How do you format a NTFS drive?

Mike89 · Post by **Mike89** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 1:13 pm

I want to clean install Windows XP. The drive is currently NTFS. I want to completely format it and then go FAT 32, then install XP.

I understand that I cannot now use a Windows 98 startup disk to format it in DOS, being it's NTFS. Is this correct?

So how would I do it?

dadx2mj · Post by **dadx2mj** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 1:29 pm

Just boot off of the XP cd and select fresh install. It will then give you the option to format the drive in either NTFS or FAT32

Jim Z · Post by **Jim Z** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 3:09 pm

What he said. Though if I'm not mistaken, XP won't create FAT32 partitions larger than 32 GB.

Mike89 · Post by **Mike89** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 4:11 pm

Well that's explains something then. My son had installed Windows XP on his friends computer. He said there was only an option to format NTFS (the HDD was 40 gigs). I thought he had missed something but from the last post, I guess not.

Why is that anyway that you cannot set up FAT32 larger than 32 gig?

This brings up another question then. What if I wanted to split the 40 gig HDD into 2 partitions to make them FAT32?

Is there an option during the XP install that lets you set up partitions? I didn't see an option to do that.

dadx2mj · Post by **dadx2mj** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 4:49 pm

Just set your first partiohn what ever size you want it and load windows. Then once you have it installed go to Disk Managment and you can create you other partion(s)

Jim Z · Post by **Jim Z** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 7:30 pm

Is there an option during the XP install that lets you set up partitions? I didn't see an option to do that.

There should be, right before you format.

Might I ask why you're intent on using FAT32?

tunis5000 · Post by **tunis5000** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:04 pm

32 GB limit? I've got an 80 GB HD partitioned in half, using FAT32 with no problems. Win98SE on one and WinXP on the other...

VidmanII · Post by **VidmanII** » Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:30 pm

Yep, same deal as tunis5000 with a 120GB RAID 0 divided in half ( 57GB's each) when I first installed the OS's. Dual boot 98se and XP Pro. I've since carved it up into 4 partitions but I didn't have any prob with it being over 32GB either. I use all FAT32 partitions so all logical drives are accessible regardless of what OS I'm in and my RAID #'s are better with FAT32 as well.

Jim Z · Post by **Jim Z** » Mon Apr 22, 2002 12:34 am

32 meg limit? I've got an 80 GB HD partitioned in half, using FAT32 with no problems. Win98SE on one and WinXP on the other...

how did you partition it? FDISK or from XP?

Mike89 · Post by **Mike89** » Mon Apr 22, 2002 12:53 am

That would be my question too. My son said when he installed Windows XP on the 40 gig HDD, the only option to format was NTFS.

MAC · Post by **MAC** » Mon Apr 22, 2002 2:45 am

This may not be the correct answer to your question, but when I installed XP on my new PC, I partitioned (Fat 32) and formatted the hard drive (a 40 GB Seagate Barracuda) using a Win 98 boot disk. I partitioned the drive into 5 separate partitions. Once that was done, I installed XP.

MAC

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Mon Apr 22, 2002 6:02 am

There is a limit built into XP as to how large you can make a FAT32 partition.

The limit is artificial. You can have as big a FAT32 partition as you want, but Microsoft doesn't allow XP to create one over a certain size.

To work around this you can use a Win98 boot floppy to FDISK a partition and then format it from DOS. Then you can install XP in the already made partition.

Jim Z · Post by **Jim Z** » Mon Apr 22, 2002 9:46 am

The limit is artificial. You can have as big a FAT32 partition as you want, but Microsoft doesn't allow XP to create one over a certain size.

Which, IIRC, is 32 GB.

tunis5000 · Post by **tunis5000** » Mon Apr 22, 2002 1:12 pm

how did you partition it? FDISK or from XP?

I used a Win98 boot disk and FDISK'd the drive.

VidmanII · Post by **VidmanII** » Mon Apr 22, 2002 1:59 pm

ditto