System can't see full size of new WD 3TB HDD

[klaatu]

I just bought a new Western Digital Black 3TB HDD, but my system sees it as only having 746.39 GB. (System: 2011 Dell XPS 8300, Win 7,64x). I've got several other >2TB drives connected to this PC (including one WD) and it sees their full capacity just fine. Same result whether I connect the drive via USB or plug it directly into the mobo's SATA port. My new Win 8 laptop also sees it as only 746 GB. I'm stumped. Any ideas?

 

[Blu_86]

What this is - is in part two things.


1. The slightly older intel chipset with an outdated RST driver for the update to the ATA channel. Most of these older Dells (XPS 8500 with the P67 chipset) are only updated to RST driver 10. You will need RST 12.


https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/23496




2. The HDD with the older ATA driver without the proper AHCI- etc function will not allow the board to see anything past 1-2TB properly without separate partitioning on the drive with GPT separate partition on the main partition.


*Very likely the driver update to RST 12 will solve the issue entirely. Give it a try.

 

[klaatu]

1. The slightly older intel chipset with an outdated RST driver for the update to the ATA channel. Most of these older Dells (XPS 8500 with the P67 chipset) are only updated to RST driver 10. You will need RST 12.

Thanks, but if this were the problem, wouldn’t the system be unable to see _any_ large-capacity HDDs? It’s already running (2) 3TB and one 4TB HDDs and can see their full capacity. Also, as I mentioned, my new (2014) HP laptop (all drivers up to date) also sees this new 3TB drive as having only 746 GB. So two different systems from different mfgrs., one relatively new, are seeing the same thing.

 

[Blu_86]

Did you check your RST driver version? from the device manager? One thing, seeing large drives externally would be totally different from an internal drive, though from my own experience how I solved the issue was with an updated RST driver. What you think was a fully updated system from an OEM - just because it's a "new" laptop or PC does not mean every intel driver was correctly updated. Sometimes, and quite often even the driver listed on a site (HP-Dell etc) have slightly out of date drivers. And then since you have many other large HDD's shown with correct capacity it could also have to do with the specific model HDD you are having issues with - that's my guess.


Dunno. I will let some of the other experts weigh in here.

 

[klaatu]

Did you check your RST driver version? from the device manager? One thing, seeing large drives externally would be totally different from an internal drive, though from my own experience how I solved the issue was with an updated RST driver. What you think was a fully updated system from an OEM - just because it's a "new" laptop or PC does not mean every intel driver was correctly updated. Sometimes, and quite often even the driver listed on a site (HP-Dell etc) have slightly out of date drivers. And then since you have many other large HDD's shown with correct capacity it could also have to do with the specific model HDD you are having issues with - that's my guess.

RST isn't listed in Device Manager. The closest I can come is an entry for Intel Desktop/Workstation/Server Express Chipset SATA AHCI Controller. It's running driver 10.0.0.1046, dated 9/13/2010. When I click on Update Driver, it does a search and then reports, "Windows has determined the driver software for your device is up to date”

> seeing large drives externally would be totally different from an internal drive

I already have a 4TB HDD connected internally to the mobo's SATA port; it sees the full capacity. And it's also a WD drive (although not the same model). This one's a stumper! I think I should probably file a support request with WD at this point.

 

[Blu_86]

I agree it's mostly likely they are already familiar with the issue. Good luck.

 

[managed]

Did you initialise, partition and format the problem hard drive yourself ? If you did it may need converting to GPT before you can use it's full capacity.