The modifications allow Windows 3.1 programs to run seamlessly on the OS/2 desktop, or one can start a WinOS/2 desktop, similar to starting Windows from DOS. OS/2 allows for 'DOS from Drive A:', (VMDISK). This is a real DOS, like MS-DOS 6.22 or PC DOS 5.00. One makes a bootable floppy disk of the DOS, adds a number of drivers from OS/2,. Upload files by simply dragging and dropping them into the browser window, perform batch operations with files and folders, and publish them right after uploading. Yandex.Disk saves your files no matter what happens.
-->- Disk Diag helps you to quickly find out how much disk space is used in your home folder by - Application Caches and Logs - Downloads and Mail Downloads folder - Items in your Trash - Browser Data for selected browsers - Large files - Application Leftovers - iOS Software Updates - Xcode generated fil.
- Best disk cloning software will allow you to easily clone your harddrive as a backup. There are a number of reasons why you might want to do this, but the main one is likely for providing a backup.
- Disk Drill 4.0.537.0 is available to all software users as a free download for Windows 10 PCs but also without a hitch on Windows 7 and Windows 8. Compatibility with this disk recovery software may vary, but will generally run fine under Microsoft Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP on either a 32-bit.
This article discusses the manner in which Windows supports hard disks that have a storage capacity of more than 2 TB and explains how to initialize and partition disks to maximize space usage.
Original product version: Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number: 2581408
Original KB number: 2581408
Summary
In order for an operating system to fully support storage devices that have capacities that exceed 2 terabytes (2 TB, or 2 trillion bytes), the device must be initialized by using the GUID partition table (GPT) partitioning scheme. This scheme supports addressing of the full range of storage capacity. If the user intends to start the computer from one of these large disks, the system's base firmware interface must use the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and not BIOS.
This article outlines Microsoft support across all Windows versions since Windows XP. It also describes the requirements to address the full storage capability of these devices.
Note
![Disk Disk](https://static.seicane.com/media/wysiwyg/16/118366/support-gps-2005-2011-dodge-ram-pickup-trucks-avenger-caliber-challenger-dakota-original-radio-stereo-upgrade-S166235_04.jpg)
- This article refers to disk capacity in powers of two instead of powers of 10, which is the more common designation on storage device capacity labels. Therefore, references to 2 TB actually refer to a product that is labeled as having 2.2 TB of capacity.
- The operating system-specific behavior that is noted in this article also applies to the server variants of that system. Therefore, a reference to Windows 7 includes Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista includes Windows Server 2008, and Windows XP includes Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2.
More information
The management of modern storage devices is addressed by using a scheme called Logical Block Addressing (LBA). This is the arrangement of the logical sectors that constitute the media. LBA0 represents the first logical sector of the device, and the last LBA designation represents the last logical sector of the device, one label per sector. To determine the capacity of the storage device, you multiply the number of logical sectors within the device by the size of each logical sector. The current size standard is 512 bytes. For example, to achieve a device that has a capacity of 2 TB, you must have 3,906,250,000 512-byte sectors. However, a computer system requires 32 bits (1 s and 0 s) of information to represent this large number. Therefore, any storage capacity that is greater than what can be represented by using 32 bits would require an additional bit. That is, 33 bits.
The problem in this computation is that the partitioning scheme that is used by most modern Windows-based computers is MBR (master boot record). This scheme sets a limit of 32 for the number of bits that are available to represent the number of logical sectors. Total video converter pro 4 5 0 6.
The 2-TB barrier is the result of this 32-bit limitation. Because the maximum number that can be represented by using 32 bits is 4,294,967,295, this translates to 2.199 TB of capacity by using 512-byte sectors (approximately 2.2 TB). Therefore, a capacity beyond 2.2 TB is not addressable by using the MBR partitioning scheme.
To make more bits available for addressing, the storage device must be initialized by using GPT. This partitioning scheme lets up to 64 bits of information be used within logical sectors. This translates to a theoretical limitation of 9.4 ZB (9.4 zettabytes, or 9.4 billion terabytes). However, the issue that affects GPT is that most currently available systems are based on the aging BIOS platform. BIOS supports only MBR-initialized disks to start the computer. To restart from a device that is initialized by using GPT, your system must be UEFI-capable. By default, many current systems can support UEFI. Microsoft expects that most future systems will have this support. Customers should consult with their system vendor to determine the ability of their systems to support UEFI and disks that have storage capacities that are greater than 2 TB.
Overall requirements for a non-bootable data volume
For a system to be able to address the maximum capacity of a device that has a storage capacity of more than 2 TB, the following prerequisites apply:
- The disk must be initialized by using GPT.
