Problem with my Toshiba external drive.

Good morning @Milton,

The disk needs a partition table before it can be used. There are two types, Master Boot Record (MBR) and the newer GUID Partition Table (GPT). Despite what Disk Management says, GPT is fully supported by the 64-bit version of Windows XP and subsequent versions of Windows (but not fully in 32-bit XP).

Microsoft | Frequently asked questions about the GUID Partitioning Table disk architecture

A standard MBR can only support disks up to 2TB capacity, GPT can support far larger disks. For your 1TB either will do. For maximum compatibility across all operating systems choose MBR, but either will work fine in Windows 10. I have a Toshiba Stor.E like yours, it was supplied by Toshiba with MBR.

Edit: didn't see Bree's post... mostly a repeat.

Hi Milton.

You can use either. This disk is like it would be when you buy new. The first step is to partition it. That is what you are being asked. Then you will be asked about partitions,one big one or smaller ones.

MBR is the older way of doing it and very acceptable. You are limited to breaking the disk up into four primary partitions and the disk can't exceed 2TB in size. Yours is 1TB so no issue and most people don't break drives up it more than four partitions.

GPT is the new way. You can use very large disk and break into as many partitions as you like.

Here is an easy to read article.

https://www.howtogeek.com/193669/wha...oning-a-drive/

Again either way will work if your intention is a data drive (pictures, documents, videos, music)

Caledon Ken said:

GPT is the new way...

...and will be the one used on your internal system drive. You ended up with GPT on this external drive because you tried to install windows on it. Your PC is obviously a modern UEFI bios system that supports GPT, so setup would have used GPT by default.

As I said, Toshiba supplied your drive factory-formatted with MBR. To put your drive back to exactly how it left the factory, use MBR and create a single partition using the whole drive. Format this to NTFS and label the partition as TOSHIBA EXT

Right click in the "Unallocated" area. Click new simple volume. This is where you get to say how big a partition you want. It will basically offer to consume all in one big partition.

Milton said:

@ Caledon Ken
Looks like success!!!!
As you can see from screenshot_11, I have successfully renamed the drive as TOSHIBA.
Is that job done ?

Yes, a job well done. Congratulations @Milton.

Yes well done.

Now we can start sending members to you.

Thanks Ken
Well, I really do want to thank ALL OF YOU guys that offered help and suggestions in my hour of need.
I'm a really happy bunny now.
Do I now mark this thread as "Mark as Solved" ?

Milton


ps. With the knowledge and techniques gained from you guys, I have also managed to resurrect a (very) old 500gb Seagate FreeAgent external drive which I have had in a cupboard for the last couple of years gathering dust. I had thought it was 'unusable'......until today.
Thanks again guys

Milton said:

Do I now mark this thread as "Mark as Solved" ?
Milton

Yes, there's nothing more needs to be done, you have put your Toshiba drive back as it was.
But do start another thread if there's anything else we can help with.