Reformatting new harddrive problems

Just installed Win XP home on a new WD 80 gig HD. Partitioned for 2
drives. (NTFS format)

First time I did it, Win XP was installed on both drives.

Didn't like that, so I reformatted again and installed XP again.
Drive letters assigned by windows were, C and E, with E having windows
installed in it.


Windows was installed on E drive. and C drive had only the following on
it...
Recycler
System Volume Informaton
Temp
boot.ini
Config.Sys
IO.SYS
MSDOS.SYS
NTDETECT.COM
ntldr

NOTHING ELSE!



Thought I would rename E to C and C to D. Did that and now I have...
''Local Disk E (C)''
''Local Disk C (E) This drive has functioning Windows XP on it.

Also I found out that with XP would allow only NTFS format, no FAT 32.

When Installing, I read every word during the format and install, never
did see anything showing drive letters.

1. Any ideas what would cause windows to install like that?

2. IS THERE any GOOD reason to NOT re-format to FAT 32?

3. I am thinking of using my Win ME disk (full version) to reformat the
harddrive to FAT 32, then after format put XP (upgrade) disk in and
installing Windows XP on C drive. Will this work, anything to watch out for?

4. Will I be able to change the partition using Win ME disk?

Thanks

bently

In news:ukk2waw9FHA.2512@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl,
bently <ben@waol.com> replied with a ;-)
> Reformatting new harddrive problems
>
> Just installed Win XP home on a new WD 80 gig HD. Partitioned for 2
> drives. (NTFS format)
>
> First time I did it, Win XP was installed on both drives.
>
> Didn't like that, so I reformatted again and installed XP again.
> Drive letters assigned by windows were, C and E, with E having windows
> installed in it.
>
>
> Windows was installed on E drive. and C drive had only the following
> on it...
> Recycler
> System Volume Informaton
> Temp
> boot.ini
> Config.Sys
> IO.SYS
> MSDOS.SYS
> NTDETECT.COM
> ntldr
>
> NOTHING ELSE!
>
>
>
> Thought I would rename E to C and C to D. Did that and now I have...
> ''Local Disk E (C)''
> ''Local Disk C (E) This drive has functioning Windows XP on it.
>
> Also I found out that with XP would allow only NTFS format, no FAT 32.
>
> When Installing, I read every word during the format and install,
> never did see anything showing drive letters.
>
> 1. Any ideas what would cause windows to install like that?
>
> 2. IS THERE any GOOD reason to NOT re-format to FAT 32?
>
> 3. I am thinking of using my Win ME disk (full version) to reformat
> the harddrive to FAT 32, then after format put XP (upgrade) disk in
> and installing Windows XP on C drive. Will this work, anything to
> watch out for?
> 4. Will I be able to change the partition using Win ME disk?
>
> Thanks
>
> bently

Create only one partition the size you want to run XP on and then create the
second partition from XP disk manager after XP is setup.
Make sure you don't have any USB devices or Zip drive connected.
See step by step from the link below.
You boot from the CD and do a clean install.
Click on or copy and paste the link below into your web browser address bar.
How to clean install XP.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
xpnews@bogusmichaelstevenstech.com
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/ou...snewreader.htm

Simply boot to xp cd,recovery,press enter key for password,then type:
DiskPart In DiskPart,delete the unwanted partition(s),and/or create new
for each and leave them raw,when thru,press ESC key,then type:
FORMAT C: /FS:ntfs When its thru,type:EXIT Reboot to xp cd,install xp.If
you left the other two raw,xp will leave them alone when it installs,once xp
is installed,format the other 2 in xp.

"bently" wrote:

> Reformatting new harddrive problems
>
> Just installed Win XP home on a new WD 80 gig HD. Partitioned for 2
> drives. (NTFS format)
>
> First time I did it, Win XP was installed on both drives.
>
> Didn't like that, so I reformatted again and installed XP again.
> Drive letters assigned by windows were, C and E, with E having windows
> installed in it.
>
>
> Windows was installed on E drive. and C drive had only the following on
> it...
> Recycler
> System Volume Informaton
> Temp
> boot.ini
> Config.Sys
> IO.SYS
> MSDOS.SYS
> NTDETECT.COM
> ntldr
>
> NOTHING ELSE!
>
>
>
> Thought I would rename E to C and C to D. Did that and now I have...
> ''Local Disk E (C)''
> ''Local Disk C (E) This drive has functioning Windows XP on it.
>
> Also I found out that with XP would allow only NTFS format, no FAT 32.
>
> When Installing, I read every word during the format and install, never
> did see anything showing drive letters.
>
> 1. Any ideas what would cause windows to install like that?
>
> 2. IS THERE any GOOD reason to NOT re-format to FAT 32?
>
> 3. I am thinking of using my Win ME disk (full version) to reformat the
> harddrive to FAT 32, then after format put XP (upgrade) disk in and
> installing Windows XP on C drive. Will this work, anything to watch out for?
>
> 4. Will I be able to change the partition using Win ME disk?
>
> Thanks
>
> bently
>

