Windows xp partition limit

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Archived Forums. File Services and Storage. In the following example, the user has a 3-TB disk that was previously initialized by using the MBR partitioning scheme.

That device is labeled here as Disk 1. Disk 1 contains two separate unallocated sections. This separation indicates that the first 2 TB of the disk space can be used. However, the remaining space is non-addressable because of the bit addressing space limitation of the MBR partitioning scheme. To enable the system to fully address the total capacity of the storage device, you must convert the disk to use the GPT partitioning scheme.

Right-click the label on the left for the disk that you want to convert, and then click Convert to GPT Disk. Now that the disk is initialized to access the full storage capacity, you must create a partition, and then format that partition by using a file system. Because the transition to a single-disk capacity of greater than 2 TB has occurred fairly recently, Microsoft has investigated how Windows supports these large disks. The results reveal several issues that apply to all versions of Windows earlier than and including Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 and Windows Server R2 with Service Pack 1.

To this point, the following incorrect behavior is known to occur when Windows handles single-disk storage capacity of greater than 2 TB:. The numeric capacity beyond 2 TB overflows. It results in the system being able to address only the capacity beyond 2 TB. For example, on a 3-TB disk, the available capacity may be only 1 TB. The numeric capacity beyond 2 TB is truncated. It results in no more than 2 TB of addressable space.

For example, on a 3-TB disk, the available capacity may be only 2 TB. The storage device isn't detected correctly. In this case, it isn't displayed in either the Device Manager or Disk Management windows. Many storage controller manufacturers offer updated drivers that provide support for storage capacities of more than 2 TB. Contact your storage controller manufacturer or OEM to determine what downloadable support is available for single-disk capacities that are greater than 2 TB.

When a disk encounters errors that are related to unreadable or unwritable sectors, it reports those errors and the relevant SCSI sense data to the operating system. Therefore, the retrieved SCSI sense data either does not contain information about bad sectors or it contains incorrect information about bad sectors.

Administrators should note this limitation when they look for bad sector LBA information that's recorded in the Windows event log. Skip to main content. This browser is no longer supported. Download Microsoft Edge More info. Contents Exit focus mode. Please rate your experience Yes No. For more information, see the following sections:. The bit version will see only the Protective MBR.

The EE partition will not be mounted or otherwise exposed to application software. Booting is only supported for bit editions on Itanium-based systems. Yes, all versions can use GPT partitioned disks for data. Booting is only supported for bit editions on UEFI-based systems.

You can move, or migrate, data-only GPT disks to other systems that are running Windows XP bit edition only or later versions of the operating system or bit editions.

You can migrate data-only GPT disks after the system has been shutdown or after the safe removal of the disk. However, you must be aware of the following restrictions:. The entire media is treated as a single partition. The media manufacturer performs any MBR partitioning of removable media. If the media has an MBR, only one partition is supported. There is little user-discernible difference between MBR-partitioned media and superfloppies. GPT disks can be converted to MBR disks only if all existing partitioning is first deleted, with associated loss of data.

There is no inherent mapping between drive letter and partition that can be used to determine one from the other. A basic data partition must be identified by its partition GUID. You shouldn't directly change any partition header entry.

Don't use disk tools or utilities to make alterations or changes. Detachable disks are typically expected to migrate between computers or simply to be unavailable to the operating system at times.

Examples of detachable disks are USB disks, which can be easily disconnected by the end-user. Later versions of Windows support GPT partitions on detachable disks. ESP partitions can be replicated for high-availability configurations. Replication must be done manually and the contents must be synchronized manually when using software volumes. Hardware vendors may provide additional solutions for high availability.

ESP partitions cannot be mirrored. The ESP should be first on the disk. The primary benefit to placing the ESP first, is that it is impossible to span volumes when the ESP is logically between the two data partitions that you are attempting to span. The ESP should only include files that are required for booting an operating system, platform tools that run before operating system boot, or files that must be accessed before operating system boot. For example, files that are required for performing pre-boot system maintenance must be placed in the ESP.

Other value-add files or diagnostics used while the operating system is running should not be placed in the ESP. It is important to note that the space in the ESP is a limited system resource; its primary purpose is to provide storage for the files that are needed to boot the operating system. The preferred option is for system manufacturers to place value-add contents in an OEM-specific partition. Users are warned that deleting the partition can cause the system to fail to operate.

Although not architectural, this placement has the same benefits as placing the ESP first. For example, it is also impossible to span volumes when an OEM-specific partition is logically between the two data partitions that you are attempting to span. Placement in the ESP is an option for applications or files that execute in the pre-operating system boot environment. However, the ESP is architecturally shared space and represents a limited resource.

Consuming space in the ESP should be considered carefully. Files that are not relevant to the pre-operating system boot environment should not be placed in the ESP. The Microsoft Reserved Partition MSR reserves space on each disk drive for subsequent use by operating system software.

GPT disks do not allow hidden sectors. Software components that formerly used hidden sectors now allocate portions of the MSR for component-specific partitions.

For example, converting a basic disk to a dynamic disk causes the MSR on that disk to be reduced in size and a newly created partition holds the dynamic disk database. It is particularly important that the MSR be created before other primary data partitions. The MSR must be created when disk-partitioning information is first written to the drive. If the manufacturer partitions the disk, the manufacturer must create the MSR at the same time.

Only one ESP should exist on a system even if multiple operating systems are installed on that system. In a mirrored boot configuration there may actually be two drives with an ESP but they are considered to be a redundant copy of the same ESP.

Each data drive must contain at least an MSR and one basic data partition. All basic data partitions on the drive should be contiguous. As noted above, placing an OEM-specific or other unrecognized partition between data partitions imposes limitations on later volume spanning.