Can't boot XP NTFS HDD cloned from FAT32 HDD

[Guest]

When my XP's 120 GB HDD (FAT32) started making strange noises I bought a
Seagate 300 GB PATA w/16MB cache to replace it. Seagate's Disk Wizard for
Windows (DWFW) copy utility gives you no choice but to format the new drive
NTFS. But for some reason the new drive when jumpered and cabled as master
as instructed after cloning won't boot.

If used as a properly jumpered slave to the 120 GB (jumpered as master) all
my files can be seen and are intact. I'm not knowledgable enough to
determine the specifics of why the 300 GB won't boot even though I apparently
have access to all files.

Using Seagate's alternate DOS-like "Starter Edition" copy utility I did
create a bootable FAT32 clone (limitied to 127 GB size) on the 300 GB just to
confirm it was functionally OK. Use of their On-Track Disk Drive Overlay
(DDO) and alternate capacity (AC) jumper setting will allow access to the
full capacity of the disk by using an additional partition but Windows
Hibernate does not function normally (it acts like a warm reboot -
unacceptable to me). DDO I'm sure will cause me some heartburn someday too.

Seagate was contacted; they questioned why the 120 GB was formatted as FAT32
in the first place. I don't know - it was that way when I bought the
machine. Their engineer mentioned that I could convert the 120 GB to NTFS
and then try DWFW again or I could try tricking the DWFW to create a
bootable FAT32 by telling it the source disk OS is 98 or ME. From what I've
read some people use FAT 32 with XP so it can't be all bad and I can see
nothing wrong with converting to NTFS. I don't use or plan to use any other
OS other than WinXP SP2.

From what I've read converting 120 GB to NTFS and then using DWFW seems the
best way to go following all the usual backup caveats seen in these posts.
My Intel board's BIOS and 845 chipset seem to support the 48-bit addressing
and LBA that a large drive requires. SP2 is installed on the XP box now.

I'd be appreciative to read any advice on why I should stay with FAT32 on
the 300 GB disk or convert the 120 GB to NTFS and then clone it to the 300
GB. Thank you!
Marty

 

[Bob Harris]

Usually cloning software preserves the partition type (FAT32 or NTFS). It
may offer to expand the partition to fill the entire hard drive, but it
usually does not offer to change the partition type. This is because disk
cloning usually involves copying the boot record, as well as the data on the
disk. Thus, is it possible that the partition you formatted as NTFS was
reverted to FAT32 during the cloning process? If so, I am not at all
certain that a 300 Gig FAT32 partition will work without some problems.

Going back to the option to make a smaller (<127Gig) FAT32 partition, then
cloning to it, that should work. The extra space should then be available
to be partitioned by XP itself, via its disk management tool. You could
format that spare space as NTFS, in one or more partitions. I have mixed
FAT32 and NTFS partitions on a single drive, and XP has never complained.

By the way, cloning software that I have used has offerred to clone as the
same size, so again pre-formatting should not be necessary.

I would avoid special overlay features, since those are less reliable that
simple partitions.

In theory, you could convert to NTFS first, then clone to one big NTFS
partition. Again, you should not have to pre-format, if all you want to do
is clone one disk to a bigger disk. The cloning process should handle the
details.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Bob! I can't thank you enough for your time. Please see my
comments/clarifications below and let me know what you advise. Marty

Usually cloning software preserves the partition type (FAT32 or NTFS). It
may offer to expand the partition to fill the entire hard drive, but it
usually does not offer to change the partition type.

FAT32 was not offered probably because I clicked on XP as my OS. Hence
Seagate's advice to chose Win98 or WinME instead.

This is because disk

cloning usually involves copying the boot record, as well as the data on the
disk. Thus, is it possible that the partition you formatted as NTFS was
reverted to FAT32 during the cloning process?

Properties lists the file system as FAT32 on cloned 300 GB drive. Recall
that my working clone on the 300 GB was created with the Seagate "Starter
Edition" cloning software that is, I believe, furnished to support machines
with BIOSs/chipsets that don't support drives larger than 137 GB.

If so, I am not at all

certain that a 300 Gig FAT32 partition will work without some problems.

I couldn't agree more. That would have trouble written all over it.

Going back to the option to make a smaller (<127Gig) FAT32 partition, then
cloning to it, that should work. The extra space should then be available
to be partitioned by XP itself, via its disk management tool. You could
format that spare space as NTFS, in one or more partitions. I have mixed
FAT32 and NTFS partitions on a single drive, and XP has never complained.

By the way, cloning software that I have used has offerred to clone as the
same size, so again pre-formatting should not be necessary.

Actually I didn't pre-format. If my comments implied so, it is me using the
incorrect terminology.

I would avoid special overlay features, since those are less reliable that
simple partitions.

Couldn't agree more. Loss of the Hibernate functionality is making me crazy.

In theory, you could convert to NTFS first, then clone to one big NTFS
partition. Again, you should not have to pre-format, if all you want to do
is clone one disk to a bigger disk. The cloning process should handle the
details.

I'm ready to convert to NTFS on the old 120 GB and then clone to the 300 GB
again if those more knowledgable than me agree this is the best solution.
The 120 GB still runs.