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I'd like to install windows XP to my 1.5tb hd. The install disk has no service packs built in, will a hard drive this size cause problems? I can't remember weather XP pre service pack one had a hd size limit or weather it was windows 2000.

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  • Thanks for asking this: My xp install disk is pre-sp1 and I was thinking about replacing my hard drive. I would have had no clue. Now at least I'm fore-warned.
    – Joel Coehoorn
    Aug 24, 2009 at 17:03
  • As a follow-up, do things change any if you pre-format the drive?
    – Joel Coehoorn
    Aug 24, 2009 at 17:05
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    I don't know if formatting the drive before install makes a difference. Slipstreaming with instructions at winsupersite.com/xp/sp3_slipstream.asp worked fine though.
    – Jared
    Aug 27, 2009 at 12:32

3 Answers 3

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XP should handle up to 2 TB per volume after the service packs are applied.

You are correct. There was a 137gb limit on the orginal pre service pack windows xp. This was addressed/fixed in SP1.

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-nt-2000-xp/585988-xp-boot-hard-disk-limits.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP

You can try the slipstream method to install sp2/sp3 with your orginal install.

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-Tweak/Autostreamer.shtml

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  • Agreed. Slipstreaming is the best way to go, as with the help of SPs neither the 137GB limit nor the SATA disks are in issue.
    – TFM
    Aug 24, 2009 at 19:10
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and while you're at it, integrate the controller drivers (i suppose this 1.5 TB drive is a SATA drive and windows xp does not have native support for SATA controllers) into the installation disk, unless you want to manually install these drivers during Windows Setup via F6, which requires a floppy drive.

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  • Since floppies are becoming a rarity in modern day comptuers, one could always modify the existing windows installation via nlite or similar applications, and include the sata drivers in it.
    – Rook
    Aug 24, 2009 at 21:17
  • hence my little reminder :)
    – Molly7244
    Aug 24, 2009 at 21:36
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Just as an addon to Troggy's answer, nlite (http://www.nliteos.com/) makes slipstreaming really easy and is a free utility.

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