WinXP 32bit maximum drive size

[omber]

Here a quick question because the stuff I find on Google is giving conflicting answers:

The maximum size of volume WinXP Pro 32bit can interact with is 2TB - true or false?

Specifically I have 8TB RAID 0 (4x 2TB). The logical hard disk Volume0 shows up in Device Manager under Disk Drives. Checking properties shows this is Disk 2 according to Windows. Going to the Disk Manager (under Computer Management in Admin Tools) does not list this drive. I presume this is because the volume size limitation in XP.

If so is there any way around this other than using another OS? My boss insists "he did this and it gave him a hell of a time but he got it to work on WinXP", so I came here to ask.

Also I understand WindowsXP 64bit Edition can work with this volume because it can use GPT Partitions?

By the way, the RAID is not the boot source. The system boots from a 500GB HDD on a different controller.

Thanks!

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

In my experiences, yes, 32-bit Windows operating systems are limited to disks of 2TB. I had to do a bit of creative juggling with my WHS config where I was creating arrays that were large in size, but had to be under 2tb each so that the OS would handle them correctly.

But 8TB in RAID 0? Seriously? I would never do that in my worst nightmares. But whatever floats your boat...

 

[omber]

Its for a network video recorder. I would use RAID5 (seeing as controller is capable) but the boss promised them 8TB so this is what we are doing

 

[Jd007]

Just to be correct, the limitation is not on the total size of the disk, but on the "total sectors" field of the MBR. As it's only 8 bytes, it has a maximum value of 4,294,967,296 sectors. At 512 bytes per sector (which most HDDs are at the moment), that comes out to be 2TB. Newer drives are starting to use 4K sectors, so that would boost the limit to about 16TB.

 

[Fayd]

Just to be correct, the limitation is not on the total size of the disk, but on the "total sectors" field of the MBR. As it's only 8 bytes, it has a maximum value of 4,294,967,296 sectors. At 512 bytes per sector (which most HDDs are at the moment), that comes out to be 2TB. Newer drives are starting to use 4K sectors, so that would boost the limit to about 16TB.

except windows XP wont allow 4K sectors.

 

[RebateMonger]

Just to be correct, the limitation is not on the total size of the disk, but on the "total sectors" field of the MBR. As it's only 8 bytes, it has a maximum value of 4,294,967,296 sectors. At 512 bytes per sector (which most HDDs are at the moment), that comes out to be 2TB. Newer drives are starting to use 4K sectors, so that would boost the limit to about 16TB.

I'm not sure that's all that's involved. If it was, then going to 4K sectors could extend the life of MBR partitioning for several years.

The current WD "Advanced Format" disks, I believe, don't actually present 4KB sectors to the OS. The 4K sectors are only on the physical disk. The disk interface then changes the physical 4K sectors to emulated 512 Byte sectors. So we'd need "real" 4K disks before the larger sector size would make larger MBR partitions possible.