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3TB drive seen as 746GB in Windows
I purchased & installed a Western Digital 3TB drive, but the drive shows up as 746GB in Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management. A long way from 3TB.
The problem is the bios. It sees the drive as 801.6GB, therefore windows sees the drive as 746GB. The bios version is the most recent update (dated 20011) from Dell's Drivers and Downdloads for the Studio XPS 9100. Does this mean I cannot use a drive with capacity higher than 2TB? Can I get a bios update that supports the higher capacity, without having to pay for it?
Specs for drive & system.
Western Digital drive System
Model: WD30EZRX-00DC0B0 Dell Studio XPS 9100
Date: 01 Apr 2013 Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
SATA 3 motherboard: Dell 05DN3X
3TB capacity bios: AMI/Dell A04, AMI v02.67
(NOTE: According to the AMI website, if the motherboard is NOT manufactured by AMI, then the bios is the manufacturer's & NOT supported by AMI.)
Steps in the order performed that led to the above conclusion of the bios fault.
Drive is installed as 2nd system drive & connected to the SATA3 connector on the motherboard. SATA1 & SATA2 are already used & no other SATA connectors are available.
I downloaded Western Digitals WinDLG_124 (Data LifeGuard) & ran the tool in WINDOWS. SMART Test passed & reports drive capacity as 3TB.
I booted the system (F12 option) to access Dell's Pre-boot System Assessment (PSA), aka Hardware Diagnostics. The version is build 4525. The Hard Drive DST Short Test Passed. After test I chose Hardware Diagnostics (build v1384.1) -> Custom Test -> Hard Drive -> SATA Disk S/N: WD-WMC1T........ -> Drive self-test (short), test results were passed. Then ran SMART Test, results passed. Selecting the Configuration tab showed Total Capacity as 3000593MB, or 3TB.
2 hardware diagnostics, 1 Dell's & 1 Western Digital's, and both detect the drive's true capacity of 3TB.
I rebooted the system to the bios, F2 Setup. From the 1st screen I elected Standard CMOS Features -> SATA4 [Hard Disk].
Screen display was -
SATA4
Device: Hard Disk
Vendor: WDC WD30EZRX-00DC0B0
Size: 801.6GB
SATA Port 4 [AUTO]
S.M.A.R.T. [Enabled]
Is there any way I can use this drive at its full capacity?
Thanks
Lyle11
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August 17th, 2013 16:00
Hi rdunnill,
I have to admit it has been quite some time since I have any real trouble with any issue. In general I have always been able to one or another resolve most all my computer related issues myself. I have been known to seek help from others on occasion.
On a whim I tried an experiment a couple of hours ago. I dug out an abandoned external enclosure, installed the drive into it, & connected it to my system. The boot was sure slow.
Of course, the drive was not readily seen in Windows Explorer. Accessing Disk Management I greeted by an initialize drive pop-up. I selected GPT & the pop-up of course closed. The drive was there & fully unallocated. The great thing was is was a full capacity 3TB volume.
I set it up as a single partition & formatted without problem. Windows Explorer recognizes the drive at 2.72TB.
Not what I wanted. I want an installed internal secondary drive, but as the old Stones song goes, "You can't always get what you want. But, you always get what you need."
I had thought I would work at this issue through out the weekend, but I have spent way too many hours at it as it is. So, I'm going to throw in the towel & accept this as a resolution to my issue. Oh boy, just what I need another external drive sitting on the shelf.
To all who have participated in this post's thread a heap of thanks your input was appreciated.
jackshack
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August 15th, 2013 16:00
The Studio XPS 9100 is already hardware capable of using a 3 TB or larger hard disk drive. Any computer designed since about 2004 has been able to do that, so I do not know how the BIOS is giving you that report. Is that the number you see when you go to System Setup (F2 during the self test after the machine has been started or restarted)?
Most likely the problem you have results from the older drivers that were originally shipped with Windows 7. Installing the most recent version of Intel Rapid Storage Technology should correct your problem. Use the version found here: Intel Rapid Storage Technology. Use the third file as the first two, labeled f6flpy are the pre-install drivers used when installing Windows. Installation of the RST application will update the application already installed as well as the drivers. Once you have installed RST, remove all existing partitions on the 3 TB drive and re-do the partition and format.
DELL-Amogh G
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August 15th, 2013 18:00
Hi Lyle,
As you have correctly mentioned Dell has tested the system with maximum 2 TB hard drive. However, 3 TB hard drive should work as well with the system. Please paste the screenshot of ‘Disk Management’ and ‘BIOS’.
Keep me posted with the information. I will be glad to assist further.
rdunnill
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August 15th, 2013 19:00
Don't use any third-party utilities; try to use Windows Disk Management with a Guid Partition Table (GPT) partition.
speedstep
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August 16th, 2013 06:00
The latest IIntel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) drivers may be required before 3TB GPT partitions work.
download version 11.7.0.1013 from Intel's web site.
Microsoft* .NET Framework 3.0, 3.5, or 4.5 is required to be installed on the system in order for the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology User Interface to install. Note that not all Microsoft* Operating Systems have .NET 3.0, 3.5, or 4.5 installed by default.
