Is it possible to install Win 32bit on a 3TB drive?

[slippyjim]

Hi,

I need to install Windows 7, 8 or ideally 10 on a 3TB drive that HAS to be 32bit, is this possible?

I thought it would be simply a case of enabling UEFI boot, partition as GPT and off I go, but it seems UEFI only works with 64bit installs.

Are there any workarounds for this?

Motherboard: Asus P8H61-m LK R2.0

Thanks

 

[Wups]

I don't understand why you'd want 32-bit over 64-bit. If you can explain we may be able to help you a bit better.

 

[Colif]

limitations are many
1. win 7 will only boot off a drive created in MBR partition mode, and you cannot have GPT and MBR on same drive
2. Because you have to run it as MBR to boot win 7 then you will only have access to 2tb of the drive, MBR cannot see the remaining 700gb
3. you cannot run 32bit windows 10 in UEFI mode on a 64bit UEFI, you get boot errors.

Now you could format drive as MBR but then you lose 700+gb. or you could format as GPT so win 8 & 10 work and you have all hdd, and put win 7 on another hdd by itself and format that as MBR

 

[slippyjim]

Because I have an addon card that only has 32bit drivers, like I said, it HAS to be 32bit

Grandmaster - yeah I'd thought about the 2 HDD solution, I think that may be the way I go

 

[little_me]

maximum limit is, as far as I understand, more about partition type limit (MBR is 2TB) and if you use GPT, you shouldn't have problems.
Only real reference to why it can't work that I found was old page about win8/8.1/server2012:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824898.aspx
"While in UEFI mode, the Windows version must match the PC architecture. A 64-bit UEFI PC can only boot 64-bit versions of Windows. A 32-bit PC can only boot 32-bit versions of Windows. In some cases, while in legacy BIOS mode, you may be able to run 32-bit Windows on a 64-bit PC, assuming the manufacturer supports 32-bit legacy BIOS mode on the PC."
Which means that if the hardware supports 64 bit (and it does, as does your CPU) then supposedly you can ONLY run 64 bit windows in EUFI.

Long story short, as Colif said, errors if you try.

 

[Colif]

Do you need the drivers to work with every version or just one? If they win 7, just put them on the win 7 drive,
I would put 64 bit win 10 on other drive just so you get full space and don't have to fight the UEFI boot errors
Where you put win 8 depends on if you need it for drivers or not.

Win 10 will likely have an unknown device since drivers won't work.

I assume the PC has an auto mode in the boot method field so it can switch between UEFI & Legacy boot. most Asus do. The UEFI boot loader can run Win 7 style drives so just put Windows Boot Manager as top device and it should see everything, provided you install windows versions in the right order (7.8.10)

 

[slippyjim]

Sorry I've confused you, I only need one Windows OS that can be either 7, 8 or 10, doesnt matter which but 10 is preferred.

Ive been searching lots as well and it seems 32bit & UEFI do not go together, it looks like I'll have to get an SSD for the 32bit OS then use the 3TB drive just for data, which isnt the worst situation overall

 

[Colif]

lol.. i am confused, i read top sentence as you wanting all 3 on one hdd... so yes, put a 32 bit version of 1 of them on ssd and use 3tb drive as storage. All 3 of them can access a gpt drive as storage

It must be past my bed time

 

[slippyjim]

my fault for the confusion
Yeah I'm going for a small SSD and then the 3TB just for storage