max boot partition size for bootcamp / win 7?

Question

max boot partition size for bootcamp / win 7?

Hi all,

i am planning to expand a Mac Pro 5,1 / 2010 with 6 tb hard discs.

Partition scheme should be 2 tb for mac os, 4 tb for windows 7.

Windows 7 will boot from 2 tb partiton with standard bios, from 4 tb partitions on systems with UEFI bios.

So my question is...

When using bootcamp, what will be the effective bios for Windows, is it standard bios or uefi bios?

And can the setup bootcamp / 4 tb partition be handled from windows / bootcamp?

Thank you!

greetings from Germany

Chris

Mac Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Jun 22, 2015 1:09 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Jun 22, 2015 8:41 AM in response to Christian Stueben

A 2010 Mac is a preUEFI Mac so a GPT partition cannot be used for Windows (OSX can and will use GPT). You will need to use an MBR (BIOS) installation which limits you to a 2TB partition limit and a maximum of four partition entries. Windows should be installed in the first 2TB of the disk, otherwise it will not work.

If it is a MacPro and you have an available slot, use a full 2TB disk and make it a MBR-only disk with Windows only.

Please see How to install Windows 7 on extra Internal Disk for reference.

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Answer 2

Jun 22, 2015 10:50 AM in response to Loner T

Hello Loner,

hmmm, this is not the answer i wanted to hear, but it prevented me from buying expensive, and in the end useless 6tb hard discs. So at this point a big THANK YOU!

But instantly have some more questions...

When using hard dics larger than 2tb, can a "reversed order"-setup be done with bootcamp? So that Windows 7 resides in the lower 2 tb, and OS/X can reside in the higher 2tb (in tb3, 4, and maybe 5 and 6)? Both bootable?

When using two internal discs with 2tb each, can bootcamp make a setup so that OS/X resides on one disc, and Windows resides on the other disc, so that both operating systems have a 2tb bootable partition in the lower 2tb?

greetings from germany

Chris

added: i have overseen your "how to install win on second internal" link. So second question is answered. Thank you! Question one (reversed order install) still is interesting for me.

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Answer 3

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Jun 22, 2015 11:01 AM in response to Christian Stueben

Christian Stueben wrote:

When using hard dics larger than 2tb, can a "reversed order"-setup be done with bootcamp? So that Windows 7 resides in the lower 2 tb, and OS/X can reside in the higher 2tb (in tb3, 4, and maybe 5 and 6)? Both bootable?

Yes, you can partition your disk as GPT and install Windows in the first 2TB and the OSX part can be at between TB2-TB6.

When using two internal discs with 2tb each, can bootcamp make a setup so that OS/X resides on one disc, and Windows resides on the other disc, so that both operating systems have a 2tb bootable partition in the lower 2tb?

You can use a 6TB disk for OSX and a separate 2TB disk for Windows and do a BIOS/MBR installation of Windows as well.

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Answer 4

Jun 22, 2015 11:08 AM in response to Christian Stueben

second addition...

me doing some silly thougths: using your "install win on second internal" link, is there any chance to install windows on the lower 2tb of a 4tb or 6tb disc, and then reinstall OS/X on the remaining upper 2 or 4 tb part? Or has os/x the same restriction so that it must reside on the lower 2tb on none-uefi-bios macs?

greetings from gemany

Chris

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Answer 5

Jun 22, 2015 11:10 AM in response to Loner T

Your reply has been a little bit faster than my seccond addition. Thank you! Your answers really have helped me.

greetings from gemany

Chris

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Answer 6

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Jun 22, 2015 11:32 AM in response to Christian Stueben

Christian Stueben wrote:

second addition...

me doing some silly thougths: using your "install win on second internal" link, is there any chance to install windows on the lower 2tb of a 4tb or 6tb disc, and then reinstall OS/X on the remaining upper 2 or 4 tb part? Or has os/x the same restriction so that it must reside on the lower 2tb on none-uefi-bios macs?

OSX Uses GPT and will support Pedabyte storage, if you have it handy. 😉. If GPT can handle it, OSX can use it. The primary limitation is based on GPTs. There is a very concise article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table .

Additional helpful articles are

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/ man8/gpt.8.html

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/ man8/diskutil.8.html

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