Q. FAT32 File Size Limit and NTFS running on FAT Boot Drives

[Steve Le Monnier]

My Running Windows XP-SP2. My Hard Disk is running under FAT32 because I'm
using the HyperOS System that allows me to configure multiple versions of
windows for different scenarios. My Configuration is as follows:

C: 6GB Master Boot (Emergency use only).
D: 20GB WindowsXP Live (main windows drive for MSOffice, Internet,
etc.).
E: 20GB WindowsXP Development (used for SQL05, VStudio05, etc.).
F: 160GB Data Drive (used by all of the above drives to store data).

The question I have is that the HyperOS software allows me to backup an
entire partition and restore extremely quickly, however the size of the
backup file has now breached the 4GB FAT32 file limit.

Is it possible to have Widows boot up on FAT32 but have a D drive running
NTFS at the same time? If so does it matter that the Boot drive is not NTFS
when the windows kernel is creating the backup file, or is it the final
destination that determines how big a file can be.

Any clarification gratefully received.

Steve Le Monnier

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

My Running Windows XP-SP2. My Hard Disk is running under FAT32 because I'm
using the HyperOS System that allows me to configure multiple versions of
windows for different scenarios. My Configuration is as follows:

C: 6GB Master Boot (Emergency use only).
D: 20GB WindowsXP Live (main windows drive for MSOffice, Internet,
etc.).
E: 20GB WindowsXP Development (used for SQL05, VStudio05, etc.).
F: 160GB Data Drive (used by all of the above drives to store data).

The question I have is that the HyperOS software allows me to backup an
entire partition and restore extremely quickly, however the size of the
backup file has now breached the 4GB FAT32 file limit.

Is it possible to have Widows boot up on FAT32 but have a D drive running
NTFS at the same time? If so does it matter that the Boot drive is not NTFS
when the windows kernel is creating the backup file, or is it the final
destination that determines how big a file can be.

Any clarification gratefully received.

Steve Le Monnier

You can have any mix of FAT/FAT32/NTFS partitions
under Windows. As you found out, you cannot write any
files larger than 4 GBytes on a FAT32 partition.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Steve Le Monnier wrote:

Is it possible to have Widows boot up on FAT32 but have a D drive
running NTFS at the same time?

Yes.


If so does it matter that the Boot
drive is not NTFS when the windows kernel is creating the backup
file,

No.

Windows XP can read and use NTFS, FAT32, FAT16, and FAT12, in any and all
combinations--separately or together-- and regardless of what file system it
itself is installed on.

 

[Steve Le Monnier]

Cheers Ken

That puts my mind at rest given that switching my data drive to NTFS is a
one way process and difficult to reverse.
Cheers