cannot read hard disk from dos

T

Tricia

Hi I have a pen drive which I have installed Dos on and made it bootable
just like a Windows 98 bootable floppy disk. However I changed the file
system on my Windows XP Pro computer from FAT 32 to NTFS and now when I boot
the computer from my pen drive it does not see the hard disk. What can I put
on my pen drive (or alter) so that I can read the NTFS formated hard disk?
Thanks Tricia
 
R

R. McCarty

Windows 9X/Me cannot see or mount NTFS drives. About
the only solution is to include an executable on the DOS boot
disk called ReadNTFS.Exe. This allows you to Read files on
the NTFS volume, but not make any changes. Since NTFS
uses more robust Security than FAT(xx) this lack of access is
by design.
 
D

DaveH

R. McCarty said:
Windows 9X/Me cannot see or mount NTFS drives. About
the only solution is to include an executable on the DOS boot
disk called ReadNTFS.Exe. This allows you to Read files on
the NTFS volume, but not make any changes. Since NTFS
uses more robust Security than FAT(xx) this lack of access is
by design.
Click to expand...

R,

I am rusty with the old formatting but I believe that if the pen drive can
be formatted in FAT16, you should be able to access the NTFS formatted
partition (as well as FAT32)

Dave H.
 
C

CS

R,

I am rusty with the old formatting but I believe that if the pen drive can
be formatted in FAT16, you should be able to access the NTFS formatted
partition (as well as FAT32)

Dave H.
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter what format you use on the pen drive, unless an
operating system is installed on the pen drive that can read and write
to NTFS, it won't work. The pen drive has WinME on it which can not
"see" NTFS.
 
T

Tricia

R. McCarty said:
Windows 9X/Me cannot see or mount NTFS drives. About
the only solution is to include an executable on the DOS boot
disk called ReadNTFS.Exe. This allows you to Read files on
the NTFS volume, but not make any changes. Since NTFS
uses more robust Security than FAT(xx) this lack of access is
by design.
Click to expand...

Hi I installed ReadNTFS.Exe and it works but not what I am wanting. Probably
can't be done. I want to boot from a pen drive and be able to access the
files and delete them if I want or add files from the pen drive. So I need a
new program or method of doing this. Any ideas?
Thanks, Tricia
 
C

CS

Hi I installed ReadNTFS.Exe and it works but not what I am wanting. Probably
can't be done. I want to boot from a pen drive and be able to access the
files and delete them if I want or add files from the pen drive. So I need a
new program or method of doing this. Any ideas?
Thanks, Tricia
Click to expand...

You're right Tricia, it can't be done. In order to do what you wish,
you would have to install XP or W2K on the Pen drive and then boot
from the Pen drive. Even if the Pen drive had enough space to install
XP or W2K, it would refuse to boot anyway.

There is a program called NTFSDOS professional available from
www.wininternals.com that can read/write to NTFS drives, however, it
is very expensive to purchase.
 
S

Stephen Harris

Tricia said:
Hi I installed ReadNTFS.Exe and it works but not what I am wanting.
Probably can't be done. I want to boot from a pen drive and be able to
access the files and delete them if I want or add files from the pen
drive. So I need a new program or method of doing this. Any ideas?
Thanks, Tricia
Click to expand...

On your desktop you probably have winxp installed on the C: partition
and it is NTFS. NTFS can read files on Fat32 but not the other way.

What I did in a somewhat similar situation. I made another partition
on the Desktop harddive. It is called E: and I formatted it with Fat32
1 gig is probably big enough unless there are a lot of pictures.

So any files I want to be able to read on both C: (NTFS) and another
device, I store on E: (fat32) or you can save files on both C: and E:
Now I happen to also use linux which cant read NTFS either. But linux
can read fat32. This is called mounting a partition. Anyway I think you
may be able to logon from the pen drive to the E: drive on the desktop
and read the fat32 files. Then you can open those files if you want and
edit them or add to them. Later, back at the desktop, C: you can use
windows explorer (not internet explorer) to change to your E: drive
and import them into your C: drive if you want. E: will serve as a bridge.

I did this partitioning with Partition Magic. But I think BootIt NG does
the same thing and has a trial version. Also you can reinstall winxp
on a fat32 formatted partition, but that is a lot of work. I think you can
read data from C: to E: ; C: to Pen drive ; Suppose your pen drive
is called P: then from E: to P: or P: to E:

Like: E:> copy library.txt P:\ should work and be readable because
it is the partition which is formatted differently, not the file itself.

I don't have a pen drive so I can't say this for sure, I think so.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads

It *IS* Possible to Install XP from Dos 6
Trying to copy an old PATA IDE Conner 240MB 2.5" hard drive 7
bootable USB pen drive etc. 3
read ntfs files 5
How to "un"floppy'ise 256mb USB pen drive ? 5
Does this look right to boot XP from floppy? 8
Flash Drive As "Drive A:" 3
Your XP mybe a Fat32 13

Top