GA-890fxa-UD5 v2 : Can't find new 3TB disk drive

[Gavster]

Its been a while since I last installed a new hard drive, but I have recently installed a Western Digital Green 3TB drive, and it does not show up in Windows Explorer.

I think I have missed a step somewhere during installation: I have not assigned a drive letter to the new disk, and I am not sure how. My manual suggests going to the "RAID Option ROM Utility", but this utility does not appear after booting up or before the operating system as the manual suggests.

What am I doing wrong and how do I get access to my new hard drive?

[autotech]

Go to Start then right click computer and go to manage. Then in next window on left go to disk managment.
Initalize disk and then formatt.

You didnt mention what OS you are using you also did not list other hard drives you are using and size.

If you have over 4 terabytes worth of drives including the new 3TB you may have to partition the 3TB as GPT first then reformat it using the NTFS file system. Depends on what Operating System you are using. Hope this helps out.

[Gavster]

Autoteck

First, thanks for replying.
My operating system is Windows 7 Home Premium.

My drives are as follows:

C:\ Intel X25-M SSD 160gb SATA

D:\ WD1600AVJB 150gb IDE  (legacy drive)

F:\ WD1001FALS 1Tb SATA

New drive WDBAAY0020HNC 3Tb SATA
 
I have attached a screen shot of the Disc Management utility, as I suspect my disc set up is not optimal.
Let me know what my next step should be....

[Vezina]

The drive is detected by Windows so the BIOS sees it too.

The black shows it s not partitioned ,partition it  by the Windows Computer Management features or using EASEUS free software.

[Gavster]

Many thanks!

I have partitioned the new hard disk and assigned a drive letter to it using the Computer Management/Disk Management Utility as suggested.

However, there is still 746 GB left unallocated, but Disk Management won't let me us it.

What have I done wrong?

[autotech]

under disk management right click disk and try to extend it. If that doesnt work then convert it to GPT then Convert the 746 GIG and convert it to GPT then right click disk area and extend then go back and change it to NFTS.

[MisterEd]

under disk management right click disk and try to extend it. If that doesnt work then convert it to GPT then Convert the 746 GIG and convert it to GPT then right click disk area and extend then go back and change it to NFTS.

I don't think that will work. You have to convert the whole drive using GPT. First the existing 2TB partition needs to be deleted so there are no partitions. On the left right click on the drive. Select "Convert to GPT Disk". After it is converted the whole drive should be available. Refer to the reference below to show how this is done in detail for a 3TB drive.

Windows support for hard disks that are larger than 2 TB
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2581408

[Gavster]

I have followed MisterEds advice, but autoech has made an interesting point, which I will pick up at the end. Just to recap, when I originally formatted the new disk, I used the Master Boot Record (MBR) partitioning scheme. However, because the Maximum NTFS Volume Size is 2TB with MBR , about 746 GB of the disk was left unallocated, and Disk Management won't let me  create a new partition with this unallocated segment.


To correct this situation, this is the sequence I have followed in order to convert an MBR Disk into a GUID Partition Table (GPT) Disk:

1. Move any data on the NFTS drive elsewhere, or else it will be lost when the disk is reformatted.
2. In Computer Management -> Disk Management, left click on the partition (shown as 2048 GB above), and Delete Volume.
3. Left click on the Disk, and Convert to GPT Disk.
4. Left click on the unallocated partition, assign a drive letter and label.
5. Format the disk. Note that the only format choice is NFTS, which I think is what autotech is refering to.

Many thanks to everyone for their assistance