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Converting Hetzner disk to GPT to utilise full disk capacity

Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member
in Help

Hi,

I currently have a hetzner server with 2x3TB drives however as the C: drive hasn't been converted to GPT I can only utilise 2TB on that disk.

I'm looking at ordering a second server and just wondering does anyone have a suggestion how to convert the disk to GPT within the windows installer or would I need to install Windows on it and then convert the second disk to GPT with a third party software then format and re-install windows onto the converted drive.

Thanks

«1

Comments

  • TarZZ92TarZZ92 Member
    edited February 2015

    if you install windows, just convert them to dynamic discs. and have 1 C partition and 1 large data partition. (shrink the main c partition so say 50G)

    also make sure the MB has 2TB+ boot support

  • Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member

    @TarZZ92 said:
    if you install windows, just convert them to dynamic discs. and have 1 C partition and 1 large data partition. (shrink the main c partition so say 50G)

    also make sure the MB has 2TB+ boot support

    So if I convert them to dynamic discs when installing Windows I should be able to see more than 2TB?

  • camjac251camjac251 Member

    Run a live iso of gparted and convert the disk to gpt

    Thanked by 1skynet
  • Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member

    @camjac251 said:
    Run a live iso of gparted and convert the disk to gpt

    I don't think Hetzner offer a ISO of gparted unfortunately :(

  • Jazzy8999Jazzy8999 Member

    Did you setup any raid configs?

  • TarZZ92TarZZ92 Member

    Gerrard8 said: So if I convert them to dynamic discs when installing Windows I should be able to see more than 2TB?

    Shrink the main disc (then this remains as it was). then make a spanned/dynamic disc. or try storage spaces. then you can add disk to the storage pool/fake windows raid

    if you do it right it should look like this

    http://puu.sh/g7Ofo/37858db926.png

  • Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member

    @Jazzy8999 said:
    Did you setup any raid configs?

    No, I was going to go with a RAID setup but seemed too much messing about when installing Windows and realising I could only see 2TB of the main drive.

  • TarZZ92TarZZ92 Member

    camjac251 said: Run a live iso of gparted and convert the disk to gpt

    DO NOT DO THIS

  • camjac251camjac251 Member
    edited February 2015

    @TarZZ92 said:

    And why not?

  • Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member

    I run a Plex library on this server for friends and family, I want to get the second server to sync the data encase of a disc failure.

  • camjac251camjac251 Member

    If he does it before he installs, he's fine

  • TarZZ92TarZZ92 Member

    camjac251 said: And why not?

    because it wont boot if the MB dont support it.

  • camjac251camjac251 Member

    @TarZZ92 said:
    because it wont boot if the MB dont support it.

    Well GPT is the proper way of getting more than 2TB to appear.

  • Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member

    Apparently it's motherboard is a ASUS P8H77-M PRO according to Sandra.

  • TarZZ92TarZZ92 Member

    camjac251 said: Well GPT is the proper way of getting more than 2TB to appear.

    on modern boards. some even have a hybrid bios. but not all.

    advising the OP to do this could be bad. and may result in a non-boot. meaning he lost everything.

  • Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member

    I'm not brave enough to test it on my current server, would only be testing it on a back up server I want to order.

  • TarZZ92TarZZ92 Member

    Gerrard8 said: I'm not brave enough to test it on my current server, would only be testing it on a back up server I want to order.

    the best is the dynamic/spanned choice. that way you can get almost full capacity on a data drive.

    could you perhaps tell us the motherboard?

  • Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member

    @TarZZ92 said:

    I haven't ordered it yet so no idea sorry.

  • TarZZ92TarZZ92 Member

    Gerrard8 said: I haven't ordered it yet so no idea sorry.

    okay keep us updated :)

    and if you need help with the partitioning PM me :)

  • Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member

    @TarZZ92 said:

    Thanks, could do with the help. :)

  • MelitaMelita Member, Host Rep
    edited February 2015

    I have hetzner also (i7-3770k 32gb, 2x3 TB disk for 24 euro). Apparently I got Asus MB, so I can up BLCK and OC it a bit on datacenter environment :p

    On Linux, we can just set LVM, utilizing both disk in striped mode and getting whole 6 TB partition and almost double speed.