- The Windows version must be one of the following (32-bit or 64-bit, unless otherwise noted, but including all SKU editions): Macbooster 5 0 5.
- Windows Server 2008 R2 (only 64-bit version available)
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- The latest storage drivers from your storage controller manufacturer must be installed. For example, if your system uses an Intel storage controller that is set to 'RAID' mode, make sure that you have the latest applicable drivers from the Intel support site.
- Overall, you should contact your system vendor to determine whether the system supports device sizes of more than 2 TB.
Overall requirements for a bootable system volume
Assume that you want to meet the following conditions:
- Have a storage device on which you can install Windows.
- Make the storage device bootable.
- Enable the operating system to address a maximum storage capacity for that device of greater than 2 TB.
To meet these conditions, the following prerequisites apply:
- The disk must be initialized by using GPT.
- The system firmware must use UEFI.
- The Windows version must be one of the following (64-bit only, but including all SKU editions):
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Server 2008
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- The latest storage drivers from your storage controller manufacturer must be installed. For example, if your system uses an Intel storage controller set to RAID mode, make sure that you have the latest applicable drivers from the Intel support site.
Note
Windows does not support starting GPT-initialized volumes by using UEFI systems on 32-bit versions of Windows. Also, legacy BIOS systems do not support starting GPT-partitioned volumes. Consult your system vendor to determine whether the system supports both UEFI and the startup of devices that have storage capacities of greater than 2 TB.
Support matrix
The following tables list Microsoft support for the various concepts that are discussed in this article. This information provides an overall support statement about disks that have a storage capacity of greater than 2 TB.
Table 1: Windows support for partitioning schemes as data volumes
System | MBR | Hybrid-MBR | GPT |
---|---|---|---|
Windows 7 | Supported | Not Supported | Supported |
Windows Vista | Supported | Not Supported | Supported |
Windows XP | Supported | Not Supported | Not Supported |
Hybrid-MBR is an alternative style of partitioning that is not supported by any version of Windows.
Table 2: Windows support for system firmware
System | BIOS | UEFI |
---|---|---|
Windows 7 | Supported | Supported |
Windows Vista | Supported | Supported |
Windows XP | Supported | Not Supported |
Table 3: Windows support for combinations of boot firmware and partitioning schemes for the boot volume
System | BIOS + MBR | UEFI + GPT | BIOS + GPT | UEFI + MBR |
---|---|---|---|---|
Windows 7 | Supported | Supported; requires a 64-bit version of Windows | Boot volume not supported | Boot volume not supported |
Windows Vista | Supported | Supported; requires a 64-bit version of Windows | Boot volume not supported | Boot volume not supported |
Windows XP | Supported | Not supported | Boot volume not supported | Boot volume not supported |
Table 4: Windows support for large-capacity disks as non-booting data volumes
System | >2 TB single disk - MBR | >2 TB single disk - Hybrid-MBR | >2 TB single disk - GPT |
---|---|---|---|
Windows 7 | Supports up to 2 TB of addressable capacity** | Not Supported | Supports full capacity |
Windows Vista | Supports up to 2 TB of addressable capacity** | Not Supported | Supports full capacity |
Windows XP | Supports up to 2 TB of addressable capacity** | Not Supported | Not Supported |
Capacity beyond 2 TB cannot be addressed by Windows if the disk is initialized by using the MBR partitioning scheme. For example, for a 3 TB single disk that is initialized by using MBR, Windows can create partitions up to the first 2 TB. However, the remaining capacity cannot be addressed and, therefore, cannot be used.
Initialize a data disk by using GPT
The following steps show how to initialize a fresh disk by using the GPT partitioning scheme to help ensure that Windows can address the maximum available storage capacity. Make sure that you back up any important data before you try these steps.
- Click Start, type diskmgmt.msc in the Start search box, right-click diskmgmt.msc, and then click Run as Administrator. If it's necessary, enter the credentials for a user account that has Administrator privileges.NoteWhen a non-initialized disk is detected by Windows, the following window opens to prompt you to initialize the disk.
- In the Initialize Disk dialog box, click GPT (GUID Partition Table), and then press OK.NoteIf you select this option, this hard disk will not be recognized by Windows versions earlier than and including Windows XP.
- Check the Disk Management window to verify that the disk is initialized. If it is, the status row for that disk at the bottom of the window should indicate that the disk is Online.
- After the disk is initialized, you must create a partition, and then format that partition by using a file system. This is to be able to store data in that partition, and assign a name and a drive letter to that partition. To do this, right-click the unallocated space on the right side of the status row for that disk, and then click New Simple Volume. Follow the steps in the partition wizard to complete this process.
