FDisk for Windows XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter lforbes
  • Start date Start date
L

lforbes

Hi,

I make Network Boot Disks to boot to my network. I used to use Windows
98 to make the disks because NT/2000 didn’t support boot disks.

With Windows XP, there is now the option to "Make a DOS" Boot disk.
However, when I make one and then try to run FDisk, it says it is an
invalid version.

Does anyone know where to get the FDisk that goes along with the boot
files for XP? I had a feeling it was in a CAB somewhere.

Thanks

Lara
 
lforbes said:
Hi,

I make Network Boot Disks to boot to my network. I used to use Windows
98 to make the disks because NT/2000 didn’t support boot disks.

With Windows XP, there is now the option to "Make a DOS" Boot disk.
However, when I make one and then try to run FDisk, it says it is an
invalid version.

Does anyone know where to get the FDisk that goes along with the boot
files for XP? I had a feeling it was in a CAB somewhere.

Thanks

Lara
Click to expand...

You're tying to make boot diskettes? Fdisk doesn't deal with diskettes,
only hard disks, and it doesn't exist in XP, you use Disk Management for
partitioning.

Google:
Results 1 - 10 of about 2,920,000 for network boot disk. (0.16 seconds)

First hit may help you:

http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/network/

Steve
 
lforbes said:
I make Network Boot Disks to boot to my network. I used to use Windows
98 to make the disks because NT/2000 didn’t support boot disks.

With Windows XP, there is now the option to "Make a DOS" Boot disk.
However, when I make one and then try to run FDisk, it says it is an
invalid version.
Click to expand...

Any FDISK you have will be Win98 or earlier. If you *MUST* use FDISK
use a Win98 startup floppy.
Does anyone know where to get the FDisk that goes along with the boot
files for XP? I had a feeling it was in a CAB somewhere.
Click to expand...

There is no such thing. FDISK is a purely FAT utility. The
partitioning and formatting when you set up XP is part of its Setup (hit
ESC when it asks where you want to put the system). Later, use Control
Panel - Admin Tools - Computer Management, select Disk Management and
look lower right for the graphic of the drive. R-click a partition,
other than C or Unallocated space and choose from the menu
 
Steve N. said:
You're tying to make boot diskettes? Fdisk doesn't deal with
diskettes,
only hard disks, and it doesn't exist in XP, you use Disk
Management for
partitioning.

Google:
Results 1 - 10 of about 2,920,000 for network boot disk. (0.16
seconds)

First hit may help you:

http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/network/

Steve
Click to expand...

Hi,

Thanks for your answers but maybe I need to be more clear. The
situation is this. I have corrupted XP HD installs (blue screens, etc)
or Faulty HD’s. I boot from floppy, connect to network, FDISK, Format
Fat32 to check the disk and then run my imaging software to put a
clean image on the HD. I don’t want to put an image on a damaged
drive. Sometimes it is the drive and sometimes it is the software that
is messed up. IF there is a Harddrive Failure FDISK and Format show it
pretty clearly. Eg. FDisk will sit on creating Partiton and Format
will either not run or run and show all bad blocks.

Disk Management (booting from XP CD) is pretty useless in this
situation as it takes forever to load everything into ram, doesn’t
report HD errors, creates the Partitions as Logical instead of Primary
if doing more than one, and doesn’t let you format Fat32.

Windows XP MUST use a version of DOS to create the MS DOS Startup Disk
(right click floppy - format - create MS DOS Startup Disk). There MUST
be a newer version of FDISK to go along with the version of DOS that
XP Uses to create the DOS boot disks. I have the Windows 98 version
but it is not the right one.

Thanks

Lara
 
lforbes said:
Hi,

Thanks for your answers but maybe I need to be more clear. The
situation is this. I have corrupted XP HD installs (blue screens, etc)
or Faulty HD’s. I boot from floppy, connect to network, FDISK, Format
Fat32 to check the disk and then run my imaging software to put a
clean image on the HD. I don’t want to put an image on a damaged
drive. Sometimes it is the drive and sometimes it is the software that
is messed up. IF there is a Harddrive Failure FDISK and Format show it
pretty clearly. Eg. FDisk will sit on creating Partiton and Format
will either not run or run and show all bad blocks.

Disk Management (booting from XP CD) is pretty useless in this
situation as it takes forever to load everything into ram, doesn’t
report HD errors, creates the Partitions as Logical instead of Primary
if doing more than one, and doesn’t let you format Fat32.

Windows XP MUST use a version of DOS to create the MS DOS Startup Disk
(right click floppy - format - create MS DOS Startup Disk). There MUST
be a newer version of FDISK to go along with the version of DOS that
XP Uses to create the DOS boot disks. I have the Windows 98 version
but it is not the right one.

Thanks

Lara
Click to expand...

Lara,

Thanks for the added clarity.

Unfortunately the bootable MS-DOS shipped with XP that is used to make a
bootable disk does not include an external command set at all, so there
is no FDISK, no FORMAT command files. All it contains is the necesssary
files to boot to the last version of MS-DOS (Windows Millenium [Version
4.90.3000]). I take it you are using the bootdisk created from within
WinXP and then trying to run the Win98 version of FDISK. That won't
work, as you've apparently discovered, due to an OS version mis-match.

Use a Win98 boot floppy and run FDISK from there. If you are re-imaging
XP into the FAT32 partition you created to test the disk then you can
use the FDISK from a Win98 bootdisk and it will work just fine. Windows
XP will happily reside on any FAT32 partition that Win98 version of
FDISK creates.

You could also use hard drive utilities from the disk manufacturers to
test the disks prior to re-imaging, if that is your primary concern.

Steve
 
files to boot to the last version of MS-DOS (Windows Millenium
[Version 4.90.3000])
Click to expand...

That’s what I needed to Know. I do have a Millenium CD so I can
extract the FDISK From there. If XP is using that version of DOS then
it should work like a charm.

Cheers,

Lara
 
lforbes said:
files to boot to the last version of MS-DOS (Windows Millenium
[Version 4.90.3000])
Click to expand...


That’s what I needed to Know. I do have a Millenium CD so I can
extract the FDISK From there. If XP is using that version of DOS then
it should work like a charm.

Cheers,

Lara
Click to expand...

Try it and see, then let us know please.

Steve
 
Hi,
Try it and see, then let us know please.
Click to expand...

Yep, that was it. It works great. Just need FDISK from Windows ME to
work with the DOS files that Windows XP puts on a Boot Disk.

Thanks. That saved me a lot of hassle.

Cheers,

Lara
 
lforbes said:
Hi,




Yep, that was it. It works great. Just need FDISK from Windows ME to
work with the DOS files that Windows XP puts on a Boot Disk.

Thanks. That saved me a lot of hassle.

Cheers,

Lara
Click to expand...

Very cool. I'm glad it worked for you.

Steve
 
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