Look at my edit. It definitely works. I'm using a 5 TB drive for ages and it works for the complete vWii mode including GC games (Nintendont), WiiWare games (installed to USB with USBLGX), Wii games, homebrews and roms for RetroArch.
Okay at which step are you stuck?
First step would be to turn it into MBR instead of GPT.
Okay on the fourth step once I load my hard drive and it’s visible on easeUS. It has one partition which is unallocated. Do I need to create a partition then do the convert to fat32 step or do I leave as is?
You're drive is MRB and there's no partitions on it? Good.
Then try to format it with GUIFormat with 32k cluster size.
If that doesn't work (GUIFormat is a b*tch sometimes throwing errors -> if that happens close all programs and windows except GUIFormat and try it again) then try making a big NTFS primary (!) partition with easeUS first and format that to FAT32 with GUIFormat afterwards.
Sorry about that, I just realized it does have a partition but It’s not showing on EaseUS, here is a picture.
--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------
On Ease there is just one partition( the entire hard drive) and it says unallocated, it is also logical.
Attachments
Okay, right click it and try to set it to primary. It's been too long for me to remember the exact procedure.
If that doesn't work, just right click the big unallocated "partition" and create a big NTFS partition. In the creation window should be a dropdown where you can choose to set it to primary. If not, format it to NTFS anyway and try to set it to primary afterwards. I'm pretty sure it was possible.
Try everything to end up with one big primary NTFS partition.
I can only make it into one big NTFS if it is set to GPT rather than MPR. I also can’t do anything with the unallocated space but check it’s properties.Okay, right click it and try to set it to primary. It's been too long for me to remember the exact procedure.
If that doesn't work, just right click the big unallocated "partition" and create a big NTFS partition. In the creation window should be a dropdown where you can choose to set it to primary. If not, format it to NTFS anyway and try to set it to primary afterwards. I'm pretty sure it was possible.
Try everything to end up with one big primary NTFS partition.
Attachments
Ah okay, making a big NTFS partition was only possible with that WD tool (I have a WD drive).
Would you mind trying to do it with the WD tool from the guide I posted above?
I hope that works with Seagate as well.
Edit: Read this as well maybe: https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26203-convert-gpt-disk-mbr-disk.html
Last edited by lordelan,
Why not using Disk Management in System Management? Will take you only 2 minutes (includes formatting). Then use "guiformat" to reformat it in FAT32 32k. Total time <>3 minutes!
Because Disk Management doesn't allow you to create such a big partition on a MBR drive or am I wrong?
I just recently found out there is a program similar to WD Tool for Seagate drives.
https://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/beyond-2tb/
Would it work the same?
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Be careful with the seagate tool.
after reading the linked page, I'm not sure it's doing what you want.
attention ! this seems it's a Windows driver, not a drive firmware option editor !
It messes with windows device drivers (it says the drive could be seen a 800MB instead of 3TB) due to the way intel driver will see the drive.
It edits something on windows in a form of a driver, it doesn't seem to edit the sector size's emulation mode. (advanced format -> e512)
It feels more like a workaround on software level than a proper drive hardware level modification to work on other devices than windows.
Unless it's me who didn't understand correctly, and they are talking about the "HDD firmware driver" to work on devices without BIOS system?
your issue is not a windows problem, but a sector size used by your drive.
to use MBR on a drive bigger than 2TB you need sector size bigger than 512bytes.
you need to disable the "512 emulation mode" (or e512) to expose the real sector size (4096bytes/sector).
there is a very low (bad) chance that your drive is a real 512b/sector drive. there were some manufactured drives bigger than 2TB but with no bigger sectors, resulting in only GPT compatible drives.
Most 2TB+ drives are 4096bytes now, but the drive's internal firmware has a 512byte emulation mode by default for old hardware compatibility.
instead of trying random things, maybe start checking the reported sector size of your drive? just to start on correct base to debug your problem.
not saying it's wrong, but first getting proper information before trying things which end not being the problem, and you'd do more work than needed.
maybe there are more information here (I didn't read, maybe you already know everything from here):
https://gbatemp.net/posts/6429740
too bad all the pictures are not available anymore. It's from the same user than this thread, but has different reported information.
after reading the linked page, I'm not sure it's doing what you want.
attention ! this seems it's a Windows driver, not a drive firmware option editor !
It messes with windows device drivers (it says the drive could be seen a 800MB instead of 3TB) due to the way intel driver will see the drive.
It edits something on windows in a form of a driver, it doesn't seem to edit the sector size's emulation mode. (advanced format -> e512)
It feels more like a workaround on software level than a proper drive hardware level modification to work on other devices than windows.
Unless it's me who didn't understand correctly, and they are talking about the "HDD firmware driver" to work on devices without BIOS system?
your issue is not a windows problem, but a sector size used by your drive.
to use MBR on a drive bigger than 2TB you need sector size bigger than 512bytes.
you need to disable the "512 emulation mode" (or e512) to expose the real sector size (4096bytes/sector).
there is a very low (bad) chance that your drive is a real 512b/sector drive. there were some manufactured drives bigger than 2TB but with no bigger sectors, resulting in only GPT compatible drives.
Most 2TB+ drives are 4096bytes now, but the drive's internal firmware has a 512byte emulation mode by default for old hardware compatibility.
instead of trying random things, maybe start checking the reported sector size of your drive? just to start on correct base to debug your problem.
not saying it's wrong, but first getting proper information before trying things which end not being the problem, and you'd do more work than needed.
maybe there are more information here (I didn't read, maybe you already know everything from here):
https://gbatemp.net/posts/6429740
too bad all the pictures are not available anymore. It's from the same user than this thread, but has different reported information.
Last edited by Cyan,
I have one question though. I’m converting everything to FAT32 and previously I had it as NTFS for Wii and FAT32 for gc, since everything is going to be FAT32 do I need to change anytning in my usb loader settings in order for it to show games/play them?Good choice.
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some people reported that Wii Backup Manager cannot properly convert this game because of the layout (multiple game partitions).
if you have issue with this game, specifically if you try to launch the virtual consoles, try converting it again with Wit or WiiBaFu (backup fusion is a GUI for wit).
all other games are working fine with WiiBackupManager, even if using a dual layer disc. only SSBB is affected.
if you have issue with this game, specifically if you try to launch the virtual consoles, try converting it again with Wit or WiiBaFu (backup fusion is a GUI for wit).
all other games are working fine with WiiBackupManager, even if using a dual layer disc. only SSBB is affected.
Last edited by Cyan,
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