External USB Hard Drive for backup

[optionn]

I setup a 80Gb external USB Hard Drive to use as backup
for my computer running on XP. It seems to work fine so I
decided to try to use that external Hard Drive with my
computer running on 98SE, but it see's the Hard Drive as
full even though there is about 75Bb of unused space
according to my XP computer (upon which it was
formatted). What am I ignorant of that has created this
problem and what can I do (if anything ?). I use thumb
drives on both computers interchangeably but this seems
different.

 

[Guest]

Did you format the drive using NTFS? If so, I'm surprised
it shows up as readable at all. If you want to use it
between both PCs you'll need to format it using FAT32
since 98 can't read NTFS

 

[Nathan McNulty]

I'll say the same thing to this thread too:

Windows 98 cannot read or write to NTFS Formatted Drives natively. If
the external drive is formatted as NTFS, try using this program:
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/ntfswin98.shtml

I am going to assume the USB drivers are working properly if you can see
that the drive is even connected to the computer in Windows 98, so this
is the only thing I can think of that would do this.

 

[optionn]

Nathan: Thank you for your reply. I had already
downloaded drivers for 98se (that came with the external
enclosure). As I looked at the link you sent I believe it
said that fix provided me a "Read Only" ability, so I'm
thinking that I should reformat the external drive on the
98 SE computer and that should make it useable by both
computers......won't it ? I'm assuming that the XP can
handle the fat32, but that is just an assumption on my
part.......wouldn't want to just create another problem.
Thanks again !

 

[optionn]

Thanks ! Your help is much appreciated. I just let the xp
decide how it was formatted ! Apparently NTFS !
Am I correct that that the best way to deal with this
would be to reformat the external drive on the 98se (FAT32
as default?) computer and then replace all the data from
the xp computer .... am I incorrect in assuming that the
xp can handle the drive that is formatted by the 98se ?
Then could I use that drive to back up both computers ?
Thanks again.

 

[Nathan McNulty]

Yes. Windows XP can read and write to both FAT (FAT 12, 16, and 32) and
NTFS. I would suggest formatting the drive FAT32 after you have backed
up all your data off the drive. You can use either XP or 98 to format
as FAT32. It will not matter

 

[Guest]

can't figure out how to reformat as FAT32 - only offered
NTFS for file system. HOW ?

 

[Jim Macklin]

Maybe Partition Magic can do it for you.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


| can't figure out how to reformat as FAT32 - only offered
| NTFS for file system. HOW ?
|
| >-----Original Message-----
| >Yes. Windows XP can read and write to both FAT (FAT 12,
| 16, and 32) and
| >NTFS. I would suggest formatting the drive FAT32 after
| you have backed
| >up all your data off the drive. You can use either XP
| or 98 to format
| >as FAT32. It will not matter
| >
| >----
| >Nathan McNulty
| >
| >optionn wrote:
| >> Nathan: Thank you for your reply. I had already
| >> downloaded drivers for 98se (that came with the
| external
| >> enclosure). As I looked at the link you sent I believe
| it
| >> said that fix provided me a "Read Only" ability, so I'm
| >> thinking that I should reformat the external drive on
| the
| >> 98 SE computer and that should make it useable by both
| >> computers......won't it ? I'm assuming that the XP
| can
| >> handle the fat32, but that is just an assumption on my
| >> part.......wouldn't want to just create another
| problem.
| >> Thanks again !
| >>
| >>
| >>>-----Original Message-----
| >>>I'll say the same thing to this thread too:
| >>>
| >>>Windows 98 cannot read or write to NTFS Formatted
| Drives
| >>
| >> natively. If
| >>
| >>>the external drive is formatted as NTFS, try using this
| >>
| >> program:
| >>
|| ml
| >>>
| >>>I am going to assume the USB drivers are working
| properly
| >>
| >> if you can see
| >>
| >>>that the drive is even connected to the computer in
| >>
| >> Windows 98, so this
| >>
| >>>is the only thing I can think of that would do this.
| >>>
| >>>----
| >>>Nathan McNulty
| >>>
| >>>
| >>>[email protected] wrote:
| >>>
| >>>>I setup a 80Gb external USB Hard Drive to use as
| backup
| >>>>for my computer running on XP. It seems to work fine
| >>
| >> so I
| >>
| >>>>decided to try to use that external Hard Drive with my
| >>>>computer running on 98SE, but it see's the Hard Drive
| >>
| >> as
| >>
| >>>>full even though there is about 75Bb of unused space
| >>>>according to my XP computer (upon which it was
| >>>>formatted). What am I ignorant of that has created
| >>
| >> this
| >>
| >>>>problem and what can I do (if anything ?). I use
| >>
| >> thumb
| >>
| >>>>drives on both computers interchangeably but this
| seems
| >>>>different.
| >>>
| >>>.
| >>>
| >.
| >

 

[Nathan McNulty]

Or did you try it this way? Plug in the device, right click on it,
click Format, where it says NTFS, click the drop down box and see if
FAT32 is listed? You could also use Disk Management to delete the
partition and create a new partition and see if it will let you format
FAT32.