    On Windows, you need to convert your disk to gpt. If you have your own license (got mine from university), you can ask them to plug LARA kvm and mount their windows iso without paying their license. Windows setup > Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > command prompt > type "diskpart"

    Then after selecting and typing "clean" on each disk (data will be lost), type "convert gpt". Then reboot to bios and configure it to boot from UEFI, and Windows setup will automatically detects your drive and you can max out the partition.

    Well, another way is to just keep using MBR and convert to dynamic disk instead, as other members here has posted. If you really want to use GPT but already have a data in your MBR HDD, you can use partition assistant or gptgen. Just make sure you check that your boot partition is intact to prevent any regret on next reboot.

    Thanked by 1Violet
  • Gerrard8Gerrard8 Member

    @Melita said:
    I have hetzner also (i7-3770k 32gb, 2x3 TB disk for 24 euro). Apparently I got Asus MB, so I can up BLCK and OC it a bit on datacenter environment :p

    On Linux, we can just set LVM, utilizing both disk in striped mode and getting whole 6 TB partition and almost double speed.

    On Windows, you need to convert your disk to gpt. If you have your own license (got mine from university), you can ask them to plug LARA kvm and mount their windows iso without paying their license. Windows setup > Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > command prompt > type "diskpart"

    Then after selecting and typing "clean" on each disk (data will be lost), type "convert gpt". Then reboot to bios and configure it to boot from UEFI, and Windows setup will automatically detects your drive and you can max out the partition.

    Well, another way is to just keep using MBR and convert to dynamic disk instead, as other members here has posted. If you really want to use GPT but already have a data in your MBR HDD, you can use partition assistant or gptgen. Just make sure you check that your boot partition is intact to prevent any regret on next reboot.

    Thanks! Now I just need to persuade them to plug a pen drive in for me so I can get the network drivers as it doesn't seem possible to load them via Lara.

  • aFriendaFriend Member

    this worked for me for centOS
    http://superuser.com/questions/739571/hetzner-install-centos-over-2tb-hdd

  • emilvemilv Member

    http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/2012-January/122255.html

  • VioletViolet Member

    hi there, may i ask you how it ends ? Do you succeded to max out the partition ? I'm asking it because yesterday i got the same problem on the same server, and google brought to this topic, the only one with explainations, but in my case i didn't solve it, i still have 2 hdd of 3tb each, i suppose uefi is deactivated,according to you is it possible ?

  • supicksupick Member

    It's easier if you choose GPT when you install windows. I did it without any issue

  • supicksupick Member

    Gerrard8 said: Thanks! Now I just need to persuade them to plug a pen drive in for me so I can get the network drivers as it doesn't seem possible to load them via Lara.

    Why not? Just boot into rescue mode, download driver to your HDD first

    Thanked by 1MarkTurner
  • Mahfuz_SS_EHLMahfuz_SS_EHL Host Rep, Veteran

    Anyone know how to make more than 2TB Partition in CentOS in Hetzner Server ?? It says it's limited to 2TB LVM !

  • VioletViolet Member

    supick said: It's easier if you choose GPT when you install windows. I did it without any issue

    yeah but when i did it it shows me ann error message saiyng it cannot install GPT partition. and it stops
    From boot i can switch between uefi and windows... then uefi option disappeared.
    At firt the bios was like this http://up.nexthardware.com/index.php?img=3074&n=ASUS_UEFI.jpg then UEFI disappeared
    May it dependes from the image ? or did i do anything wrong ? I don't understand :(

  • edanedan Member

    Like @emilv linked to, for Linux http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/2012-January/122255.html

    Before U install Centos6 on the new naked server:

a) Start Server in Rescue mode
b) parted /dev/sda
c) mklabel gpt  ( Answer YES, you will do new disk label )
d) print  ( look that all is fine? )
e) parted /dev/sdb
f) mklabel gpt  ( Answer YES, you will do new disk label )
g) print ( Answer YES, you will do new disk label )
h) q ( for quit )

Now go back to Hetzner Customer Menu, and activate VNC INSTALL Centos6 
English 64 Bit

Voila! now at the Part of Partitioning u say "CUSTOM LAYOUT" and you 
can do your own Layout as you like.

    For Windows than you need enabling the UEFI mode.

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