Vista doesn't grok what FAT format is (External HD)

[Dennis]

I have a somewhat new Intel chipped dual core with Vista installed at the
factory. I have an external FAT (probably FAT32) formatted USB connected
hard drive that I used with my AMD Athlon Windows XP computer. I mostly used
it to store files on it in case of a crash (I don't use back-up software,
just copy the files over that I'd want to have in case of a
crash/re-install).

Problem - Vista doesn't seem to understand FAT formatting. Vista can read
this external OK (though according to it there a few corrupted folders with
lots of bytes in them it can't read and I can't delete, filenames shows as
weird characters). And every time I turn on the external to copy a file from
it (or store), 1st thing is that Vista wants to check the hard drive. If I
say OK it hangs I guess because trying to check a FAT formatted HD as a
NTFS (??) formatted one.

Question 1 - If I am correct about this (??), is there some fix that can be
installed to Vista so it can cope with trying to fix a FAT or FAT32
formatted external hard drive? (160 GB). ...And by the way along with this I
can't seem to get rid of a ton of files that seem to be in my recycle bin
from the external that only show when the external is turned on (talking
thousands of files that I've deleted on the external).

Question 2 - If I decide to let Vista format my external hard drive, after I
copy over the files stored on the external, then can this external FAT
formatted hard drive be safely formatted by Vista (which will end up as NTFS
I assume)?

I do like having Vista, it seems pretty much rock solid so far. Even runs
World of Warcraft smoothly (7600GT video card). .....But, let me rephrase
that - I do like Vista AFTER disabling the super-ultra totally completely
annoying permission-needed to copy/move/delete sequence. Pre-installed
Norton Internet Security seems to work well with Vista and hopefully will
pick up the loss of the permission-needed-to-do-anything that I did disable.
....Though when I turn on my computer, I still have to watch Vista tell me in
a bubble (that goes away) that I've messed up and it wants to fix my
security breech, along with having an X in a start-bar icon where the bubble
emerges from..

Thanks for any input on all of this.

 

[Guest]

Vista handles Fat 12, Fat 16, Fat 32, and NTFS. Therefore all your
assumptions are wrong. It will format it how you ask it too. Although it
does enforce limits on maximum size etc.

 

[kirk jim]

oh I can assure you that vista can read fat formats...

hey.. everything about vista itself is FAT!!! (and ugly)

 

[Richard Urban]

Vista reads/writes to fat32 just fine.

Your problem likely is in the drive enclosure interface. I have had to place
a drive in three different external cases before the drive was recognized,
and stopped corrupting files. I now use nothing but Adaptec external
enclosures. Yea, they cost more but they have never given me any problems.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban MVP
Microsoft Windows Shell/User

 

[Ron Sommer]

A Recycle Bin is created for each drive.
http://www.theeldergeek.com/HT0_003.htm
Empty the Recycle Bin when the drive is connected.
--
Ronald Sommer

:I have a somewhat new Intel chipped dual core with Vista installed at the
: factory. I have an external FAT (probably FAT32) formatted USB connected
: hard drive that I used with my AMD Athlon Windows XP computer. I mostly
used
: it to store files on it in case of a crash (I don't use back-up software,
: just copy the files over that I'd want to have in case of a
: crash/re-install).
:
: Problem - Vista doesn't seem to understand FAT formatting. Vista can read
: this external OK (though according to it there a few corrupted folders
with
: lots of bytes in them it can't read and I can't delete, filenames shows as
: weird characters). And every time I turn on the external to copy a file
from
: it (or store), 1st thing is that Vista wants to check the hard drive. If I
: say OK it hangs I guess because trying to check a FAT formatted HD as a
: NTFS (??) formatted one.
:
: Question 1 - If I am correct about this (??), is there some fix that can
be
: installed to Vista so it can cope with trying to fix a FAT or FAT32
: formatted external hard drive? (160 GB). ...And by the way along with this
I
: can't seem to get rid of a ton of files that seem to be in my recycle bin
: from the external that only show when the external is turned on (talking
: thousands of files that I've deleted on the external).
:
: Question 2 - If I decide to let Vista format my external hard drive, after
I
: copy over the files stored on the external, then can this external FAT
: formatted hard drive be safely formatted by Vista (which will end up as
NTFS
: I assume)?
:
: I do like having Vista, it seems pretty much rock solid so far. Even runs
: World of Warcraft smoothly (7600GT video card). .....But, let me rephrase
: that - I do like Vista AFTER disabling the super-ultra totally completely
: annoying permission-needed to copy/move/delete sequence. Pre-installed
: Norton Internet Security seems to work well with Vista and hopefully will
: pick up the loss of the permission-needed-to-do-anything that I did
disable.
: ...Though when I turn on my computer, I still have to watch Vista tell me
in
: a bubble (that goes away) that I've messed up and it wants to fix my
: security breech, along with having an X in a start-bar icon where the
bubble
: emerges from..
:
: Thanks for any input on all of this.
: