GPT partition style for Win 7 laptop

[MXV]

Hello, everyone.

I am hoping to get a 3TB external hard drive for my laptop, and I know that in order to utilize all 3 TB, I'll need to convert the drive to GPT format (if it's in MBR by default, which I've come to expect it probably will be).

But some other website cautions me that the computer's SATA controller has to be compatible with GPT in order to do this. Well, my computer says I have an Intel Mobile Express Chipset SATA AHCI Controller, but Googling this doesn't answer the question as to whether or not I can format drives to GPT or not.

It's a Lenovo laptop, about 2 years old, with Win 7 64-bit. Any ideas how I'd find out if I can get 3 terabytes, short of buying the thing and then finding out that nope, I can only use 2?

Thanks!

-MXV


Edit: Lenovo support doesn't even understand what I'm asking about. They have difficulty with English, and after talking to four representatives, I got answers varying from "you can put a hard drive on it" to "It's probably SATA 0 or 1 but we don't have any information" to "Please deposit money" to a simple "I don't know."

 

[WyomingKnott]

MXV

"Intel Mobile Express Chipset SATA AHCI Controller" is awfully generic and covers many years of chipsets. But I will bet money that your system will work with a 3 TB drive.

If you want to narrow down the controller model, go into the Device Manager, right-click on the device, select Properties, go to the Details tab, and get the Hardware IDs. These can be looked up - I don't have my link to where. But my opinion is still try it - I'd give about a 95% chance that it will work. If you want to be sure, contact Lenovo.

 

[Hawkeye22]

Hello, everyone.

I am hoping to get a 3TB external hard drive for my laptop, and I know that in order to utilize all 3 TB, I'll need to convert the drive to GPT format (if it's in MBR by default, which I've come to expect it probably will be).

But some other website cautions me that the computer's SATA controller has to be compatible with GPT in order to do this. Well, my computer says I have an Intel Mobile Express Chipset SATA AHCI Controller, but Googling this doesn't answer the question as to whether or not I can format drives to GPT or not.

It's a Lenovo laptop, about 2 years old, with Win 7 64-bit. Any ideas how I'd find out if I can get 3 terabytes, short of buying the thing and then finding out that nope, I can only use 2?

Thanks!

-MXV

The OS has to be GPT compatible. The controller has to supports drives over 2TB. A firmware update may allow the bios/chipset to see over 2TB, but it will still require an OS that supports GPT.

 

[WyomingKnott]

Doesn't Win7 64-bit support GPT by default? My win7 64-bit does, but it's possible that I downloaded some tool somewhere and forgot about it.

It won't install on a GPT disk, but OP is asking about an external drive. So I'm not sure.

 

[Hawkeye22]

Yes, Win7 supports GPT out of the box. If the external enclosure's chipset can accomodate drives > 2TB, than I'd expect everything to be OK. I haven't actually tried this with a motherboard that didn't have > 2TB support in combination with an external enclosure so I can't say this with 100% certainty.

 

[MXV]

Thank you for your help! Indeed it did work fine, as you (WyomingKnott) thought it would. Hopefully others seeing that site and encountering the same confusing wording will find this page and gain a better understanding of what really needs to be compatible and what is already good to go.