NTFS to Fat32?

How do I change my 2nd HD from NTFS to FAT32? How can I
tell if it is NTFS? I am running win98 and it is not being
seen by it. My Bios does recognize it tho.

FDisk may identify it, or it might be listed as "Non-DOS". Third-party
utilities such as Partition Magic or BootitNG can change partition type. The
simplest option might be to delete the existing partitioning and start
over - ZAP or WIPE at this site can do this:
http://www.microstorage.com/Harddriveinfo.htm
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (DTS)
"bob" wrote in message
...
How do I change my 2nd HD from NTFS to FAT32? How can I
tell if it is NTFS? I am running win98 and it is not being
seen by it. My Bios does recognize it tho.

A simpler alternative may be NTFSDOS or NTFSDOS
Professional; both at www.sysinternals.com . Freeware permits
DOS and Windows 9x to read NTFS data. The upgrade is NTFS for
Windows 98 also available at sysinternals.com . Try these
solutions first before doing radical surgery such as Partition
Magic.

bob wrote:
How do I change my 2nd HD from NTFS to FAT32? How can I
tell if it is NTFS? I am running win98 and it is not being
seen by it. My Bios does recognize it tho.

If it was originally your hard drive, then you would know if it was NTFS
format. The bios recognized the firmware text, and assigned CHS values.
So.
"bob" wrote in message
...
How do I change my 2nd HD from NTFS to FAT32? How can I
tell if it is NTFS? I am running win98 and it is not being
seen by it. My Bios does recognize it tho.

so..?
When I got the HD a few years ago, the software from
WestDigital handled all of the partition and formating and
such...

THe bios does see the HD at bootup and when I go into it,
its just "my computer" that doesnt.

It is even in device manager.



-----Original Message-----
If it was originally your hard drive, then you would know
if it was NTFS
format. The bios recognized the firmware text, and
assigned CHS values.
So.
"bob" wrote in
message
...
How do I change my 2nd HD from NTFS to FAT32? How can I
tell if it is NTFS? I am running win98 and it is not
being
seen by it. My Bios does recognize it tho.


.

The WD software has nothing to do with NTFS, although some error messages
indicate that the partition might be NTFS.

If the drive was set up using the WD software then it has been partitioned
with a special partitionining that originally was required to allow your
BIOS to see the full size of the hard disk. This might have been required
for a previous system, and simply carried over when you upgraded. Your
current system might have no problem seeing the full size of the drive
without this partitioning (how large is the current boot drive?). If you
need the data from the drive then you need to install the WD software. You
install it on the boot drive, but it operates with the second drive only.
If you don't need the data on the drive and your BIOS can handle a drive of
that size then the best solution is to clear the drive using ZAP or WIPE as
I mentioned earlier.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (DTS)
wrote in message
...
so..?
When I got the HD a few years ago, the software from
WestDigital handled all of the partition and formating and
such...

THe bios does see the HD at bootup and when I go into it,
its just "my computer" that doesnt.

It is even in device manager.



-----Original Message-----
If it was originally your hard drive, then you would know
if it was NTFS
format. The bios recognized the firmware text, and
assigned CHS values.
So.
"bob" wrote in
message
.. .
How do I change my 2nd HD from NTFS to FAT32? How can I
tell if it is NTFS? I am running win98 and it is not
being
seen by it. My Bios does recognize it tho.


.

Provide more information. Many disk manufacturers provide
special software so that older motherboard BIOS could see and
use drives larger than BIOS limits. If you used the Western
Digital software provided by Microhouse (EZ-BIOS) or
On-tracks, then you have a whole new ballgame unique to that
software and sometimes to the particular version of that
software. Software so unique that sometimes it cannot even be
detected or removed with FDISK and definitely not removed with
FORMAT. In fact, those programs could even make the removal
or correction more difficult.

Sometimes the BIOS had to be set to some special CHS setup
number such as Type 9 to make that specialty software work.
Normally, drives would be setup to Type 47 which is for
variable size drives. But type 47 would not work with some
specialty disk drive software. Other specialty software did
not care. IOW specific information about that WD software is
required. Bad things sometimes can happen if you try to fix
the drive without first consulting that software instruction
manual.

In short, provide more information about the WD Program that
setup that drive. How large was the drive before you started
having problems? Windows 98 did not understand drives larger
than 2 Gigs. Do you have Windows 98 or Windows 98SE - major
difference?

If you were running only Windows 9x/ME, then you don't have
any NTFS filesystem. But currently you must provide more
information. With too little information, some attempts to
fix the drive might even damage data on that drive.

If the BIOS does see the hard drive, then hardware (the disk
drive computer and its interface to motherboard) is working
properly.

wrote:
so..?
When I got the HD a few years ago, the software from
WestDigital handled all of the partition and formating and
such...

THe bios does see the HD at bootup and when I go into it,
its just "my computer" that doesnt.

It is even in device manager.

thanx w tom. i am using 98SE. i was using the 100GB HD
just fine as a primary slave for years. I reformateed the
master and left the slave alone, but only to return to my
windows and not beable to use it. my device manager sees
it there under the primary ide controller as type 47, but
thats it. there are no drive letters assigned.
the bios does see it.
i just tried to place it differently physically..ie:
primary slave, secondary master etc..and the only config
that works is the primary slave.

what can i do!?




