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Formatting a 20G HDD, One Partition, With Small Size Clusters



 
 
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  #11  
Old May 31st 08, 04:09 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.disks.general
glee
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,458
Default Formatting a 20G HDD, One Partition, With Small Size Clusters

Yep, I'm sure it is something you've known for 7 or 8 years at least.....the memory
can only retain so many things, then it starts dropping memories out your ear to
make room for new ones. :-)

Actually, since there is some evidence that memories may be stored in proteins, you
may not have lost anything.....they are just buried somewhere around your elbow.
;-)
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
Doh! Thanks for the correction. Seems like something I used to know, sigh.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"glee" wrote in message
...
That's probably because partitioning tools do not determine the cluster
size.....formatting determines the cluster size.

You can use the undocumented /Z:n switch of FORMAT to specify the cluster size.

The "n" value is the number of (512 byte) sectors per cluster.
To format a hard drive to use 4K clusters you would use the command:

FORMAT C: /Z:8
(assuming the partition being formatted is C

FDISK and other partitioning tools are used to set the file system (FAT, FAT32,
NTFS), not the cluster size.

Note that Scandisk and Defrag will have problems when you use smaller than the
default cluster size for a partition.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
Suggest you read this:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/file/partFAT32-c.html

I don't know of any partitioning tool that lets you FORCE 4 KB clusters despite
the HD size. Not saying there aren't any, but the admittedly few I've used set
cluster size automatically. FDISK and BootItNG do, and Partition Magic, IIRC.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"Brad" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I installed a 20G HDD in my Windows 98se computer. With one partition,
I formatted it. The results is 16K byte clusters. With a FAT32 system,
a 32 bit number ("index") can represent around 4.3G. This in effect should
allow around 4 billion clusters maximum.

The major reason for a smaller cluster size is to reduce waste of disk
space. Example, if you wrote a 1K byte file to the HDD, the free space will
be reduced by 16K (15K wasted).

How can I format this 20G HDD in such a way to produce smaller clusters
without adding partitions?

Thanks in advance, Brad

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,
be sure there is no active keystroke logger (spyware) in your PC.





  #12  
Old May 31st 08, 06:06 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.disks.general
Gary S. Terhune[_2_]
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,158
Default Formatting a 20G HDD, One Partition, With Small Size Clusters

Well, actually, something took a bazooka to that pile of proteins a few
years ago, and every time I think I've got them all gathered back together,
or at least as many as can be found, along comes the bazooka again. Such is
life.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"glee" wrote in message
...
Yep, I'm sure it is something you've known for 7 or 8 years at
least.....the memory can only retain so many things, then it starts
dropping memories out your ear to make room for new ones. :-)

Actually, since there is some evidence that memories may be stored in
proteins, you may not have lost anything.....they are just buried
somewhere around your elbow. ;-)
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
Doh! Thanks for the correction. Seems like something I used to know,
sigh.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"glee" wrote in message
...
That's probably because partitioning tools do not determine the cluster
size.....formatting determines the cluster size.

You can use the undocumented /Z:n switch of FORMAT to specify the
cluster size.

The "n" value is the number of (512 byte) sectors per cluster.
To format a hard drive to use 4K clusters you would use the command:

FORMAT C: /Z:8
(assuming the partition being formatted is C

FDISK and other partitioning tools are used to set the file system (FAT,
FAT32, NTFS), not the cluster size.

Note that Scandisk and Defrag will have problems when you use smaller
than the default cluster size for a partition.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
Suggest you read this:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/file/partFAT32-c.html

I don't know of any partitioning tool that lets you FORCE 4 KB clusters
despite the HD size. Not saying there aren't any, but the admittedly
few I've used set cluster size automatically. FDISK and BootItNG do,
and Partition Magic, IIRC.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"Brad" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I installed a 20G HDD in my Windows 98se computer. With one
partition,
I formatted it. The results is 16K byte clusters. With a FAT32
system,
a 32 bit number ("index") can represent around 4.3G. This in effect
should
allow around 4 billion clusters maximum.

The major reason for a smaller cluster size is to reduce waste of
disk
space. Example, if you wrote a 1K byte file to the HDD, the free
space will
be reduced by 16K (15K wasted).

How can I format this 20G HDD in such a way to produce smaller
clusters
without adding partitions?

Thanks in advance, Brad

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,
be sure there is no active keystroke logger (spyware) in your PC.






  #13  
Old May 31st 08, 06:06 AM posted to microsoft.public.win98.disks.general
Gary S. Terhune[_2_]
External Usenet User
 
Posts: 2,158
Default Formatting a 20G HDD, One Partition, With Small Size Clusters

Well, actually, something took a bazooka to that pile of proteins a few
years ago, and every time I think I've got them all gathered back together,
or at least as many as can be found, along comes the bazooka again. Such is
life.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"glee" wrote in message
...
Yep, I'm sure it is something you've known for 7 or 8 years at
least.....the memory can only retain so many things, then it starts
dropping memories out your ear to make room for new ones. :-)

Actually, since there is some evidence that memories may be stored in
proteins, you may not have lost anything.....they are just buried
somewhere around your elbow. ;-)
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
Doh! Thanks for the correction. Seems like something I used to know,
sigh.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"glee" wrote in message
...
That's probably because partitioning tools do not determine the cluster
size.....formatting determines the cluster size.

You can use the undocumented /Z:n switch of FORMAT to specify the
cluster size.

The "n" value is the number of (512 byte) sectors per cluster.
To format a hard drive to use 4K clusters you would use the command:

FORMAT C: /Z:8
(assuming the partition being formatted is C

FDISK and other partitioning tools are used to set the file system (FAT,
FAT32, NTFS), not the cluster size.

Note that Scandisk and Defrag will have problems when you use smaller
than the default cluster size for a partition.
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"Gary S. Terhune" none wrote in message
...
Suggest you read this:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/file/partFAT32-c.html

I don't know of any partitioning tool that lets you FORCE 4 KB clusters
despite the HD size. Not saying there aren't any, but the admittedly
few I've used set cluster size automatically. FDISK and BootItNG do,
and Partition Magic, IIRC.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com

"Brad" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I installed a 20G HDD in my Windows 98se computer. With one
partition,
I formatted it. The results is 16K byte clusters. With a FAT32
system,
a 32 bit number ("index") can represent around 4.3G. This in effect
should
allow around 4 billion clusters maximum.

The major reason for a smaller cluster size is to reduce waste of
disk
space. Example, if you wrote a 1K byte file to the HDD, the free
space will
be reduced by 16K (15K wasted).

How can I format this 20G HDD in such a way to produce smaller
clusters
without adding partitions?

Thanks in advance, Brad

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,
be sure there is no active keystroke logger (spyware) in your PC.






 




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