SOLVED Need to initialize a drive as GPT

[Grizzly]

Need to initialize a drive as GPT

Here is my situation: I purchased a 4TB drive to act as a backup drive for my ISO's. Windows told me at first use it needed to be initialized. Unfortunately I click on MBR instead of GPT. No I have the dilemma that I have two partitions, one at 2TB and the other with the rest. However I need it to be a whole partition of said 4TB (actually 3,6TB). The drive does not have any data on it.
How can I change that??

None of my partitioning programs can do that, neither under Windows nor via WinPE (Hirens BootCD).

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Grizzly,

have you tried GParted (Linux based OS running Gnome partition editor):

GParted -- Download

gparted.org

You can run it in Live Mode (I think it is Ubuntu or Debian based?).

 

[Grizzly]

gonna try it. currently trying to wipe the drive using dban

 

[Bighorn]

Hi Grizzly,

have you tried GParted (Linux based OS running Gnome partition editor):

GParted -- Download

gparted.org

You can run it in Live Mode (I think it is Ubuntu or Debian based?).

Yes, the GPARTED download is an .iso file used to create the Bootable LiveCD and is based on a limited version of Linux. The disc created from that .iso file is an exact duplicate of the original disc or the files created for it. It works outside Windows and good for cleaning a drive back to its as-shipped condition. GPARTED also is included on many Linux Distros LiveDVD .iso and installations.

 

[Trouble]

DiskPart is a native utility built right into Windows. I use it whenever I want to wipe (clean) a drive.

From the admin command prompt, type diskpart and press Enter.

The diskpart prompt will open.

From the diskpart prompt, type list disk and press Enter.

A list of disks will appear in a text format. You will return to the diskpart prompt. Step one verified that Disk 1 is the 3TB drive. Warning: Diskpart Erase/Clean will permanently erase/destroy all data on the selected drive. Please be certain that you are erasing the correct disk.

From the diskpart prompt you will need to select a disk disk number (for instance, if the 3TB+ drive is Disk 1, you would type select disk 1) and press Enter. Warning: Diskpart Erase/Clean will permanently erase/destroy all data on the selected drive. Please be certain that you are erasing the correct disk.

A message appears saying that the disk is selected. You will return to the diskpart prompt. Warning: Diskpart Erase/Clean will permanently erase/destroy all data on the selected drive. Please be certain that you are erasing the correct disk.

From the diskpart prompt, type clean and press Enter. The drive's partition, data, and signature is now removed. You will return to the diskpart prompt. Warning: Once you type clean and hit enter the drive will be erased. No warning will be provided.

The Command Prompt window will display the message "DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk". Close out of the Command Prompt window by clicking the red X in the upper right hand corner.

 

[Grizzly]

Thanks for the Info so far. I am gonna let DBAN finish first (which, at this point, takes another 40 hours). Then I will see how the drive behaves when I put it back online...

BTW: I have downloaded the iso's for gparted already...

 

[Grizzly]

After three days of wiping the drive, it took only 2 minutes with gparted to create a full 4TB drive with a GPT partition. I am currently backing up all my ISO's to this new drive (1.7TB in all) which takes another day or so.