Thanks Michael and Andrew,

If I want to salvage the last XP install (at this point XP is installed
on E drive" AND If I DELETE the "C" drive that has only the following
files, will deleting them cause problems for XP currently installed on
the drive E?
> Recycler
> System Volume Informaton
> Temp
> boot.ini
> Config.Sys
> IO.SYS
> MSDOS.SYS
> NTDETECT.COM
> ntldr


Can I RENAME drive E to drive C?

Thanks

bently



Andrew E. wrote:
> Simply boot to xp cd,recovery,press enter key for password,then type:
> DiskPart In DiskPart,delete the unwanted partition(s),and/or create new
> for each and leave them raw,when thru,press ESC key,then type:
> FORMAT C: /FS:ntfs When its thru,type:EXIT Reboot to xp cd,install xp.If
> you left the other two raw,xp will leave them alone when it installs,once xp
> is installed,format the other 2 in xp.
>
> "bently" wrote:
>
>
>>Reformatting new harddrive problems
>>
>>Just installed Win XP home on a new WD 80 gig HD. Partitioned for 2
>>drives. (NTFS format)
>>
>>First time I did it, Win XP was installed on both drives.
>>
>>Didn't like that, so I reformatted again and installed XP again.
>>Drive letters assigned by windows were, C and E, with E having windows
>>installed in it.
>>
>>
>>Windows was installed on E drive. and C drive had only the following on
>>it...
>>Recycler
>>System Volume Informaton
>>Temp
>>boot.ini
>>Config.Sys
>>IO.SYS
>>MSDOS.SYS
>>NTDETECT.COM
>>ntldr
>>
>>NOTHING ELSE!
>>
>>
>>
>>Thought I would rename E to C and C to D. Did that and now I have...
>>''Local Disk E (C)''
>>''Local Disk C (E) This drive has functioning Windows XP on it.
>>
>>Also I found out that with XP would allow only NTFS format, no FAT 32.
>>
>>When Installing, I read every word during the format and install, never
>>did see anything showing drive letters.
>>
>>1. Any ideas what would cause windows to install like that?
>>
>>2. IS THERE any GOOD reason to NOT re-format to FAT 32?
>>
>>3. I am thinking of using my Win ME disk (full version) to reformat the
>>harddrive to FAT 32, then after format put XP (upgrade) disk in and
>>installing Windows XP on C drive. Will this work, anything to watch out for?
>>
>>4. Will I be able to change the partition using Win ME disk?
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>bently
>>

I think I want to REFORMAT and change to FAT 32.

Is there any good reason to keep NTFS format? I have been using XP home
with FAT 32 for over a year without any problems.

CAN I USE "WIN ME" to reformat and name the harddrives, then remove the
"ME" disk and use the XP home disk to install XP?

Thanks

Ben


bently wrote:
> Thanks Michael and Andrew,
>
> If I want to salvage the last XP install (at this point XP is installed
> on E drive" AND If I DELETE the "C" drive that has only the following
> files, will deleting them cause problems for XP currently installed on
> the drive E?
> > Recycler
> > System Volume Informaton
> > Temp
> > boot.ini
> > Config.Sys
> > IO.SYS
> > MSDOS.SYS
> > NTDETECT.COM
> > ntldr
>
>
> Can I RENAME drive E to drive C?
>
> Thanks
>
> bently
>
>
>
> Andrew E. wrote:
>
>> Simply boot to xp cd,recovery,press enter key for password,then type:
>> DiskPart In DiskPart,delete the unwanted partition(s),and/or create new
>> for each and leave them raw,when thru,press ESC key,then type:
>> FORMAT C: /FS:ntfs When its thru,type:EXIT Reboot to xp cd,install
>> xp.If
>> you left the other two raw,xp will leave them alone when it
>> installs,once xp
>> is installed,format the other 2 in xp.
>> "bently" wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Reformatting new harddrive problems
>>>
>>> Just installed Win XP home on a new WD 80 gig HD. Partitioned for 2
>>> drives. (NTFS format)
>>>
>>> First time I did it, Win XP was installed on both drives.
>>>
>>> Didn't like that, so I reformatted again and installed XP again.
>>> Drive letters assigned by windows were, C and E, with E having
>>> windows installed in it.
>>>
>>>
>>> Windows was installed on E drive. and C drive had only the following
>>> on it...
>>> Recycler
>>> System Volume Informaton
>>> Temp
>>> boot.ini
>>> Config.Sys
>>> IO.SYS
>>> MSDOS.SYS
>>> NTDETECT.COM
>>> ntldr
>>>
>>> NOTHING ELSE!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thought I would rename E to C and C to D. Did that and now I have...
>>> ''Local Disk E (C)''
>>> ''Local Disk C (E) This drive has functioning Windows XP on it.
>>>
>>> Also I found out that with XP would allow only NTFS format, no FAT 32.
>>>
>>> When Installing, I read every word during the format and install,
>>> never did see anything showing drive letters.
>>>
>>> 1. Any ideas what would cause windows to install like that?
>>>
>>> 2. IS THERE any GOOD reason to NOT re-format to FAT 32?
>>>
>>> 3. I am thinking of using my Win ME disk (full version) to reformat
>>> the harddrive to FAT 32, then after format put XP (upgrade) disk in
>>> and installing Windows XP on C drive. Will this work, anything to
>>> watch out for?
>>>
>>> 4. Will I be able to change the partition using Win ME disk?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> bently
>>>