Lyle11
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August 16th, 2013 08:00
First, thanks. Your help is very much apprectiated.
JackShack, I knew about the Intel Rapid Storage Technology drivers, but had not considered those.
"...I do not know how the BIOS is giving you that report. Is that the number you see when you go to System Setup (F2 during the self test after the machine has been started or restarted)?"
The number in System Setup (BIOS) is 801.6GB, as stated in post.
I downloaded & installed the Intel Rapid Storage Tech file you recommended.
SetupRST.exe
Version: 12.8.0.1016
Date: 08/08/2013
Status: Latest
Size: 16.65 MB
No errors, or problems. However, it is the same driver, version & date as the originally installed driver.
In Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management, I have already tried removing all partitions & re-doing. I repeated the steps after installing the recommended Intel RST driver. Simple Volume, Max Size (746GB), NTFS format.
Result: No joy.
DELL-Amogh G, I did not think a 3TB drive would or should be an issue.
I will be very happy to paste sreenshots, if necessary. Disk Management will be no problem, but how do I get a screenshot of the BIOS?
In the early days of computers I would printout each BIOS screen when the computer was new, as a record of the original settings & to track any setting changes made should the change should be detrimental. Years ago, that was no longer possible.
But, I do have file created from handwritting each screen.
rdunnill, I have not as yet used any third-party utilities, only Windows, Dell, & now Intel. The Western Digital Data LifeGuard tool was used only to test the drive (in Windows).
The intent of my post was to describe my issue with the drive & what led me to conclude the issue was a bios fault, not the drive.
I did try making the drive a GPT. The system did recognize it was a GPT volume, but it made no difference in the reported size (capacity) of the drive, 746GB.
I have since changed the drive back to MBR.
SpeedStep, it looks like the Intel RST version you are recommending is early than the version originally installed & earlier than the one recommended by JackShack. However, I will keep your recommendation in mind as a possible outside chance to try. I can always restore my system if it does not work.
My Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit is current & up-to-date as of Wed. All updates have been applied successfully since system purchase in late 2010.
Again, thank you very much for your help.
jackshack
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August 16th, 2013 10:00
The drive capacity reported by the BIOS in system setup is only what the drive itself sends in response to a query by the BIOS during start-up. If the drive says it is 800 GB, that is all you will ever see. You might want to try another drive.
The drive is not necessarily bad. Many of the drives have a feature called the Host Protected Area that is enabled using registers in the hard drive electronics. If this register has been set to a value less than the drive capacity, the BIOS and Windows will only see the value in the HPA register. The manufacturer's tools use a different command to query the drive and can see the maximum capacity of the drive despite what is set in HPA. Seagate's Seatools utility once had the capability to clear the HPA register and restore the drive to full capacity. I'm pretty certain Western Digital must have an equivalent. If you can no longer find these on the vendors' web pages, your only alternative may be to trade the drive for another.
EDIT: In researching this matter, I ran across this report from about 3 years ago: Western Digital Caviar Green 3 TB Review. In the compatibility section you will note that the reviewer had trouble getting this drive to report its capacity correctly in his test setup. In particular, he tried it on a Dell Studio XPS 9000, and was evidently never able to get the drive to work correctly. Since the Studio XPS 9000 and your 9100 are closely related, you may be experiencing the same difficulty. Contacting Western Digital tech support would probably be your best option.
speedstep
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August 16th, 2013 10:00
MBR is limited to 2TB period. A 64 bit OS is also required.
http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/218615en
For disk drives beyond 2.2TB, the proper level of Intel RST driver should be v10.1 or higher. If your system uses an earlier version you can update the driver by following the update instruction on the Intel RST support website. The Intel support website has tools that automatically check Intel device drivers.
Besides the CPU, many computer systems utilize special Intel chipsets that handle the I/O from the disk drives. Depending on your system hardware, Windows operating systems may be using Intel device Rapid Storage Technology (RST) drivers which are common. Alternative Microsoft Windows drivers are also commonly used.
Like other kinds of software, the Intel RST drivers are updated to keep pace with new technology. The Intel drivers found in retail releases of Windows 7 have a 2.2TB limitation. Rather than cut off the capacity at 2.2TB, the limitation expresses itself as the remainder above 2.2TB. In other words, the driver causes the Windows operating to see a 3TB drive as 746.52 GiB (or 800GB).
Seagate DiscWizard v13 Setup has a check for the presence and use of the Intel drivers. If the driver version is less than v10.1 and the system detects a disk driver larger than 2.2TB then the setup will halt with this message: Please download the latest version of Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver before installing Seagate DiscWizard. Please find more information at this article.
Because Windows XP has no support whatsoever for GPT and UEFI, no system running it can natively use any drive with a capacity over 2.19TB. Even if you have a supported OS (Windows Vista, Windows 7, and most flavors of Linux) that recognizes GPT, you won't be able to boot to a drive of that size unless you also have a motherboard running UEFI BIOS.
