Do I need UEFI enabled in BIOS for a 4TB external, non-boot disk?

Question

I just want to use a 4TB drive to store data. Do I need to do anything about UEFI in BIOS?

When I Google, it always seems to be talking about boot disks larger than 2TB, so I am not sure if this is needed for non-boot disks (data only, a single 4TB parition).

Solution 1

UEFI is only for boot disks larger than 2TB.

Solution 2

No, you do not need UEFI BIOS to access 4TB data drive - this is true for almost any modern OS - Linux, Windows, Mac.

Actually, if you use modern Linux, you even can boot and make use of all capacity of 4TB drive without using UEFI. I am using it on Ubuntu 12.10 and it works perfectly. Latest version of grub creates first 1MB BIOS boot partition, which does the trick.

Solution 3

To make full use of a disk greater than 2TB you need a GPT disk. Of course the OS you use must be able to handle a GPT disk, but most recent flavors of Linux, MacOS, and Windows can do this.

You do not need UEFI to make use of a GPT disk, unless perhaps you are running Windows. I don't run windows so I can't say for sure. I do know that to BOOT from a GPT disk, Windows insists on UEFI, but I don't know if that applies to data disks as well. Linux can handle GPT disks fine without UEFI.

Disk size is a GPT vs MBR kind of issue, not a UEFI one. Mixing GPT with UEFI is a Microsoft business tactic, not a technical issue.

Comments

[Mawg says reinstate Monica]

+1 and the naser if you will state that it is not needed for non-bot disks, just so I am 100% certain. Thanks (I mean it reads that way, but you don't actually mention non-boot disks). Sorry, just want to tbe sure. Thanks