Need to use GPT Drive on MBR OS.... Is it possible?

[Tomas_04]

hello all, maybe i need to put the context of the build to better understand the question in the title.
and if there's another thread that asked this question but in "the correct terminology", sorry for posting an already answered question.
also, if there's another solution for my problem, every suggestion would be helpfull.

 

so this is my PC, an old LGA1156 System still using BIOS, not UEFI. and for the longest time i have just using a 1TB HDD for boot drive & also storage.
i've ran out of space, so i bought a 6TB HDD. but as soon as i plugged it in, it only read 2TB of it. after a quick google troubleshooting, it's because my windows install is still using MBR, so it can't read more than 2TB.
so i tried to reinstall my OS, making sure in Rufus to select GPT. got into the BIOS and then trying to boot to the USB, and it won't even recognize my USB.

---------------------------------------------------so here's the problem i've encountered---------------------------------------------------

1. because i'm using an MBR OS, i can't use my 6TB Drive

2. because it's still using a motherboard with BIOS, i can't install Windows using GPT.

----------------------------------------------------------and here's my full question------------------------------------------------------------
 

i am forced to use MBR on my OS, so is there a way for me to format my 6TB HDD using GPT?
is it possible, will it even solve my problem?

 

in case you need all the neccesary info, this is my spec:
Motherboard : Acer Veriton M680G  Salvaged Motherboard
OS : Windows 10 21H1 Edition still with "activate windows" watermark
RAM :12GB on a SODIMM to DIMM adapter
CPU : Secondhand Intel Xeon X3470 @2.93GHz
GPU : unbranded nVidia GT720... also salvaged
HDD : 1TB Seagate & 6TB WD Purple

note : build was inspired mostly by linus. especially the SODIMM to DIMM Adapter, i went full scrapyard wars on this pc.
          BRING US SEASON 9 OF SCRAPYARD WARS : COVID EDITION

[tkitch]

quick googling says there are 2 ways around it:

 

1) Add a PCI-E SATA Controller to run the drive off of.  (The new controller should be able to deal with it.)

2) Run it in a USB Enclosure.

 

I can't vouch for either method, but it does seem logically sound.

[Tomas_04]

1 minute ago, tkitch said:

quick googling says there are 2 ways around it:

 

1) Add a PCI-E SATA Controller to run the drive off of.  (The new controller should be able to deal with it.)

2) Run it in a USB Enclosure.

 

I can't vouch for either method, but it does seem logically sound.

The USB Enclosure part, already done it. still won't read the full 6TB.
for the Sata Controller, i can't because the PCIe port is already being used by my GPU, the other slots in my systems are all old PCI.

[Master Disaster]

MBR & GPT support is determined by the OS, Windows 7+ is more than happy to boot from a MBR volume and read a GPT volume at the same time (and vice versa as well)

[Tomas_04]

Just now, Master Disaster said:

MBR & GPT support is determined by the OS, Windows 7+ is more than happy to boot from a MBR volume and read a GPT volume at the same time (and vice versa as well)

do i need to format the 6TB HDD on another PC with GPT? i don't have another computer in my house.

[Master Disaster]

Just now, Tomas_04 said:

do i need to format the 6TB HDD on another PC with GPT? i don't have another computer in my house.

Not at all, from Windows just open command prompt then do

diskpart
list disk
find the id# of the 6TB drive in the list
select disk id#
clean
covert gpt
exit

then close command prompt, open Disk Manager and format the disk. You should then see all 6TB.

[Tomas_04]

5 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

Not at all, from Windows just open command prompt then do

diskpart
list disk
find the id# of the 6TB drive in the list
select disk id#
clean
covert gpt
exit

then close command prompt, open Disk Manager and format the disk. You should then see all 6TB.

so what you're saying is, i don't even need to re-install my OS?

[Master Disaster]

33 minutes ago, Tomas_04 said:

so what you're saying is, i don't even need to re-install my OS?

Correct. As long as your Windows version supports GPT (IIRC Win 7 or newer) then it will work.

[Tomas_04]

21 hours ago, Master Disaster said:

Not at all, from Windows just open command prompt then do

diskpart
list disk
find the id# of the 6TB drive in the list
select disk id#
clean
covert gpt
exit

then close command prompt, open Disk Manager and format the disk. You should then see all 6TB.

@Master Disasteryou are a livesaver! just dropping this huge kudos here.
thank you so much.

[Tomas_04]

 

although i have converted the disk to GPT, it won't show the full capacity.
Disk 2 is a 3TB HDD, but it only shows as 746GB 
Disk 3 is a 6TB HDD, but it also only shows 1493GB
less than the actual capacity.

