New PC - HDD is cut up in pieces

[Will Ozellman]

Okay so i followed linus video on how to set up hard drives so my HDD will be visible. So i follow the steps and it says 500 MB is reserved and then i can use 2000 gb to create a new volume. Then i have a part with 700 gb which i can not do anything with. EDIT: I can't remove the 500 MB. Should be reserved as backup but its actual name is "primary"

 

The HDD is a seagate barracuda 3TB

 

Why won't it let me use my remaining 700 GBs in a partition of its own?

 

This is what it looks like http://imgur.com/dArEK8n (sorry for the none english)

[Goldensapling]

Probably not formatted correctly. I'm not sure what format it needs to be, but that's probably the problem. Use Windows partitioning tool and if that won't work make a Boot Repair USB and get the correct format. Sorry if that's not very helpful but it's been ages since I partitioned anything

[Altecice]

Why are you partitioning your drive in this way? 

[ohJey]

Go into disk manager and make sure it is GPT
@Will Ozellman

[Will Ozellman]

Why are you partitioning your drive in this way? 

Because it's my first time and i followed the guy on the internet i trust the most on the subject.

[Will Ozellman]

You can't set a >2.1 TB MBR partition, you've to use GPT

And if it's your main drive, you can't set >2.1TB unless you've UEFI BIOS

Oh okay. I've got a 250 gb ssd as my boot drive. So how do i change it to GPT and can i combine them back into one partition now when i've already set up the 2 TB part?

Got Uefi bios aswell. Running MSI Z97 gaming 5

[Will Ozellman]

NOTE: You'll have to backup data or it'll be lost

1-Go to disk manager

2-Delete all (delete, not format) partitions in the drive, then right click on te drive and select "Convert to GPT"

3-Create your partitions (or a single one taking all the space)

 

If you need pictures of the process I've a sample drive in hand to take screenshots

Okay. Seems like i can't delete the 500 GB "reserved partition. Is that space i cannot use? I have never had that much space taken away before.

 

EDIT: NVM... it says 500 mb...

 

EDIT 2: It wont let me convert if i dont get rid of the reserved partition it seems.

[Will Ozellman]

Did you install windows with that HDD pluged in?

 

Yes i did.

[Will Ozellman]

I guess windows created backup/boot partition in the HDD...

If windows doesn't boot without the HDD then that's the case

oh... 

 

Do you happen to know how i can remove it?

[Will Ozellman]

I guess windows created backup/boot partition in the HDD...

If windows doesn't boot without the HDD then that's the case

 

EDIT: If you've W10, 500 MB is the size of the recovery partition

 

Oh, okay. But currently i can only use 2 TB of my 3TB drive

[Will Ozellman]

 

Actually IDK if removing the recovery partition will break W10 (I use 7, but never tried such things in 10 ))

It shouldn't as for booting it isn't needed, but if by some reason your boot breaks in the future you won't be able to use the "F8" option and you'll need a DVD/USB of W10

Okay thanks. Well, im gonna keep my windows usb so hopefully that wont be a problem

 

EDIT: fuck i'm not allowed to remove it

 

this wouldnt be a problem at all if it just allowed me to use my remaining 700 GB