P4p800: FAT32 Partitions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Andy
  • Start date Start date
A

Andy

After Abit for years, I've got a new P4p800 with a P2.8, 2 x 256 DDR400 and
2 x Maxtor SATA 80gb in a Raid 0 stripe on the ICH5R.

I used the winxp disc to create a 40gb primary partition (approx 38.** in
reality)

Then formatted this system partition OK, via a DOS floppy boot, to FAT32.

XP and drivers and updates etc went in fine, and it "stonks".

The remaining disk was partitioned into 3 (primary, not logical within an
extended partition) using the installed XP Disk manager (3 x approx 38.**)
(all four partitions now same size).

I now find I am unable to FAT32 format them. NTFS yes, in fact NTFS is the
only format option available in the main booted XP disk manager.

If I boot from another drive, on the ATA bus, with W2K, FAT32 becomes on
option in that disk manager, but the FAT32 format throws an error "volume to
big", and doesn't happen.

I don't particularly want to NTFS them, if I can help it.

Any ideas?

Regards

PS Latest BIOS
 
Andy said:
After Abit for years, I've got a new P4p800 with a P2.8, 2 x 256 DDR400 and
2 x Maxtor SATA 80gb in a Raid 0 stripe on the ICH5R.

I used the winxp disc to create a 40gb primary partition (approx 38.** in
reality)

Then formatted this system partition OK, via a DOS floppy boot, to FAT32.

XP and drivers and updates etc went in fine, and it "stonks".

The remaining disk was partitioned into 3 (primary, not logical within an
extended partition) using the installed XP Disk manager (3 x approx 38.**)
(all four partitions now same size).

I now find I am unable to FAT32 format them. NTFS yes, in fact NTFS is the
only format option available in the main booted XP disk manager.

If I boot from another drive, on the ATA bus, with W2K, FAT32 becomes on
option in that disk manager, but the FAT32 format throws an error "volume to
big", and doesn't happen.

I don't particularly want to NTFS them, if I can help it.

Any ideas?

Regards

PS Latest BIOS
Click to expand...
NT class operatiing systems will not format a partition >32 GB as FAT32. As
you discovered, W2k will tease you, but will not finish the job. Boot off
the DOS floppy that you used to format the first partition and perform the
format or make the partitions < 32 GB and format them in XP.

Sick Willie
 
Ta, but the DOS boot can't see the new partitions. I can see the C: system
only. Format hence not possible.

Fdisk shows them as FAT32 C: system and FAT16 (????) for the remaining 3.
This is after they (3) have gone through a failed W2K format. I suspect it
is because they other 3 are "primary", as opposed to "logical in an extended
partition".

The DOS boot FDISK wont let me create the 3 additional "primary", only
"logical in extended". Guess I'll have to go with the latter.

I might put Partition Magic or similar on my ATA W2K boot and see what that
shows.
 
Andy said:
Ta, but the DOS boot can't see the new partitions. I can see the C: system
only. Format hence not possible.

Fdisk shows them as FAT32 C: system and FAT16 (????) for the remaining 3.
This is after they (3) have gone through a failed W2K format. I suspect it
is because they other 3 are "primary", as opposed to "logical in an extended
partition".

The DOS boot FDISK wont let me create the 3 additional "primary", only
"logical in extended". Guess I'll have to go with the latter.

I might put Partition Magic or similar on my ATA W2K boot and see what that
Click to expand...

It would have to be because you partitioned them with XP, not because of
being primary. You can have 4 primary partitions per disk (for use w/ MS
OS's). The biggest problem with fdisk would be the sheer size of the hard
drive. Fdisk doesn't understand large hard drives very well. Partition
Magic would probably work, or the formatting utility from manufacturer of
your hard drive.

Sick Willie
 
You do know that NTFS is a far more reliable disc format than any form of
FAT? That it also supports security? That you won't get lost & found
directories and file fragments if you have a crash?
For the minimal impact of NTFS on a P42.8 I would never ever use FAT esp. on
a RAID 0.

Unless... if the disc is a scratch disc for say video editing, then OK.

- Tim
 
A third party program like partition magic would probably do the trick. It
just costs $$ unless you have a friend with a PM7.1 > boot floppy ;)

Good Luck,
Len
 
Back
Top