EDIT : CMD & Disk Partition won't show the full capacity, but intel rapid storage technology (a software came with the motherboard) show the full capacity! what is going on???

is my windows install broken? what should i do?

Edited June 29, 2021 by Tomas_04
added more images & update on the situation

[Tomas_04]

1 hour ago, Tomas_04 said:

@Master Disasteryou are a livesaver! just dropping this huge kudos here.
thank you so much.

is there a missing step? i did all the command that you typed.
or maybe it is a motherboard issue?

because i ran GParted from a USB Drive and it can show all 3TB & 6TB.

[Master Disaster]

46 minutes ago, Tomas_04 said:

is there a missing step? i did all the command that you typed.
or maybe it is a motherboard issue?

because i ran GParted from a USB Drive and it can show all 3TB & 6TB.

You didn't clean the drive before converting it. FTR GParted can also convert between MBR & GPT so use that if you already have it, just make sure to delete all existing partitions so the drive is showing as RAW before converting it.

[Tomas_04]

8 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

You didn't clean the drive before converting it. FTR GParted can also convert between MBR & GPT so use that if you already have it, just make sure to delete all existing partitions so the drive is showing as RAW before converting it.

ohh okay i already did all the steps, including "clean" & "convert" i also did a restart just for good measure. but it still shows 746GB & 1493GB in CMD.
also i checked in the BIOS, now it shows (slightly) more capacity, 801.6GB & 1.6TB respectively. it should be 3TB & 6TB
so is it a motherboard issue?

[Helly]

51 minutes ago, Tomas_04 said:

so is it a motherboard issue?

Not technically a motherboard issue but probably sata controller issue, what motherboard is it? Don't think you mentioned it unless i missed it. If you don't need a lot of throughput for the drive you can actually still find PCI sata controllers that can handle the drive. It'll just be a big search for it... another possibility is to update the bios/controller on the board. You have a Xeon and a very green board so if it is an actual server board the controller might have it's own BIOS which you can update. You'd have to see if you can still find an update for it.

[Tomas_04]

On 6/28/2021 at 8:24 PM, Tomas_04 said:

hello all, maybe i need to put the context of the build to better understand the question in the title.
and if there's another thread that asked this question but in "the correct terminology", sorry for posting an already answered question.
also, if there's another solution for my problem, every suggestion would be helpfull.

 

so this is my PC, an old LGA1156 System still using BIOS, not UEFI. and for the longest time i have just using a 1TB HDD for boot drive & also storage.
i've ran out of space, so i bought a 6TB HDD. but as soon as i plugged it in, it only read 2TB of it. after a quick google troubleshooting, it's because my windows install is still using MBR, so it can't read more than 2TB.
so i tried to reinstall my OS, making sure in Rufus to select GPT. got into the BIOS and then trying to boot to the USB, and it won't even recognize my USB.

---------------------------------------------------so here's the problem i've encountered---------------------------------------------------

1. because i'm using an MBR OS, i can't use my 6TB Drive

2. because it's still using a motherboard with BIOS, i can't install Windows using GPT.

----------------------------------------------------------and here's my full question------------------------------------------------------------
 

i am forced to use MBR on my OS, so is there a way for me to format my 6TB HDD using GPT?
is it possible, will it even solve my problem?

 

in case you need all the neccesary info, this is my spec:
Motherboard : Acer Veriton M680G  Salvaged Motherboard
OS : Windows 10 21H1 Edition still with "activate windows" watermark
RAM :12GB on a SODIMM to DIMM adapter
CPU : Secondhand Intel Xeon X3470 @2.93GHz
GPU : unbranded nVidia GT720... also salvaged
HDD : 1TB Seagate & 6TB WD Purple

note : build was inspired mostly by linus. especially the SODIMM to DIMM Adapter, i went full scrapyard wars on this pc.
          BRING US SEASON 9 OF SCRAPYARD WARS : COVID EDITION

it's from a pre-built Acer Veriton M680G

[Master Disaster]

Yeah, I know I said MBR/GPT is an OS thing but I made an assumption that turned out to be incorrect. Your board needs to have UEFI to support GPT and by the looks of your screenshots, yours doesn't.

[Tomas_04]

7 hours ago, Master Disaster said:

Yeah, I know I said MBR/GPT is an OS thing but I made an assumption that turned out to be incorrect. Your board needs to have UEFI to support GPT and by the looks of your screenshots, yours doesn't.

well it is a twelve year old motherboard..
maybe it is time for me to upgrade.