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Can't format 4tb portable hdd

I want to format a 4tb portable hdd but i keep getting this error
message.

error creating partition on /dev/sdb: command-line parted --align
optimal --script "/dev/sdb" mkpart primary ext2 1 mib 4000787029503b
exited with non-zero exit status 1:error: partition length of 7814035119 sectors exceeds the msdos partition table imposed maximum of 4294967295

(udisk error quark,0)

Any ideas

Thanks

Use a GPT partitioning scheme instead of an MBR one (which is normally limited to 2TiB partitions/disks).

or just split it up keeping in mind MBR limits of partitions as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BW-userx (Post 5731517)

or just split it up keeping in mind MBR limits of partitions as well.

The 2 TiB MBR limit also applies to the disk as a whole.

Unless of course you indulge in jiggery-pokery or use 4096-byte logical sectors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga (Post 5731525)

The 2 TiB MBR limit also applies to the disk as a whole.

Unless of course you indulge in jiggery-pokery or use 4096-byte logical sectors.

I just eat saltine crackers and play with my 3TB hdd. ;) hehe

its an 3tb external HDD all formatted ext4 no partitions.

But yeah -- I'd go GPT just cuz -- only added that as an option.

but I do think one can still split it and get 2TB each even tough it is not formatted to 2TB my 3TB isn't really even 3TB

Thanks, that worked everyone :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BW-userx (Post 5731536)

It shows it has one partition - /dev/sdc1.

But wait, my saltine cracker-eating friend. Are you telling me that the drive in question is MBR partitioned with its single partition 2.73 TiB? Seriously, how did you manage that? Can you provide the fdisk -l or parted -l output for the disk in question?

Quote:

Originally Posted by actinide (Post 5731542)

Thanks, that worked everyone :)

Glad to hear it. Since you're using GPT, note that if you ever use it as a boot disk, be aware that you will have to create an EFI System Partition or a BIOS Boot Partition, depending on whether you're booting it from EFI or BIOS.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga (Post 5731550)

yeah I was wondering how to make sure of that -- hold on --

Code:

userx%slackwhere ⚡ ~ ⚡> sudo fdisk -l /dev/sdc1

Disk /dev/sdc1: 2.7 TiB, 3000556847104 bytes, 732557824 sectors

Units: sectors of 1 * 4096 = 4096 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes

oops its been awhile sense I formatted this hdd - eating my crackers now :D

Code:



Model: WD My Passport 0827 (scsi)

Disk /dev/sdc: 3001GB

Sector size (logical/physical): 4096B/4096B

Partition Table: gpt

Disk Flags: 

Number  Start  End    Size    File system  Name  Flags

 1      1049kB  3001GB  3001GB  ext4        3TB

I could have sworn it was MBR -- though I did play with it a while back -- makes me wonder if I did have it all one drive in MBR ---

because it was and I remember moving everything off it just to see that GPT was all about and it was because of GPT more that 4 logical partitions - and I said self - I am not going to be spiting it up anyways and just reformatted it keeping it GPT and put everything back on it again.

makes me want to see if I can move everything off it again and switch it back to MBR just to see -- for myself.

Thanks BW. You're using 4096-byte (Advanced Format) instead of the typical 512-byte logical sectors. That means that MBR can cope with up to 16TiB (the limit is actually 2^32 sectors), so you most probably were using it with MBR.

Cutting edge as usual... :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga (Post 5731572)

thanks bw. You're using 4096-byte (advanced format) instead of the typical 512-byte logical sectors. That means that mbr can cope with up to 16tib (the limit is actually 2^32 sectors), so you most probably were using it with mbr.

Cutting edge as usual... :)

...

:D