Template Name: Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Standard Evaluation, 64-bit
Vendor: SoYouStart.com
Vendor Service Package: OP-SAT-1-32 ( https://www.soyoustart.com/de/angebote/160sys1.xml )
Physical or Virtual: Physical
Motherboard: (Brand & Model, If Applicable)
Processor: AMD Opteron 4334
RAM: 32GB
Hard Disks: 2x3TB
Location: OVH, RBX3
Error Information:
I was trying to install Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Standard Evaluation, 64-bit on a 3TB hard disk (SoYouStart). The installation went through, however everything above 2048GB on the two hard disks was not usable, because the used image (maybe all?) uses MBR, not GPT, which would have been necessary to cross that 2TB line.
Do you see a possibility to offer GPT images? There is no real possibility to convert a running Windows system to GPT, converting is only possible if the HD is completely empty.
It is certainly possible in the future, however I will need to do a bit of research before I can commit further.
I will add the request to our internal feature tracker.
That would be amazing, as I just discovered, that SoYouStart themselves have no GPT Windows Server images (!), they install MBR and therefore cause >700GB to be unusable with their >3TB HD offerings.
That would be amazing, as I just discovered, that SoYouStart themselves have no GPT Windows Server images (!), they install MBR and therefore cause >700GB to be unusable with their >3TB HD offerings.
That is quite ridiculous.
I should have time this coming weekend to do initial research and testing.
Yep! Indeed ridiculous. I have opened a ticket for that. No answer yet...
I just ask myself what they are doing with the "big" OVH servers which have much more storage, like 4 and 6TB hard disks. I can't be the only one encountering that issue.
Your time and effort would be incredibly appreciated. Even if SoYouStart.com can fix the 2012R2 server image, they still have no Server 2016 (which I would prefer). I have tried your existing 2016 image and it runs! Really the only issue is the MBR/GPT thing.
Yep! Indeed ridiculous. I have opened a ticket for that. No answer yet...
I just ask myself what they are doing with the "big" OVH servers which have much more storage, like 4 and 6TB hard disks. I can't be the only one encountering that issue.
Your time and effort would be incredibly appreciated. Even if SoYouStart.com can fix the 2012R2 server image, they still have no Server 2016 (which I would prefer). I have tried your existing 2016 image and it runs! Really the only issue is the MBR/GPT thing.
The primary hurdle based on my reading so far is going to be UEFI, without it Windows will refuse to install to a GPT partition. It may be possible to install it on a machine with UEFI and then drop the image on a server using a legacy bios, but I have serious doubt it would boot up.
You will likely be stuck with dropping the Windows template onto sda (limited to 2TB) and then format the 2nd disk allowing you to use the entire disk.
As an answer to my "Windows Server on GPT" ticket at SoYouStart, I got the answer from support, that the server BIOS does not support UEFI, which therefore cannot be enabled and therefore Windows Server cannot be installed on GPT (apart from the fact, that they still don't have GPT Windows images). It is a strange and silly business decision to offer that server with 3TB disks imho, as those 3TB cannot be used per default on Windows (kind of like advertising a car with 200 hp, of which only 150 can be used). Those 3TB drives were almost 4y old, in addition to that.
In the mean time, I also had installed Proxmox, it seemed to use GPT and was able to access all 3TB, so was VMWare ESXi (which however only used a few GB on one HD for the system and all of the other HD for the datastore, which also is not really smart, wasting even more HD space.
I have asked support to revoke my order and they have agreed.
I am not yet sure what to do, I might even change to Online.net (and use your amazing images) for my Windows Server 2016. Certainly I will stay under the 2TB mark and invest in the other technical specs.
You are doing great work, thank you so much! A lot of Kimsufi, Online.net and other customers are greatful.
As an answer to my "Windows Server on GPT" ticket at SoYouStart, I got the answer from support, that the server BIOS does not support UEFI, which therefore cannot be enabled and therefore Windows Server cannot be installed on GPT (apart from the fact, that they still don't have GPT Windows images). It is a strange and silly business decision to offer that server with 3TB disks imho, as those 3TB cannot be used per default on Windows (kind of like advertising a car with 200 hp, of which only 150 can be used). Those 3TB drives were almost 4y old, in addition to that.
In the mean time, I also had installed Proxmox, it seemed to use GPT and was able to access all 3TB, so was VMWare ESXi (which however only used a few GB on one HD for the system and all of the other HD for the datastore, which also is not really smart, wasting even more HD space.
I have asked support to revoke my order and they have agreed.
I am not yet sure what to do, I might even change to Online.net (and use your amazing images) for my Windows Server 2016. Certainly I will stay under the 2TB mark and invest in the other technical specs.
You are doing great work, thank you so much! A lot of Kimsufi, Online.net and other customers are greatful.
Thank you for your kind words 🙂
I am not entirely certain as to why Windows requires UEFI to use/create a GPT partition, but most Linux distros do not have the same limitation hence why you were able to install Proxmox and utilize all of the disks.
Need to read up on that, hmm...