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#1
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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. |
#2
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NTFS to Fat32?
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. |
#3
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NTFS to Fat32?
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. |
#4
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NTFS to Fat32?
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. |
#5
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NTFS to Fat32?
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. . |
#6
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NTFS to Fat32?
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. . |
#7
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NTFS to Fat32?
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. |
#8
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NTFS to Fat32?
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. . |
#9
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NTFS to Fat32?
"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. . |
#10
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NTFS to Fat32?
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!? |
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