NTFS and FAT32

[William B. Lurie]

This isn't zackly an XP question, but close.
I have a spare hard drive with WIN98 on it
in FAT32 file format. I can access that drive
as Slave from my Main Drive (XP/NTFS of course).

But when I reverse the arrangement, with the 98
drive as Master and the XP drive as Slave (properly
jumpered of course), I can't see the XP/Slave when
running the 98 (Master).

Is this because from FAT32 I can't access NTFS
files, and if so, will everything work fine if I just
convert the 98/FAT32 to NTFS?

Thank you.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Q. "Is this because from FAT32 I can't access NTFS files...?"

A. Correct.

Q. "Will everything work fine if I just convert the 98/FAT32 to NTFS?"

A. Windows 98 cannot use NTFS so you cannot convert.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| This isn't zackly an XP question, but close.
| I have a spare hard drive with WIN98 on it
| in FAT32 file format. I can access that drive
| as Slave from my Main Drive (XP/NTFS of course).
|
| But when I reverse the arrangement, with the 98
| drive as Master and the XP drive as Slave (properly
| jumpered of course), I can't see the XP/Slave when
| running the 98 (Master).
|
| Is this because from FAT32 I can't access NTFS
| files, and if so, will everything work fine if I just
| convert the 98/FAT32 to NTFS?
|
| Thank you.
| --
| William B. Lurie

 

[William B. Lurie]

Thank you, Carey......but I can make a copy of the whole
98 partition and convert THAT to NTFS, and then
I have the best of both worlds.

 

[Tom Porterfield]

Q. "Is this because from FAT32 I can't access NTFS files...?"

A. Correct.

Incorrect. Access of a file system has nothing to do with any other
particular file system. The OS must support the file system and Windows
98 does not support NTFS.

Q. "Will everything work fine if I just convert the 98/FAT32 to NTFS?"

A. Windows 98 cannot use NTFS so you cannot convert.

Correct, and the actual correct answer to the previous question.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

 

[Tom Porterfield]

Thank you, Carey......but I can make a copy of the whole
98 partition and convert THAT to NTFS, and then
I have the best of both worlds.

No. Windows 98 does not support NTFS. It won't boot if the file system
is NTFS and it can not read from or write to an NTFS partition. That
being said, see http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/ntfswin98.shtml.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP Windows
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

This isn't zackly an XP question, but close.
I have a spare hard drive with WIN98 on it
in FAT32 file format. I can access that drive
as Slave from my Main Drive (XP/NTFS of course).

But when I reverse the arrangement, with the 98
drive as Master and the XP drive as Slave (properly
jumpered of course), I can't see the XP/Slave when
running the 98 (Master).

Is this because from FAT32 I can't access NTFS
files,

No. It has nothing to do with being "from FAT32." It's because
Windows 98 can not see NTFS drives.

and if so, will everything work fine if I just
convert the 98/FAT32 to NTFS?

No, for the same reason. If you did that, you couldn't run
Windows 98 from that drive at all.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

There are a couple of options. You could convert the XP NTFS drive to FAT32
using a third party app like Partition Magic. XP will run fine under the
FAT32 format and Windows 98 would be able to read it.

Or keep XP as NTFS and create a Data partition that is FAT32. You can use it
to store your My Documents, Outlook Express and other files and data that
you want to have common access to by both operating systems providing you
have Windows 98 updated to IE6. I have an external usb drive I use that way.
It is formatted as FAT32 and I can easily move data around. The down side to
FAT32 is if you plan to store very large files as FAT32 can't handle files
over 4GB.

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


| Thank you, Carey......but I can make a copy of the whole
| 98 partition and convert THAT to NTFS, and then
| I have the best of both worlds.
|
| Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
| > Q. "Is this because from FAT32 I can't access NTFS files...?"
| >
| > A. Correct.
| >
| > Q. "Will everything work fine if I just convert the 98/FAT32 to NTFS?"
| >
| > A. Windows 98 cannot use NTFS so you cannot convert.
| >
|

 

[Bob Harris]

Win98 does not know how to read NTFS.

However, there are third-party drivers that can allow it to do that. The
read/copy drivers are free, but the write/edit drivers are for sale. ee the
following link:

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/ntfswin98.shtml