PSA: Partition problems

[Sirgeorge]

PSA: if your drive is not capable of being expanded to more than 2TB, then it is an MBR formatted drive and you need to reformat it to a GPT drive. To do that, you need to delete any and all partitions on that disk and reformat it as a GPT drive. If you find you can't delete a partition, you'll find that it is probably due to the fact that it is a system partition. DO NOT DELETE THIS UNTIL YOU SECURE IT. This partition holds your BOOT.MGR file, among other things, and needs to be maintained in some format if you want your computer to be able to boot.

 

All of this, by the by, assumes that you have at least two drives. Of these two drives, at least one of them is likely to be an SSD and the larger drive is probably the HDD that you accidentally created a system partition on (this is usually due to setting up a duel boot installment of Windows improperly which caused the wrong files to be put on your HDD for booting). Now is a good time to get a Windows.iso file for your version of windows. A windows.iso file is essentially the bare files of windows your computer can use to repair windows if you screw things up and you'll also need it to continue with this fix. 

 

Download and put your iso files onto a thumbstick and take that thumb stick out. You will have to physically disconnect the SATA cable (the one connecting your hard drive to your motherboard) from the motherboard. This will force the computer into thinking that it doesn't have the proper files on the, what it thinks is, only drive you have now. Then, you boot up windows from the thumbstick (which you put back in. If you don't know how to boot up windows from the thumbstick, you'll need to search that. That's basic knowledge so it should be easy). It will ask you if you want to repair windows using the files on the thumbstick. You will say yes. It will then add the necessary files to your other hard drive. Then you can plug the hard drive you unplugged back in. You then delete the system partition by the Command Prompt (again, look up how to do that. This PSA doesn't go into extreme detail just the process which is the thing that isn't really present online in too many places. The individual items like "what is a SATA cable look like?" and "how do I boot from USB" are easily found). After that, you reformat it as a MBR drive and expand it to it's full 3TB+ capacity. Then you can go about your day. I used Windows 7 for this by the by. Your version may be slightly different.

[Sirgeorge]

Post Script: I've been on this form a few times to try to fix this problem. I wasn't able to describe it in a way that anyone (and I mean ANYONE) on the forums was able to help me fix it. This isn't really their problem. They don't owe me anything and they mostly aren't professionals. However, the fact that my statement holds true combined with the fact that I've spent the better part of 2 years trying to fix this is still laughable and rather pathetic for everyone involved (myself the most). Therefore, I give the forum (and the internet) this little beauty. Hopefully, it'll help some poor fellow who needs it. Next time, those kind individuals on the forum who tried to help might actually be able to because they can make the mental connection between what someone who doesn't know what they are saying is trying to say and the technical problem actually present. Here is your resource to do that.