Convert an MBR disk to GPT
If you have previously initialized the disk by using the MBR partitioning scheme, follow these steps to initialize the disk by using the GPT scheme. Make sure that you back up any important data before you try these steps.
- Click Start, type diskmgmt.msc in the Start search box, right-click diskmgmt.msc, and then click Run as Administrator. If it is necessary, enter the credentials for a user account that has Administrator privileges.
- In the Disk Management window, examine the disk status rows at the bottom. In the following example, the user has a 3 TB disk that was previously initialized by using the MBR partitioning scheme. That device is labeled here as Disk 1.
- Disk 1 contains two separate unallocated sections. This separation indicates that the first 2 TB of the disk space can be used. However, the remaining space is non-addressable because of the 32-bit addressing space limitation of the MBR partitioning scheme. To enable the system to fully address the total capacity of the storage device, you must convert the disk to use the GPT partitioning scheme.
- Right-click the label on the left for the disk that you want to convert, and then click Convert to GPT Disk.NoteThe display should now show that the full amount of available space in unallocated. Cbse class 6 social studies chapter 1.
- Now that the disk is initialized to access the full storage capacity, you must create a partition, and then format that partition by using a file system. This is to be able to store data in that partition, and assign a name and a drive letter to that partition. To do this, right-click the unallocated space on the right side of the status row for that disk, and then click New Simple Volume. Follow the steps in the partition wizard to complete this process.
Known issues or limitations
Because the transition to a single-disk capacity of greater than 2 TB has occurred fairly recently, Microsoft has investigated how Windows supports these large disks. The results reveal several issues that apply to all versions of Windows earlier than and including Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1.
To this point, the following incorrect behavior is known to occur when Windows handles single-disk storage capacity of greater than 2 TB:
- The numeric capacity beyond 2 TB overflows. This results in the system being able to address only the capacity beyond 2 TB. For example, on a 3 TB disk, the available capacity may be only 1 TB.
- The numeric capacity beyond 2 TB is truncated. This results in no more than 2 TB of addressable space. For example, on a 3 TB disk, the available capacity may be only 2 TB.
- The storage device is not detected correctly. In this case, it is not displayed in either the Device Manager or Disk Management windows. Many storage controller manufacturers offer updated drivers that provide support for storage capacities of more than 2 TB. Contact your storage controller manufacturer or OEM to determine what downloadable support is available for single-disk capacities that are greater than 2 TB.
SCSI sense data
When a disk encounters errors that are related to unreadable or unwritable sectors, it reports those errors and the relevant SCSI sense data to the operating system. SCSI sense data may contain information about LBA for sectors that were found to be unreadable or unwritable.
![Disk App 1 2 2 Disk App 1 2 2](https://miro.medium.com/max/994/1*hS_BJVVsc4xJ7pjN0nKZ9A.png)
For LBA address space that is greater than 2 TB, the disk requires SCSI sense data in Descriptor format. This format is not supported by Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, which retrieves SCSI sense data in Fixed format. Therefore, the retrieved SCSI sense data either does not contain information about bad sectors or it contains incorrect information about bad sectors. Administrators should note this limitation when they look for bad sector LBA information that is recorded in the Windows event log.
-->The primary difference and reasons for updating the Windows Subsystem for Linux from WSL 1 to WSL 2 are to:
- increase file system performance,
- support full system call compatibility.
WSL 2 uses the latest and greatest in virtualization technology to run a Linux kernel inside of a lightweight utility virtual machine (VM). However, WSL 2 is not a traditional VM experience.
Comparing features
Feature | WSL 1 | WSL 2 |
---|---|---|
Integration between Windows and Linux | ✅ | ✅ |
Fast boot times | ✅ | ✅ |
Small resource foot print | ✅ | ✅ |
Runs with current versions of VMware and VirtualBox | ✅ | ✅ |
Managed VM | ❌ | ✅ |
Full Linux Kernel | ❌ | ✅ |
Full system call compatibility | ❌ | ✅ |
Performance across OS file systems | ✅ | ❌ |
As you can tell from the comparison table above, the WSL 2 architecture outperforms WSL 1 in several ways, with the exception of performance across OS file systems.
Performance across OS file systems
We recommend against working across operating systems with your files, unless you have a specific reason for doing so. For the fastest performance speed, store your files in the WSL file system if you are working in a Linux command line (Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, etc). If you're working in a Windows command line (PowerShell, Command Prompt), store your files in the Windows file system.
