What is the maximum External Hard Drive size for XP?

Question

I'm considering getting one of those DIY kits for making an external USB Hard Drive. I would like to know what the maximum size XP Home would recognize, and if it would vary by hard drive enclosure or drivers.

Answer 1

A 32 bit Operating System will recognize up to about 2.2 Terabytes, so that would be your limit. The fact that it will be external as opposed to internal will have no effect on this limit. One quick thing, it is much less trouble to just buy an external hard drive than making one, but of course if you already have an internal and want to make it external, a kit is your only option.

Answer 2

yes you can run a larger HD in your computer but as you have not stated what OS you are using I asume you are ether 98 you will need to go into your BIOS. this is done by ether F2 or Delete just as the computer boots up. once in ther look for where your HD's set up is and ajust accordingly. please let me know what OS U R using and I may be able to help you futher. wish only a small HD I would guess that it's win98. may I surgest that you obtain at least a 80Gig HD and an upgrade to your SDRAM this will allow you to put win XP on and this is a much easyer OS to use and to keep clean. hope this will help PC MAN.

Answer 3

Excellent question, I don't think there is something big enough to even limit it. I've worked in corporations with 2-10 Terabyte Hard Drives, so i couldn't even imagine.

Answer 4

The sky is the limit!

As long as you can afford something very large, then
your USB hard drive can be as large or small as you want.
1 Tera-byte is enormous!!!

Answer 5

XP is using NTFS.
The largest partition NTFS will recognize is 16 Exabytes (EB).

Answer 6

There is no maximum.