2x2TB MBR partitions on a 4TB HDD?

[aisle9]

I'd like to turn my old 4TB drive into an all-purpose archive/backup "cold storage" drive, but I've always had issues when trying to use a GPT-formatted disk as portable storage. Namely, it doesn't work. It gives me errors saying essentially that I have to connect the drive directly to the mobo via SATA for it to be allowed to read. Naturally, that's a problem for a portable cold storage drive. Not to mention that if I part ways with the computer I'll be formatting that drive on, it's pretty much locked out forever.

 

I'm seeing mixed messages online about whether you can split a 4TB drive into two 2TB partitions and use MBR for both. If you can, I'd very much like to go that route. Is that possible?

[da na]

Quick nitpick, the partitions themselves aren't MBR. The drive is initialized as MBR/GPT, your partitions are NTFS, ExFAT, etc.

Because initialization applies to the entire drive, I don't believe that is possible.

[aisle9]

57 minutes ago, Mel0n. said:

Quick nitpick, the partitions themselves aren't MBR. The drive is initialized as MBR/GPT, your partitions are NTFS, ExFAT, etc.

Because initialization applies to the entire drive, I don't believe that is possible.

Clearly storage media is my specialty. Thanks for pointing that out. It explains why I'm seeing sites saying it can't be done.

 

Is there any alternative to opening up a PC every time I need to access something?

[Electronics Wizardy]

GPT should work fine for external storage. Tons of drives use GPT for portable storage and there shouldn't be any issues.

 

 

[Alex Atkin UK]

9 hours ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

GPT should work fine for external storage. Tons of drives use GPT for portable storage and there shouldn't be any issues.

Indeed its necessary for drives larger than 2TB in the first place.