-----Original Message-----
Provide more information. Many disk manufacturers
provide
special software so that older motherboard BIOS could see
and
use drives larger than BIOS limits. If you used the
Western
Digital software provided by Microhouse (EZ-BIOS) or
On-tracks, then you have a whole new ballgame unique to
that
software and sometimes to the particular version of that
software. Software so unique that sometimes it cannot
even be
detected or removed with FDISK and definitely not removed
with
FORMAT. In fact, those programs could even make the
removal
or correction more difficult.

Sometimes the BIOS had to be set to some special CHS
setup
number such as Type 9 to make that specialty software
work.
Normally, drives would be setup to Type 47 which is for
variable size drives. But type 47 would not work with
some
specialty disk drive software. Other specialty software
did
not care. IOW specific information about that WD
software is
required. Bad things sometimes can happen if you try to
fix
the drive without first consulting that software
instruction
manual.

In short, provide more information about the WD Program
that
setup that drive. How large was the drive before you
started
having problems? Windows 98 did not understand drives
larger
than 2 Gigs. Do you have Windows 98 or Windows 98SE -
major
difference?

If you were running only Windows 9x/ME, then you don't
have
any NTFS filesystem. But currently you must provide more
information. With too little information, some attempts
to
fix the drive might even damage data on that drive.

If the BIOS does see the hard drive, then hardware (the
disk
drive computer and its interface to motherboard) is
working
properly.

wrote:
so..?
When I got the HD a few years ago, the software from
WestDigital handled all of the partition and formating
and
such...

THe bios does see the HD at bootup and when I go into
it,
its just "my computer" that doesnt.

It is even in device manager.
.

"bob" wrote in message
...
thanx w tom. i am using 98SE. i was using the 100GB HD
just fine as a primary slave for years. I reformateed the
master and left the slave alone, but only to return to my
windows and not beable to use it.

When you were not in "my windows", what were you in? Be specific, and
denote if using any software outside of windows.

If you formatted the master, how could you possibly return to windows?

my device manager sees
it there under the primary ide controller as type 47

The primary ide controller has no listing for hard disks in device manager.

, but
thats it. there are no drive letters assigned.
the bios does see it.

You established that many times already.

i just tried to place it differently physically..ie:
primary slave, secondary master etc..and the only config
that works is the primary slave.

What do you mean by "works"?


what can i do!?

Be specific and exact in your recollection of the facts. This may result in
a more accurate answer to solve your dilemma.





-----Original Message-----
Provide more information. Many disk manufacturers
provide
special software so that older motherboard BIOS could see
and
use drives larger than BIOS limits. If you used the
Western
Digital software provided by Microhouse (EZ-BIOS) or
On-tracks, then you have a whole new ballgame unique to
that
software and sometimes to the particular version of that
software. Software so unique that sometimes it cannot
even be
detected or removed with FDISK and definitely not removed
with
FORMAT. In fact, those programs could even make the
removal
or correction more difficult.

Sometimes the BIOS had to be set to some special CHS
setup
number such as Type 9 to make that specialty software
work.
Normally, drives would be setup to Type 47 which is for
variable size drives. But type 47 would not work with
some
specialty disk drive software. Other specialty software
did
not care. IOW specific information about that WD
software is
required. Bad things sometimes can happen if you try to
fix
the drive without first consulting that software
instruction
manual.

In short, provide more information about the WD Program
that
setup that drive. How large was the drive before you
started
having problems? Windows 98 did not understand drives
larger
than 2 Gigs. Do you have Windows 98 or Windows 98SE -
major
difference?

If you were running only Windows 9x/ME, then you don't
have
any NTFS filesystem. But currently you must provide more
information. With too little information, some attempts
to
fix the drive might even damage data on that drive.

If the BIOS does see the hard drive, then hardware (the
disk
drive computer and its interface to motherboard) is
working
properly.

wrote:
so..?
When I got the HD a few years ago, the software from
WestDigital handled all of the partition and formating
and
such...

THe bios does see the HD at bootup and when I go into
it,
its just "my computer" that doesnt.

It is even in device manager.
.

First go back to the WD web site to discover (and maybe download) the
disk setup software. It probably does not tell you which manufacturer
they use (OnTracks or Microhouse). But if that software can still be
corrected or removed from the drive, then only that software will do
so. Programs such as FDISK typically cannot ID or remove this disk
software. It involves data and executable code written on drive where
FDISK, et al does not understand. Go to WD first and get that
original disk loading software. Read the instruction manual before
trying to remove that software. A little detail in those
instructions may completely resolve your problem.

My sympathies if you have this 'special software' created problem.
They generally took me hours over many days to resolve because their
existance is not very 'user friendly'. The software assumes you know
it is there.

"bob" wrote in message ...
thanx w tom. i am using 98SE. i was using the 100GB HD
just fine as a primary slave for years. I reformateed the
master and left the slave alone, but only to return to my
windows and not beable to use it. my device manager sees
it there under the primary ide controller as type 47, but
thats it. there are no drive letters assigned.
the bios does see it.
i just tried to place it differently physically..ie:
primary slave, secondary master etc..and the only config
that works is the primary slave.

what can i do!?