For example, when storing your WSL project files:
- Use the Linux file system root directory:
wsl$Ubuntu-18.04home<user name>Project
- Not the Windows file system root directory:
C:Users<user name>Project
All currently running distributions (
wsl -l
) are accessible via network connection. To get there run a command [WIN+R] (keyboard shortcut) or type in File Explorer address bar wsl$
to find respective distribution names and access their root file systems.You can also use windows commands inside WSL's Linux Terminal. Try opening a Linux distribution (ie Ubuntu), be sure that you are in the Linux home directory by entering this command:
cd ~
. Then open your Linux file system in File Explorer by entering (don't forget the period at the end): powershell.exe /c start .
Important
If you experience an error -bash: powershell.exe: command not found please refer to the WSL troubleshooting page to resolve it.
WSL 2 is only available in Windows 10, Version 1903, Build 18362 or higher. Check your Windows version by selecting the Windows logo key + R, type winver, select OK. (Or enter the
ver
command in Windows Command Prompt). You may need to update to the latest Windows version. For builds lower than 18362, WSL is not supported at all.Note
WSL 2 will work with VMware 15.5.5+ and VirtualBox 6+. Learn more in our WSL 2 FAQs.
What's new in WSL 2
WSL 2 is a major overhaul of the underlying architecture and uses virtualization technology and a Linux kernel to enable new features. The primary goals of this update are to increase file system performance and add full system call compatibility.
WSL 2 architecture
A traditional VM experience can be slow to boot up, is isolated, consumes a lot of resources, and requires your time to manage it. WSL 2 does not have these attributes.
WSL 2 provides the benefits of WSL 1, including seamless integration between Windows and Linux, fast boot times, a small resource footprint, and requires no VM configuration or management. While WSL 2 does use a VM, it is managed and run behind the scenes, leaving you with the same user experience as WSL 1.
Full Linux kernel
The Linux kernel in WSL 2 is built by Microsoft from the latest stable branch, based on the source available at kernel.org. This kernel has been specially tuned for WSL 2, optimizing for size and performance to provide an amazing Linux experience on Windows. The kernel will be serviced by Windows updates, which means you will get the latest security fixes and kernel improvements without needing to manage it yourself.
The WSL 2 Linux kernel is open source. If you'd like to learn more, check out the blog post Shipping a Linux Kernel with Windows written by the team that built it.
1-2-2 Zone Defense
Increased file IO performance
File intensive operations like git clone, npm install, apt update, apt upgrade, and more are all noticeably faster with WSL 2.
The actual speed increase will depend on which app you're running and how it is interacting with the file system. Initial versions of WSL 2 run up to 20x faster compared to WSL 1 when unpacking a zipped tarball, and around 2-5x faster when using git clone, npm install and cmake on various projects.
Full system call compatibility
Linux binaries use system calls to perform functions such as accessing files, requesting memory, creating processes, and more. Whereas WSL 1 used a translation layer that was built by the WSL team, WSL 2 includes its own Linux kernel with full system call compatibility. Benefits include:
- A whole new set of apps that you can run inside of WSL, such as Docker and more.
- Any updates to the Linux kernel are immediately ready for use. (You don't have to wait for the WSL team to implement updates and add the changes).
WSL 2 uses a smaller amount of memory on startup
WSL 2 uses a lightweight utility VM on a real Linux kernel with a small memory footprint. The utility will allocate Virtual Address backed memory on startup. It is configured to start with a smaller proportion of your total memory that what was required for WSL 1.
Exceptions for using WSL 1 rather than WSL 2
We recommend that you use WSL 2 as it offers faster performance and 100% system call compatibility. However, there are a few specific scenarios where you might prefer using WSL 1. Consider using WSL 1 if:
- Your project files must be stored in the Windows file system. WSL 1 offers faster access to files mounted from Windows.
- If you will be using your WSL Linux distribution to access project files on the Windows file system, and these files cannot be stored on the Linux file system, you will achieve faster performance across the OS files systems by using WSL 1.
- A project which requires cross-compilation using both Windows and Linux tools on the same files.
- File performance across the Windows and Linux operating systems is faster in WSL 1 than WSL 2, so if you are using Windows applications to access Linux files, you will currently achieve faster performance with WSL 1.
Note
Consider trying the VS Code Remote WSL Extension to enable you to store your project files on the Linux file system, using Linux command line tools, but also using VS Code on Windows to author, edit, debug, or run your project in an internet browser without any of the performance slow-downs associated with working across the Linux and Windows file systems. Learn more.
