How to format a large external hard drive as FAT32?

[Chris]

How to format a large external hard drive as FAT32?

A friend bought an external USB 2.0 powered caddy, and an 80GB HDD
to go in it.

He wanted it all FAT32 for sharing data between machines running 98 and
XP.

XP Disk Management wouldn't let him have a FAT32 partition bigger than
30GB.

How can he make the whole thing FAT32?
It must be possible because I bought a Western Digital external drive -
and
it came already formatted as FAT32.

 

[DILIP]

That's right, XP won't format a partition larger than 32Gb in FAT32, but you
can always use 3rd party software like Partition Magic, BootIt NG etc to
format disks larger than 32Gb.

 

[Michael Stevens]

How to format a large external hard drive as FAT32?

A friend bought an external USB 2.0 powered caddy, and an 80GB HDD
to go in it.

He wanted it all FAT32 for sharing data between machines running 98 and
XP.

XP Disk Management wouldn't let him have a FAT32 partition bigger than
30GB.

How can he make the whole thing FAT32?
It must be possible because I bought a Western Digital external drive -
and
it came already formatted as FAT32.

Try using the software provided by the manufacturer or boot with a Win98/Me
boot floppy.
Info in the link below.
Click on or copy and paste the link below into your web browser address bar.
Format
http://michaelstevenstech.com/format_XP.htm

--

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[Michael Stevens]

How to format a large external hard drive as FAT32?

A friend bought an external USB 2.0 powered caddy, and an 80GB HDD
to go in it.

He wanted it all FAT32 for sharing data between machines running 98 and
XP.

XP Disk Management wouldn't let him have a FAT32 partition bigger than
30GB.

How can he make the whole thing FAT32?
It must be possible because I bought a Western Digital external drive -
and
it came already formatted as FAT32.

What happened when he first installed it? XP should have recognized the
complete drive if it was formatted in FAT 32. XP won't create a FAT 32 drive
over 32 gig, but it will use one already formatted in FAT 32.

--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
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[Chris]

What happened when he first installed it? XP should have recognized the
complete drive if it was formatted in FAT 32. XP won't create a FAT 32 drive
over 32 gig, but it will use one already formatted in FAT 32.

His was a new drive - not yet partitioned - never mind formatted.
So id didn't show in Windows Explorer.

 

[Chris]

Try using the software provided by the manufacturer or boot with a
Win98/Me
boot floppy.
Info in the link below.
Click on or copy and paste the link below into your web browser address
bar.
Format
http://michaelstevenstech.com/format_XP.htm

Thanks. No software came with it.
Does a new HDD usually come with software?

 

[Michael Stevens]

Thanks. No software came with it.
Does a new HDD usually come with software?

Go to the manufacturers web site and download the software. But using the
98/Me floppy is just as good and easier.
BTW, when sharing across the network; the file system makes no difference.
The only time you would need to have FAT32 would be in a dual boot
configuration.
Your friend should go ahead and format the drive in NTFS. especially if they
intend to save large backup files or video.
--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
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[Michael Stevens]

His was a new drive - not yet partitioned - never mind formatted.
So id didn't show in Windows Explorer.

I missed the part about it was YOUR drive formatted FAT 32. But as I
explained in my other reply, your buddy doesn't need FAT 32 to share files
across a network. You only need FAT 32 to share on a dual boot configuration
between XP and 98, over a network the files system is irrelevant.
--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
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[Jim Macklin]

I think they want to use a sneakernet with the external
drive, so FAT32 is the choice if they want to use W98 and XP
machines. They can use FDISK and format commands from a W98
disk to do the job as you say, they could boot the computer
with a W98 floppy and configure drive but I don't think they
would have USB support, even at USB 1.1 unless they find a
computer running W98 or get a program such as Partition
Magic to run on their XP machine.


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


| Chris wrote:
| > In article <[email protected]>,
Michael Stevens
| >> news:2+FyoLAvatrAFw3A@[127.0.0.1]...
| >>> How to format a large external hard drive as FAT32?
| >>> A friend bought an external USB 2.0 powered caddy, and
an 80GB HDD
| >>> to go in it.
| >>> He wanted it all FAT32 for sharing data between
machines running 98
| >>> and XP.
| >>> XP Disk Management wouldn't let him have a FAT32
partition bigger
| >>> than 30GB.
| >>> How can he make the whole thing FAT32?
| >
| >> What happened when he first installed it? XP should
have recognized
| >> the complete drive if it was formatted in FAT 32. XP
won't create a
| >> FAT 32 drive over 32 gig, but it will use one already
formatted in
| >> FAT 32.
| >
| > His was a new drive - not yet partitioned - never mind
formatted.
| > So id didn't show in Windows Explorer.
|
| I missed the part about it was YOUR drive formatted FAT
32. But as I
| explained in my other reply, your buddy doesn't need FAT
32 to share files
| across a network. You only need FAT 32 to share on a dual
boot configuration
| between XP and 98, over a network the files system is
irrelevant.
| --
|
| Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
| (e-mail address removed)
| http://michaelstevenstech.com
| For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
| http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
|
|

 

[Michael Stevens]

I think they want to use a sneakernet with the external
drive, so FAT32 is the choice if they want to use W98 and XP
machines. They can use FDISK and format commands from a W98
disk to do the job as you say, they could boot the computer
with a W98 floppy and configure drive but I don't think they
would have USB support, even at USB 1.1 unless they find a
computer running W98 or get a program such as Partition
Magic to run on their XP machine.

