What is the maximum size of HDD for XP in FAT32 format?

[Guest]

Does anyone have any suggestions on the size of HDD for XP to be recognized
in FAT32 format? I get an old HDD 40 GB, under FAT32 format for XP, can 40 GB
still be recognized in size?
Thank you any suggestions
Eric

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Yup, no problem.

 

[JS]

Limitations of the FAT32 File System in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314463/en-us

If you use a third party formatting tool or possibly a utility from the
drive manufacturer's web site to create one 40GB partition XP will recognize
it without problems, XP itself just can't create and format FAT32 partitions
larger than 32GB. Also keep in mind that the drive size (40GB) is specified
in decimal notation and will actually be slightly less in size (about 37GB
in binary notation) when viewed within XP.

JS

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Does anyone have any suggestions on the size of HDD for XP to be recognized
in FAT32 format? I get an old HDD 40 GB, under FAT32 format for XP, can 40 GB
still be recognized in size?
Thank you any suggestions
Eric

By design, WinXP cannot _create_ and _format_ a new partition
greater than 32 Gb. This is because NTFS is the superior file system,
and not nearly as wasteful of drive space. If you make a FAT32
partition larger than 8 Gb, you're "throwing away" significant amounts
of storage capacity.

However, to answer your question, the OS has no problems being
installed upon or otherwise using FAT32 a partition larger than 32 GB,
as long as that partition has been created/formatted by another OS, such
as Win98.


--

Bruce Chambers

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[Ken Blake]

Does anyone have any suggestions on the size of HDD for XP to be
recognized
in FAT32 format?

There is no limit to be concerned about. Windows XP will recgnize and use
FAT32 drives and partitions larger than the largest drive made today.

However note that it will not *create a FAT32 partition larger than 32GB.