Accessing network applications
Accessing Linux networking apps from Windows (localhost)
If you are building a networking app (for example an app running on a NodeJS or SQL server) in your Linux distribution, you can access it from a Windows app (like your Edge or Chrome internet browser) using
localhost
(just like you normally would).However, if you are running an older version of Windows (Build 18945 or less), you will need to get the IP address of the Linux host VM (or update to the latest Windows version).
To find the IP address of the virtual machine powering your Linux distribution:
- From your WSL distribution (ie Ubuntu), run the command:
ip addr
- Find and copy the address under the
inet
value of theeth0
interface. - If you have the grep tool installed, find this more easily by filtering the output with the command:
ip addr | grep eth0
- Connect to your Linux server using this IP address.
The picture below shows an example of this by connecting to a Node.js server using the Edge browser.
Accessing Windows networking apps from Linux (host IP)
If you want to access a networking app running on Windows (for example an app running on a NodeJS or SQL server) from your Linux distribution (ie Ubuntu), then you need to use the IP address of your host machine. While this is not a common scenario, you can follow these steps to make it work.
- Obtain the IP address of your host machine by running this command from your Linux distribution:
cat /etc/resolv.conf
- Copy the IP address following the term:
nameserver
. - Connect to any Windows server using the copied IP address.
Disk App 1 2 2 2 N 2
The picture below shows an example of this by connecting to a Node.js server running in Windows via curl.
Additional networking considerations
Disk App 1 2 2 Player Games
Connecting via remote IP addresses
When using remote IP addresses to connect to your applications, they will be treated as connections from the Local Area Network (LAN). This means that you will need to make sure your application can accept LAN connections.
For example, you may need to bind your application to
0.0.0.0
instead of 127.0.0.1
. In the example of a Python app using Flask, this can be done with the command: app.run(host='0.0.0.0')
. Please keep security in mind when making these changes as this will allow connections from your LAN.Accessing a WSL 2 distribution from your local area network (LAN)
When using a WSL 1 distribution, if your computer was set up to be accessed by your LAN, then applications run in WSL could be accessed on your LAN as well.
This isn't the default case in WSL 2. WSL 2 has a virtualized ethernet adapter with its own unique IP address. Currently, to enable this workflow you will need to go through the same steps as you would for a regular virtual machine. (We are looking into ways to improve this experience.)
Here's an example PowerShell command to add a port proxy that listens on port 4000 on the host and connects it to port 4000 to the WSL 2 VM with IP address 192.168.101.100.
IPv6 access
WSL 2 distributions currently cannot reach IPv6-only addresses. We are working on adding this feature.
Expanding the size of your WSL 2 Virtual Hard Disk
WSL 2 uses a Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) to store your Linux files. In WSL 2, a VHD is represented on your Windows hard drive as a .vhdx file.
The WSL 2 VHD uses the ext4 file system. This VHD automatically resizes to meet your storage needs and has an initial maximum size of 256GB. If the storage space required by your Linux files exceeds this size you may need to expand it. If your distribution grows in size to be greater than 256GB, you will see errors stating that you've run out of disk space. You can fix this error by expanding the VHD size.
To expand your maximum VHD size beyond 256GB:
- Terminate all WSL instances using the command:
wsl --shutdown
- Find your distribution installation package name ('PackageFamilyName')
- Using PowerShell (where 'distro' is your distribution name) enter the command:
Get-AppxPackage -Name '*<distro>*' | Select PackageFamilyName
- Locate the VHD file
fullpath
used by your WSL 2 installation, this will be yourpathToVHD
:%LOCALAPPDATA%Packages<PackageFamilyName>LocalState<disk>.vhdx
- Resize your WSL 2 VHD by completing the following commands:
- Open Windows Command Prompt with admin privileges and enter:
- Examine the output of the detail command. The output will include a value for Virtual size. This is the current maximum. Convert this value to megabytes. The new value after resizing must be greater than this value. For example, if the detail output shows Virtual size: 256 GB, then you must specify a value greater than 256000. Once you have your new size in megabytes, enter the following command in diskpart:
- Exit diskpart
- Launch your WSL distribution (Ubuntu, for example).
- Make WSL aware that it can expand its file system's size by running these commands from your Linux distribution command line.NoteYou may see this message in response to the first mount command: /dev: none already mounted on /dev. This message can safely be ignored.Copy the name of this entry, which will look like:
/dev/sdX
(with the X representing any other character). In the following example the value of X is b:NoteYou may need to install resize2fs. If so, you can use this command to install it:sudo apt install resize2fs
.The output will look similar to the following:
Disk App 1 2 2 5
Note
Disk App 1 2 2 3
In general do not modify, move, or access the WSL related files located inside of your AppData folder using Windows tools or editors. Doing so could cause your Linux distribution to become corrupted.