DELL-Amogh G
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August 16th, 2013 19:00
Hi Lyle,
You may take a picture of BIOS and paste it as the screenshot is not possible for BIOS. Also attach screenshot of ‘Disk Management’.
Keep me posted with the information. I will be glad to assist you.
Lyle11
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August 17th, 2013 07:00
Hi JackShack & SpeedStep,
I spent yesterday afternoon & evening researching my issue based on your posts yesterday.
JackShack, I understand the BIOS POST during system boot. And, agree in general what you see is what you have & what you get. Though in earlier System Setups settings changes could affect a lot. Anything from correcting boot issues to rendering the system unbootable & turning it into an evpensive doorstop or paperweight.
I agree the drive is not necessarily bad. I did briefly research HPA registers & will look into it more in depth today.
Yes, of course manufacturer's tools generally or may have built-in tables of their products & therefore would report correct specs if no issues were found. However, I also used Dell's Pre-boot System Assessment (PSA) - Hardware Diagnostics (F12 boot) & received the same results. I have downloaded Seagate's Seatools utility for DOS & already have an earlier version in my archives. But, was unable to locate any Western Digital utility that may have the same capability concerning the HPA.
Interesting article from StorageReview.com, thanks for the link.
I contacted Western Digital support to request their WDSpeed utility, but as yet have not received a response. The Western Digital Community Forums indicate similar issues with this drive & others above 2TB. Apparently, none are resolved, though I did not go through all of them.
SpeedStep, you are quite right about the MBR 2.2TB limit, thanks for the article link. I have returned the drive to GPT. The drive is, or will be, a secondary data only drive. I have no intention of using it as a boot drive. As well several system tools I have run in the past indicate the system BIOS is not UFEI enabled & there is no setting I have seen that will change that.
I have been quite frustrated over the years with manuafacurer's / vendor's software versions. The download versions state 1 version number, the installed versions are another. I.E., I have Intel RST update version 12.8.0.1016 dated 08/08/2013 (the latest). But, it installs device driver version 9.6.0.1014 dated 03/03/2010. Device driver installed verified both in the Intel install logs & Windows Device Manager. The Intel Control Center, installed Windows GUI, is another matter.
Yesterday, I used all the Intel website tools, Chipset ID, Proocessor ID, etc. I'm fine & my system is fine and meets the RST requirements.
Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management shows only 746GB total volume. No remainder, above, below or, anywhere else.
I downloaded Seagate DiscWizard v13. It failed to install. Reason given is because I have Acronis True Image Home 2011 installed & it is a newer version than the one DiscWizard is attempting to install. I am contemplating uninstalling Home 2011 just to get DiscWizard installed. In my archives I do have older versions of DiscWizard. They pre-date use of Aconis True Image, but they also pre-date hard drives utilizing the 4K sector advanced formating. And, pre-date drives higher than the older 128GB limitation.
As previously stated in this thread my OS is Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit & can recognize GPT drives. I can use diskpart to change from MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR. Also, I do not want to boot with the drive just use it for data storage. It seems to be ashame to be able to use only 1 746GB platter rather than the 4 746GB platters on the drive.
DELL-Amogh G, 'Disk Management' not a problem as I said. What do you wish to know about the BIOS? Sorry no picture, I do not have a cell phone or digital camera. I will post a redacted, no service tag & no passwords, copy of all the BIOS screens & settings later today.
As an additional update for this issue. Due to a Western Digital article I attempted to limit the drive's speed to the SATA II 3.0GBs from the drive's actual SATA III 6.0GBs speed using a drive pin jumper. My 1st attempt, using my best guess for pins 5 & 6, made no difference in drive size. My second attempt jumpering what may instead have been pins 5 & 6 resulted in a BIOS error & a no boot condition. Hence my request to Western Digital support for their WDSpeed tool as per the article.
Again, thanks, your help & support is greatly appreciated.
rdunnill
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August 17th, 2013 11:00
This is odd: I haven't had any such issues with large drives, even on old 32-bit machines.
As Jack pointed out, it may be an issue with the drive itself. I confess to having limited my dealings with large drives to Hitachi and Seagate products, so I can't comment on a Western Digital design.
rdunnill
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August 18th, 2013 12:00
You might consider a third-party SATA card at some point. Using those, I have been able to get 3tb drives to work in ancient machines like the circa-2002 Dell Dimension 2350.
I'm pleased to hear you found a workaround. Let us know if you have any further questions.
raylonr
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February 4th, 2014 15:00
I have the 746gb problem as above with my Inspirion 9400 Laptop circa 2006 using Vista and a Western Digital 3tb internal drive used both internal in my HP Presario and in an enclosue wsith the laptop.. It has been about a month now with WD level 2 support almost daily and they have sent 3 replacement drives to no avail. They all show 746gb size total.
Does anybody have any idea which might make the 3tb visible and usable?
Raylon
rdunnill
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February 4th, 2014 16:00
Is the enclosure connected via USB? That may be a problem. Outdated Vista drivers may be another problem, as may be Vista itself. (I have not tried accessing large external hard drives via Vista.)