 700GB Partiton.
One question I have here is , Can we not make one whole partition of 2.7TB (3TB) with Disk wizard software ?
Well, my next question is Can we install “Intel Smart Response Technology” on already installed SSD of 256GB ?

Has anyone done this ?
Please comment.
Thanks

 

[michael]

Thanks close the thread