bently <ben@waol.com> wrote:

>
>
>I think I want to REFORMAT and change to FAT 32.
>
>Is there any good reason to keep NTFS format? I have been using XP home
>with FAT 32 for over a year without any problems.

FAT32 doesn't scale particularly well. NTFS is a *much* better choice
for very large partitions. That's why XP won't create a FAT32
partition larger than 32GB.

NTFS is much more reliable. It's a journaling file system, which means
that if something drastic happens during a file system operation, NTFS
has the information it needs to fix itself up. FAT32 can't do that.

NTFS allows you to annotate files in various ways (right-click any
NTFS file, click "Properties", click the "Summary" tab).

NTFS has security capabilities that NTFS does not.

If you work with video or other very large files, you want NTFS. You
can't create a file larger than 4GB in FAT32, with NTFS there is
effectively no limit. FAT32 also has a limit of about 65,000 entries
in a directory. Each file takes from 2 to 13 entries, so you can fill
a directory reasonable easily. There's no per-directory limit in NTFS,
though there is a huge per-partition limit.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(DTS)
Slattery_T@bls.gov

Tim Slattery wrote:
> bently <ben@waol.com> wrote:
>
>
>>
>>I think I want to REFORMAT and change to FAT 32.
>>
>>Is there any good reason to keep NTFS format? I have been using XP home
>>with FAT 32 for over a year without any problems.
>
>
> FAT32 doesn't scale particularly well. NTFS is a *much* better choice
> for very large partitions. That's why XP won't create a FAT32
> partition larger than 32GB.
>
> NTFS is much more reliable. It's a journaling file system, which means
> that if something drastic happens during a file system operation, NTFS
> has the information it needs to fix itself up. FAT32 can't do that.
>
> NTFS allows you to annotate files in various ways (right-click any
> NTFS file, click "Properties", click the "Summary" tab).
>
> NTFS has security capabilities that NTFS does not.
>
> If you work with video or other very large files, you want NTFS. You
> can't create a file larger than 4GB in FAT32, with NTFS there is
> effectively no limit. FAT32 also has a limit of about 65,000 entries
> in a directory. Each file takes from 2 to 13 entries, so you can fill
> a directory reasonable easily. There's no per-directory limit in NTFS,
> though there is a huge per-partition limit.
>

Thanks Tim,

Sounds like good advice, I will keep NTFS.

bently

Tim Slattery wrote:

> bently <ben@waol.com> wrote:
>
>
>>
>>I think I want to REFORMAT and change to FAT 32.
>>
>>Is there any good reason to keep NTFS format? I have been using XP home
>>with FAT 32 for over a year without any problems.
>
>
> FAT32 doesn't scale particularly well. NTFS is a *much* better choice
> for very large partitions. That's why XP won't create a FAT32
> partition larger than 32GB.
>
> NTFS is much more reliable. It's a journaling file system, which means
> that if something drastic happens during a file system operation, NTFS
> has the information it needs to fix itself up. FAT32 can't do that.
>
> NTFS allows you to annotate files in various ways (right-click any
> NTFS file, click "Properties", click the "Summary" tab).
>
> NTFS has security capabilities that NTFS does not.
>
> If you work with video or other very large files, you want NTFS. You
> can't create a file larger than 4GB in FAT32, with NTFS there is
> effectively no limit. FAT32 also has a limit of about 65,000 entries
> in a directory. Each file takes from 2 to 13 entries, so you can fill
> a directory reasonable easily. There's no per-directory limit in NTFS,
> though there is a huge per-partition limit.
>
Sounds like good advice,

Thanks Tim

(first reply did not post)