Dual boot partitions - Fat32/NTFS

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mark
  • Start date Start date
M

Mark

I have two hard drives. I also have two partitions on one IBM 60G (that I
want to be a primary hard drive) that is considered as a SCSI (Promise IDE
controller card) and a smaller 8G drive.

Can I have a FAT32 and NTFS on the same physical drive?

To complicate matters, I initially, I had Windows ME on one partition, same
drive and XP on another partition, also same drive (IBM). But
subsequently, ME crashed and I am unable to access ME, so I am now running
off a second back-up 8G drive after I loaded ME on it. As a result, when
the boot selection: 1. XP or 2. ME comes up, I choose XP.

Using my current boot setup: A, SCSI, C, as indicated in my BIOS, XP
sees itself on E drive, while the other partition on the same drive as C,
and the 8G boot drive as D. However, booting into Windows using a Start-up
Disk or by selection # 2, shows the D (8G) as C.

Both of my drives have been formatted in FAT32. A colleague recommended I
convert FAT32 to NTFS because "apparently" there is size limitation with
Ulead Video editing and FAT32 where it only allows one to record 20 minutes
of video, without splitting the file?

My colleague says he is running both FAT32 and NTFS on the same drive, but
different partitions, but my understanding is that NTFS can't read a FAT32
partition. Is this so?

I would like to ideally keep my 8G drive as a FAT32 as I use that drive as a
back-up, but I am concerned that if I convert it into NTFS, it won't be
able to boot any longer?
 
Yes, NTFS and FAT32 can coexist quite nicely. XP reads both formats.
However ME (nor a DOS boot disk) can read NTFS.

The reason for your drive lettering is the following:

When you installed XP, it assigned the drive letters as follows:

First partition on first disk = C
First partition on second disk = D
Second partition on first disk = E

Your DOS boot disk sees the second drive as C:, because as far as the BIOS
is concerned, with a floppy boot, any drive on the Promise card comes after
hard drives connected to the motherboard.

Repairing your Me installation is just a matter of reinstalling. Then see
my web site, www.dougknox.com and go to Win XP Tips

For Win9x/Me: Install 98/Me after XP is Installed.
For Windows 2000: Install Windows 2000 after XP is installed.

For instructions on how to repair the XP boot loader. After you've
reinstalled Me, if you wish to, you can convert the XP partition to NTFS.
 
Hi,
Can I have a FAT32 and NTFS on the same physical drive?
Click to expand...

Absolutely.

WinXP has no problem working with either file system, or both at the same
time. This is not a consideration for you. What is a consideration is that a
FAT32 partition has a file size limit of ~4GB (minus a few bytes), this is
what limits the size of the video files.

The boot disk would only see the FAT32 partitions, it cannot read NTFS, so
it assigns drive letters accordingly.

If you convert the boot drive to NTFS, WinXP will still load and boot fine.
You would not be able to boot a WinME installation from it though, as WinME
(like any Win9x installation) cannot load or run from an NTFS drive.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
 
Greetings --

WinXP can read FAT12 (the file system used on 3.5" diskettes),
FAT16, FAT32, CDFS (the file system used on most CDs), and NTFS with
equal facility. Further, the file system on any one disk/partition or
diskette has absolutely no affect upon the operating system's ability
to read other compatible file systems on other disks/partitions.


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
Thanks!

What if I decide to remove the 8G drive and replace it with another, say
120G running off the Promise Controller. How and would be the sequence for
the system off of the 60G drive?

: Yes, NTFS and FAT32 can coexist quite nicely. XP reads both formats.
: However ME (nor a DOS boot disk) can read NTFS.
:
: The reason for your drive lettering is the following:
:
: When you installed XP, it assigned the drive letters as follows:
:
: First partition on first disk = C
: First partition on second disk = D
: Second partition on first disk = E
:
: Your DOS boot disk sees the second drive as C:, because as far as the BIOS
: is concerned, with a floppy boot, any drive on the Promise card comes
after
: hard drives connected to the motherboard.
:
: Repairing your Me installation is just a matter of reinstalling. Then see
: my web site, www.dougknox.com and go to Win XP Tips
:
: For Win9x/Me: Install 98/Me after XP is Installed.
: For Windows 2000: Install Windows 2000 after XP is installed.
:
: For instructions on how to repair the XP boot loader. After you've
: reinstalled Me, if you wish to, you can convert the XP partition to NTFS.
:
: --
: Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows XP/ Windows Smart Display
: Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
: http://www.dougknox.com
: --------------------------------
: Associate Expert
: ExpertZone - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
: --------------------------------
: Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
: Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
:
: : > I have two hard drives. I also have two partitions on one IBM 60G (that
I
: > want to be a primary hard drive) that is considered as a SCSI (Promise
IDE
: > controller card) and a smaller 8G drive.
: >
: > Can I have a FAT32 and NTFS on the same physical drive?
: >
: > To complicate matters, I initially, I had Windows ME on one partition,
: same
: > drive and XP on another partition, also same drive (IBM). But
: > subsequently, ME crashed and I am unable to access ME, so I am now
running
: > off a second back-up 8G drive after I loaded ME on it. As a result,
when
: > the boot selection: 1. XP or 2. ME comes up, I choose XP.
: >
: > Using my current boot setup: A, SCSI, C, as indicated in my BIOS,
XP
: > sees itself on E drive, while the other partition on the same drive as
C,
: > and the 8G boot drive as D. However, booting into Windows using a
: Start-up
: > Disk or by selection # 2, shows the D (8G) as C.
: >
: > Both of my drives have been formatted in FAT32. A colleague recommended
I
: > convert FAT32 to NTFS because "apparently" there is size limitation with
: > Ulead Video editing and FAT32 where it only allows one to record 20
: minutes
: > of video, without splitting the file?
: >
: > My colleague says he is running both FAT32 and NTFS on the same drive,
but
: > different partitions, but my understanding is that NTFS can't read a
FAT32
: > partition. Is this so?
: >
: > I would like to ideally keep my 8G drive as a FAT32 as I use that drive
as
: a
: > back-up, but I am concerned that if I convert it into NTFS, it won't be
: > able to boot any longer?
: >
: >
: >
:
:
 
