What is the maximum number of primary partitions allowed per hard drive using a boot sector standard that supports a maximum partition size of 2TB?

The correct answer is based on the limitations of the Master Boot Record (MBR) partitioning scheme, which has been widely used in systems for managing disk partitions. With the MBR standard, a hard drive can support up to four primary partitions.

When using MBR, if a system requires more than four partitions, it can utilize a logical drive within an extended partition. However, the primary partitions remain capped at four. This arrangement allows for efficient use of disk space while adhering to the constraints of the standard.

The limitation regarding the maximum partition size of 2TB is a characteristic of the MBR format itself, which typically cannot address larger partitions. Despite this limitation, the fundamental maximum for the number of primary partitions under MBR remains at four.

This capacity is critical for understanding how to configure hard drives and manage disk resources effectively in various operating systems that utilize this boot sector standard.