<snipped>
Anna wrote:
Extra cost?
Why do things always have to 'cost' or be made more difficult than needed?
heh
Limitations of the FAT32 File System in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314463
If you are attempting to format with the native utilities in
Windows XP - and the drive/partition is larger than 32GB - the
FAT32 option will not be available. You are welcome to utilize a
third-party utility - some are free.
Examples:
Format larger than 32GB FAT32 within Windows XP with this utility:
http://www1.mager.org/mkdosfs/
Or this one (with GUI):
http://tokiwa.qee.jp/EN/Fat32Formatter/index.html
Good luck!
Shenan:
I'm unsure as to whether your "extra cost" comment was directed to me since
you quoted a only a portion of my post in response to the OP's query. I
surely did *not* recommend any "extra cost" option to resolve the OP's
objective. So I just wanted to make that clear.
Now as to the Jens-Ewe Mager program you referred to, i.e., your first
link...
As you may or may not know, this is a program that we had (note the past
tense) previously recommended to users re the OP's objective. The following
is a copy of the post we've submitted a number of times to various XP
newsgroups...
{Quote}The following does *not* concern itself as to *why* a user would want
or need to create FAT32 formatted partition(s) from within the XP OS. We'll
assume he or she has good & sufficient reasons for doing so.
As most of us know, the XP operating system cannot partition/format a hard
drive in FAT32 greater than 32 GB. One *can*, however, use the FDISK/FORMAT
commands on a DOS bootable floppy disk (such as a Win9x/Me Startup Disk) to
partition/format an internal hard drive of virtually any size in FAT32.
However, there is a way to FAT32 format a partition (or entire HDD) from
*within* the XP OS when the partition is > 32 GB. The user can overcome this
XP barrier through the use of a Linux-developed program called mkdosfs.exe
developed by Jens-Uwe Mager. See
http://www1.mager.org/mkdosfs/ for complete
details on the background of this program and its utilization.
You can download the mkdosfs.zip file from Mr. Mager’s website and extract
the mkdosfs.exe program file. The great advantage of this program is that it
works from *within* the XP environment. NOTE THIS PROGRAM IS *NOT* A
CONVERSION PROGRAM IN THE SENSE THAT IT WILL CONVERT A NTFS PARTITION TO A
FAT32 PARTITION WHILE RETAINING ALL THE DATA. RATHER IT IS DESIGNED TO
FORMAT THE PARTITION, SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT ALL DATA WILL BE LOST
FOLLOWING THE FORMATTING PROCESS.
The program is very easy to use…
1. Install the mkdosfs.exe file (it’s only 68 KB) in your C:\ root
directory.
2. Ensure that the partition/drive to be formatted FAT32 is not presently
being accessed at this point.
3. Using Start > Run > cmd, and get to a C:\ prompt.
4. Invoke the command “mkdosfs –F 32 x:” (no quotes) where x: is the drive
to be formatted. Note the spacing within the command...
(mkdosfs(SPACE)–F(SPACE)32(SPACE)x: and capitalize the “F”, as shown.
MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN YOUR DRIVE LETTER REFLECTS THE DRIVE TO BE
FORMATTED! YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY CONFIRMATION PROMPT AFTER INVOKING THE
COMMAND! ALL DATA ON THE FORMATTED PARTITION WILL BE LOST!
5. Press Enter after typing the command.
6. The formatting of your designated drive in FAT32 will take place. Two
lines of text will be displayed:
“mkdosfs 2.8 (28 Feb 2001)
Win32 port by Jens-Uwe Mager <
[email protected]>"
followed by the C:\ prompt after the drive has been formatted.
In addition to the program’s usefulness in overcoming the FAT32 > 32 GB
limitation imposed by the XP OS as it affects your internal hard drives,
another significant advantage of this program is that you can now format a
USB external HDD in FAT32 in any capacity. And do so within the XP OS
environment.{End of quote}
The reason we no longer recommend that program is because of a number of
negative reports we rec'd from various users, that while the program was
apparently successful in formatting the previously created NTFS partitions
32 GB using, for example, XP's Disk Management utility, in a number of
cases non-recognition partition problems and/or data corruption problems
were later encountered by the user. Although I can only recall one or two
cases where we (personally) subsequently encountered a similar problem after
using the program, we felt there was sufficient reason to no longer
recommend this program (at least without reservations). Needless to say
encountering this type of problem could be disastrous for many, if not all,
users.
All the above is based on the 2.8 version of Mr. Mager's program. I do not
know whether any subsequent versions have been released.
In any event, I wanted to bring this to the attention of the OP (and you) in
deciding whether to use that program.
I'm not familiar with the Fat32Formatter program you mentioned. It does
sound interesting and I'm glad to brought it to our attention. I'll
certainly give it a try.
Anna