Ahh.. Sneakernet, of course, don't have any experience with USB removable
hard drives. It wouldn't be hard to do a temp install of the hard drive as a
slave or secondary master or slave to fdisk and format from the boot floppy.

Michael Stevens

 

[Chris]

Chris wrote:

Go to the manufacturers web site and download the software. But using the
98/Me floppy is just as good and easier.
BTW, when sharing across the network; the file system makes no difference.
The only time you would need to have FAT32 would be in a dual boot
configuration.
Your friend should go ahead and format the drive in NTFS. especially if they
intend to save large backup files or video.

No network at all.
Two stand-alone machines.
One with 98.
One with XP.
Surely FAT32 would be needed for the former?

 

[Michael Stevens]

No network at all.
Two stand-alone machines.
One with 98.
One with XP.
Surely FAT32 would be needed for the former?

Absolutely would, could we call it a sneakerDUALboot? LOL The manufacturer
of the USB removable hard drive should have utilities and or information on
how to accomplish the formatting. If you post the manufacturer and pertinent
info I will check it out.

--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
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[Jim Macklin]

Very few BIOS/mobo combinations will allow USB booting, I
doubt if any W98 era machines would have USB until Windows
has booted.


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




| Chris wrote:
| > In article <OnwlDJ#[email protected]>,
Michael Stevens
| >> Chris wrote:
| >
| >>> Thanks. No software came with it.
| >>> Does a new HDD usually come with software?
| >
| >> Go to the manufacturers web site and download the
software. But
| >> using the 98/Me floppy is just as good and easier.
| >> BTW, when sharing across the network; the file system
makes no
| >> difference. The only time you would need to have FAT32
would be in a
| >> dual boot configuration.
| >> Your friend should go ahead and format the drive in
NTFS. especially
| >> if they intend to save large backup files or video.
| >
| > No network at all.
| > Two stand-alone machines.
| > One with 98.
| > One with XP.
| > Surely FAT32 would be needed for the former?
|
| Absolutely would, could we call it a sneakerDUALboot? LOL
The manufacturer
| of the USB removable hard drive should have utilities and
or information on
| how to accomplish the formatting. If you post the
manufacturer and pertinent
| info I will check it out.
|
| --
|
| Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
| (e-mail address removed)
| http://michaelstevenstech.com
| For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
| http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
|
|

 

[John R Weiss]

XP Disk Management wouldn't let him have a FAT32 partition bigger than
30GB.

Is that partition size or logical drive size?

Try an extended partition of maximum size, and logical drives of the max
allowed size. You should be able to format them as FAT32, but you'll just
have to use 3 different drive letters.

 

[Alex Nichol]

A friend bought an external USB 2.0 powered caddy, and an 80GB HDD
to go in it.

He wanted it all FAT32 for sharing data between machines running 98 and
XP.

XP Disk Management wouldn't let him have a FAT32 partition bigger than
30GB.

Do it from the Win98 end of things - that will make bigger FAT 32
partitions and the XP can then use them. But it will not make bigger
ones itself - MSoft are trying to discourage its use on big drives

 

[rkawa]

Chris wrote:
(e-mail address removed) writes
Chris wrote:

Thanks. No software came with it.
Does a new HDD usually come with software?

Go to the manufacturers web site and download the software. But
using the 98/Me floppy is just as good and easier.
BTW, when sharing across the network; the file system makes no
difference. The only time you would need to have FAT32 would be in a
dual boot configuration.
Your friend should go ahead and format the drive in NTFS. especially
if they intend to save large backup files or video.

No network at all.
Two stand-alone machines.
One with 98.
One with XP.
Surely FAT32 would be needed for the former?

Absolutely would, could we call it a sneakerDUALboot? LOL The
manufacturer
of the USB removable hard drive should have utilities and or
information on
how to accomplish the formatting. If you post the manufacturer and
pertinent
info I will check it out.

--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

May I recommend this software;

http://www.compuapps.com/Download/swissknife/swissknife.htm

It handled the job well for me.

Richard

 

[Ron Sommer]

Why did you reply to a 2 year old post?