Changing the drive on the Promise card won't change the drive letters of the
partitions running off the motherboard. As long as you don't move the boot
or system drive around, XP remembers what drives are assigned what letters.
The new drive may get the letter of the drive its replacing, or it may get a
new one. In the latter case, it can be changed via Disk Management, so its
not a big deal.
 
That's what I would like to do: Move the boot/system (Drive C loaded with
Win ME) and replace it with another drive. Both drives would be on the same
controller card.

: Changing the drive on the Promise card won't change the drive letters of
the
: partitions running off the motherboard. As long as you don't move the
boot
: or system drive around, XP remembers what drives are assigned what
letters.
: The new drive may get the letter of the drive its replacing, or it may get
a
: new one. In the latter case, it can be changed via Disk Management, so
its
: not a big deal.
:
: --
: Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows XP/ Windows Smart Display
: Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
: http://www.dougknox.com
: --------------------------------
: Associate Expert
: ExpertZone - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
: --------------------------------
: Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
: Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
:
: : > Thanks!
: >
: > What if I decide to remove the 8G drive and replace it with another, say
: > 120G running off the Promise Controller. How and would be the sequence
: for
: > the system off of the 60G drive?
: >
: > : > : Yes, NTFS and FAT32 can coexist quite nicely. XP reads both formats.
: > : However ME (nor a DOS boot disk) can read NTFS.
: > :
: > : The reason for your drive lettering is the following:
: > :
: > : When you installed XP, it assigned the drive letters as follows:
: > :
: > : First partition on first disk = C
: > : First partition on second disk = D
: > : Second partition on first disk = E
: > :
: > : Your DOS boot disk sees the second drive as C:, because as far as the
: BIOS
: > : is concerned, with a floppy boot, any drive on the Promise card comes
: > after
: > : hard drives connected to the motherboard.
: > :
: > : Repairing your Me installation is just a matter of reinstalling. Then
: see
: > : my web site, www.dougknox.com and go to Win XP Tips
: > :
: > : For Win9x/Me: Install 98/Me after XP is Installed.
: > : For Windows 2000: Install Windows 2000 after XP is installed.
: > :
: > : For instructions on how to repair the XP boot loader. After you've
: > : reinstalled Me, if you wish to, you can convert the XP partition to
: NTFS.
: > :
: > : --
: > : Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows XP/ Windows Smart Display
: > : Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
: > : http://www.dougknox.com
: > : --------------------------------
: > : Associate Expert
: > : ExpertZone - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
: > : --------------------------------
: > : Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
: > : Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
: > :
: > : : > : > I have two hard drives. I also have two partitions on one IBM 60G
: (that
: > I
: > : > want to be a primary hard drive) that is considered as a SCSI
(Promise
: > IDE
: > : > controller card) and a smaller 8G drive.
: > : >
: > : > Can I have a FAT32 and NTFS on the same physical drive?
: > : >
: > : > To complicate matters, I initially, I had Windows ME on one
partition,
: > : same
: > : > drive and XP on another partition, also same drive (IBM). But
: > : > subsequently, ME crashed and I am unable to access ME, so I am now
: > running
: > : > off a second back-up 8G drive after I loaded ME on it. As a result,
: > when
: > : > the boot selection: 1. XP or 2. ME comes up, I choose XP.
: > : >
: > : > Using my current boot setup: A, SCSI, C, as indicated in my BIOS,
: > XP
: > : > sees itself on E drive, while the other partition on the same drive
as
: > C,
: > : > and the 8G boot drive as D. However, booting into Windows using a
: > : Start-up
: > : > Disk or by selection # 2, shows the D (8G) as C.
: > : >
: > : > Both of my drives have been formatted in FAT32. A colleague
: recommended
: > I
: > : > convert FAT32 to NTFS because "apparently" there is size limitation
: with
: > : > Ulead Video editing and FAT32 where it only allows one to record 20
: > : minutes
: > : > of video, without splitting the file?
: > : >
: > : > My colleague says he is running both FAT32 and NTFS on the same
drive,
: > but
: > : > different partitions, but my understanding is that NTFS can't read a
: > FAT32
: > : > partition. Is this so?
: > : >
: > : > I would like to ideally keep my 8G drive as a FAT32 as I use that
: drive
: > as
: > : a
: > : > back-up, but I am concerned that if I convert it into NTFS, it
won't
: be
: > : > able to boot any longer?
: > : >
: > : >
: > : >
: > :
: > :
: >
: >
: >
:
:
 
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