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Hard Drive Not Showing Full Capacity: 3 Ways to Restore It
Check your hard drive for bad sectors
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Hard drivesare one of the most important components of a computer. They store all your information and data, so you must ensure your hard drive works properly.
In a peculiar case, you may find that your 4TB hard drive only shows 2TB. If your hard drive isn’t showing its full capacity or it doesn’t show any capacity at all, then there might be an issue with the hard drive itself. Luckily, this is easily fixable, as you shall see below.
Why is my hard drive not showing its full capacity?
You might be wondering why your 2TB drive only shows 200GB. There are several reasons why your hard drive may not be showing its full capacity:
How do I restore my hard drive to full capacity?
If you have a hard drive that shows less space than it should, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem before moving to the more complex solutions:
1. Update the hard drive driver
Besides using Device Manager to update your drivers, you can also let third-party software likeOutbyte Driver Updaterscan your PC for outdated or missing drivers and automatically detect the newest updates from its database.
2. Format the hard drive
3. Change the partition table
The partition table is the first sector of a hard drive. It tells the computer how to divide the drive storage into separate parts or partitions. The problem with the MBR partition table is that it supports only 2TB drives and has a limitation.
Therefore if you see that your 3TB hard drive is only showing 2TB or your 2TB hard drive is only showing 1TB, therein lies the problem. That’s why you need to convert to GPT, which allows for more partitions.
In case you havetrouble converting your drive to GPT, we have an excellent guide to help you bypass any errors. If none of the above methods work for you, it may be a problem with your hard drive.
It may be difficult to tell when a hard drive is failing you, but we have compiled acomprehensive tell-all symptoms guide for HDD failure. This way, you won’t be caught off guard again.
And that’s how we end this article. Feel free to share any additional thoughts in the comment section below.
Claire Moraa
Windows Software Expert
Claire has a knack for solving problems and improving the quality of life for those around her. She’s driven by rationality, curiosity, and simplicity, and always eager to learn more about Microsoft’s products. With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11, errors, and software.
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Claire Moraa
Windows Software Expert
With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11 errors.
