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seagate 7200.11 1TB problem!!!

Hmm i believe i've found the solution, it's that you have to initialize/format the hard drive in the disk management in windows.... but another question, what is MBR or GPT? when i tried to initialize the HDD, i have to choose between these 2.... anyone?
 
nobody has any comments on GPT vs MBR? I've read thru the sites and find lots of confusing facts.... i will be using my 1tb as data only as i have the raptors for my vista..... HELP PLZ!!!! 🙂
 
Not really sure why you've had trouble figuring out the difference between MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table). Both have entries in wikipedia that explains them thoroughly. In any case, for a Intel computer using Vista, choose the MBR option.
 
Hmmm yeah i've been reading.... but if i m using MBR, i can only do 4 partitions then extended partitions within them? if i m using GPT, i can partition them anyway i want. So is it basically if i use GPT for my seagate and MBR for raptors (OS), i should be fine?
 
Originally posted by: timot
Hmmm yeah i've been reading.... but if i m using MBR, i can only do 4 partitions then extended partitions within them? if i m using GPT, i can partition them anyway i want. So is it basically if i use GPT for my seagate and MBR for raptors (OS), i should be fine?
Click to expand...

There is a max of four primary partitions when using MBR but one of them can be designated as an extended partition and then within that extended partition, you can create as many logical drives as you want (well, until you run out of letters of the alphabet). Don't get confused by the terminology; a logical drive is a partition. The only difference between a logical drive that's created within an extended partition and a primary partition is that a logical drive can't be designated as the boot drive, i.e. you can't have Windows load from a logical drive. The point is, if you're concerned that you'd be limited to 4 total partitions if you use MBR, then you shouldn't worry. The extended partition/logical drive scheme was invented to allow you to have more than four partitions.

With GPT and under Windows, you can have up to 128 primary partitions, there's no such thing as extended partitions or logical drives with GPT. It is a logically cleaner scheme but it comes at the cost of compatibility. Here's a breakdown:

- Windows XP 32-bit - not compatible.

- Windows XP 64-bit - read/write data only, only Windows for Itanium-based system can boot from GPT partition.

- Windows Server 2003 32-bit - compatibility is the same as for XP 64-bit.

- Windows Server 2008 - read/write data. Can only boot with EFI-based systems (no BIOS) in other words, if you own an Intel Mac, you can boot from a GPT drive.

- Vista - same as Windows Server 2008, read/write data, can only boot if the system uses EFI, not BIOS.

So if you decide to use GPT, you won't be able to boot from it with Vista. This may not matter to you since you said you plan on using it for data. If you do change your mind later, you'll have to convert the drive to MBR, which erases all the data on the drive.

Basically, I wonder why you want to use GPT. Yes, it's technically more elegant but it doesn't improve drive performance and I don't think anyone has suggested that it reduces drive errors. Yet, the logical elegance comes with the cost of compatibility. If you ever want to take your GPT drive out of your Vista-system and attach it to XP 32-bit, you're out of luck. Of course, if you never envision using your drive in anything else, then it may not matter that your compatibility is constricted, same as it may not matter that you can't boot from a GPT drive since you said you're going to use it as a data drive. It's up to you, just laying out the pros and cons.

Here's Microsoft's FAQ on GPT:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/...age/GPT_FAQ.mspx#EQEAC

BTW, look at question 55 of the FAQ, which notes you can't make a sector-by-sector copy of a GPT disk.

Also, two good guides to hard drives:

http://www.theeldergeek.com/hard_drives_01.htm

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/file/struct.htm
 
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