Windows xp max hard drive size supported

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Whats the maximum Harddrive Size for windows XP any service pak. I'm getting conflicting data in my searches. Currently I've narrowed it to 2 or 16 Terabytes but still shaky here.

This would require a special overlay program From a review of the WD 3tb green. Advanced Search. Forum PressF1 windows xp max hard drive size supported. How fast is your internet? Test your internet connection. Results 1 to 9 of 9. Thread: windows xp max hard drive size supported. Thread Tools Show Printable Version.

I heard it was GB. After either one of these have been installed, it can be as big as u want the hdd to be. The older it is your system , the less chance of it recognising a big hdd. And formatting in NTFS helps. Last edited by Speedy Gonzales; at PM. In order for an operating system to fully support storage devices that have capacities that exceed 2 terabytes 2 TB, or 2 trillion bytes , the device must be initialized by using the GUID Partition Table GPT partitioning scheme.

This scheme supports addressing of the full range of storage capacity. It also describes the requirements to address the full storage capability of these devices. It's the arrangement of the logical sectors that constitute the media. LBA0 represents the first logical sector of the device, and the last LBA designation represents the last logical sector of the device, one label per sector.

To determine the capacity of the storage device, you multiply the number of logical sectors within the device by the size of each logical sector. The current size standard is bytes. For example, to achieve a device that has a capacity of 2 TB, you must have 3,,, byte sectors.

However, a computer system requires 32 bits 1 s and 0 s of information to represent this large number. Therefore, any storage capacity that is greater than what can be represented by using 32 bits would require an additional bit. That is, 33 bits. The problem in this computation is that the partitioning scheme that is used by most modern Windows-based computers is MBR master boot record. This scheme sets a limit of 32 for the number of bits that are available to represent the number of logical sectors.

The 2-TB barrier is the result of this bit limitation. Because the maximum number that can be represented by using 32 bits is 4,,,, it translates to 2. Therefore, a capacity beyond 2. To make more bits available for addressing, the storage device must be initialized by using GPT. This partitioning scheme lets up to 64 bits of information be used within logical sectors. It translates to a theoretical limitation of 9.

By default, many current systems can support UEFI. Microsoft expects that most future systems will have this support. Customers should consult with their system vendor to determine the ability of their systems to support UEFI and disks that have storage capacities that are greater than 2 TB. For a system to be able to address the maximum capacity of a device that has a storage capacity of more than 2 TB, the following prerequisites apply:. The Windows version must be one of the following bit or bit, unless otherwise noted, but including all SKU editions :.

The latest storage drivers from your storage controller manufacturer must be installed. For example, if your system uses an Intel storage controller that is set to "RAID" mode, make sure that you have the latest applicable drivers from the Intel support site. Overall, you should contact your system vendor to determine whether the system supports device sizes of more than 2 TB. For example, if your system uses an Intel storage controller set to RAID mode, make sure that you have the latest applicable drivers from the Intel support site.

Consult your system vendor to determine whether the system supports both UEFI and the startup of devices that have storage capacities of greater than 2 TB.