Windows98Se Laptop Fat32 and External Hd 300gb Ntfs with files Need to convert

[Karaoke Guy 0]

OK I have a laptop that I run 98se on (i'm very comfortable with 98se) I a drive with alot of files on it about 270gb of files. But the issue is that the drive is a NTFS file system. And as we well know ... Fat32 systems won't recognize ntfs drives. So I need a way to convert this drive to FAT32 without loosing the data. PLEASE I DESPERATELY NEED HELP ON THIS.

 

[kasandoro 0]

I don't know if FAT32 will even support a hard drive that big...

[DosFreak 2]

Supposedly FAT32 can go up to 2 terabytes. Hopefully noone will ever have to test this....

 

Microsoft recommends using NTFS for partitions greater than 32gb. When you go beyond 32gb the cluster size is bumped up wich wastes more space. You'd probably be better off organizing the drive into 32gb chunks or creating just a single 32gb partition and leaving the rest NTFS.

 

If you wish to simply retrive some files but not write to the drive you can free a free NTFS Read-Only driver from sysinternal. If you wish to have write-access you'll have to pay for it.

[jmmijo 1]

Another option to recover the data is to install the drive into an external expansion chassis, for either a PATA/IDE or SATA HD. This external chassis can be either USB2 or Firewire, depending on which interface you need. Then connect it up to some other machine that is running either XP Home or Pro and recover the data to some other removable media, let's say a CD-R for instance

 

Once you've recovered and/or archived the data, then you can use dosfreaks suggestion and delete the existing NTFS partition and recreate a bunch of smaller FAT32 partitions.

[peterh 1]

FAT32 has nothing to do with NTFS, its the OS that determines whether a Filesystem can be read.

 

Anyway you can download NTFS for Windows 9x from SysInternals

that will solve your problem:

http://www.sysinternals.com/win9x/98utilities.shtml

 

[theefool 0]

That NTFS for 98 looks pretty good, but it doesn't work with EFS.

I was going to suggest using Partition magic, which can supposedly convert NTFS to FAT32.

[jmmijo 1]

Originally posted by theefool:

Quote:

That NTFS for 98 looks pretty good, but it doesn't work with EFS.

I was going to suggest using Partition magic, which can supposedly convert NTFS to FAT32.

 

It can and it does work, I've used the rescure floppy discs to do this, but like anything you run the risk of losing data so I was suggesting doing an archival backup first then just delete the NTFS partition and start over again with using Win 98 to create FAT32 partitions

 

[theefool 0]

What can and does work? NTFS for 98 not working with EFS? Or that Partition magic can convert NTFS to FAT32....I know that it can, but I haven't tried it myself.

[DosFreak 2]

Well before using Partition Magic it's recommended that you back the data up. I personally wouldn't use it on an HD that I didn't have a backup for but if you like risk.....

[Karaoke Guy 0]

new issue....I tried to upgrade my laptop using xp....which is running horrible....but i did this so i can read the external drive and export the data to another drive....but the other drive was unformatted or partioned. so i used part magic on the xp laptop to create a fat32 partition .... well that worked .... exported the data i needed..... took that drive over to my home pc which has 98se on it.... and the partion on is not working on the home comp....so I need to know how to take this drive back to factory standard and partion and format it on 98se then take it to my laptop and archive the data. I know that microsoft has a delete partition program....but i don't know how to find it or a current version of fdisk....any help would be great

[DosFreak 2]

Okay, so you:

 

1. "Upgraded" your 98 laptop to XP.

EEk! Hope you didn't actually do an upgrade.

 

2. Used Partition Magic on a new drive to create a FAT32 partition.

Not sure why you did this, could have just used FDISK, but no matter it was probably easier for you with PM.

 

3. Transferred data from NTFS drive to FAT32 drive.

 

4. Took drive over to 90 computer, FAT32 drive does not work.

 

 

Okay, so know you want to know how to wipe that drive (hopefully you still have the original data on the NTFS drive?).

 

You could do it either through PM or through FDISK. Just load up fdisk from command prompt, delete extra partitions, create a new partition. It's probably easier for you to use PM tho.

 

FDISK is included with all versions of Windows 9x.