WinXP formatting

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim
  • Start date Start date
J

Jim

I am rather puzzled as to why when installing windows XP Pro on a new hard
drive it only sometimes gives a choice of FAT32. Seems to default to NTFS.
Is there a setting somewhere or a command switch I should be using to force
it to format to FAT32?

Thanks

Jim
 
Windows XP performs best, and is more secure, when installed
on a drive with a single partition that is formatted NTFS.

Please read the following:

NTFS Preinstallation and Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/winpreinst/ntfs-preinstall.mspx

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

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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

:

| I am rather puzzled as to why when installing windows XP Pro on a new hard
| drive it only sometimes gives a choice of FAT32. Seems to default to NTFS.
| Is there a setting somewhere or a command switch I should be using to force
| it to format to FAT32?
|
| Thanks
|
| Jim
 
Jim said:
I am rather puzzled as to why when installing windows XP Pro on a new hard
drive it only sometimes gives a choice of FAT32. Seems to default to NTFS.
Is there a setting somewhere or a command switch I should be using to force
it to format to FAT32?

Thanks

Jim
Click to expand...

I think NTFS became the default with SP2.
 
Jim said:
I am rather puzzled as to why when installing windows XP Pro on a new hard
drive it only sometimes gives a choice of FAT32. Seems to default to NTFS.
Is there a setting somewhere or a command switch I should be using to force
it to format to FAT32?

Thanks

Jim
Click to expand...

I think NTFS became the default with SP2.
 
Jim said:
I am rather puzzled as to why when installing windows XP Pro on a new hard
drive it only sometimes gives a choice of FAT32. Seems to default to NTFS.
Is there a setting somewhere or a command switch I should be using to force
it to format to FAT32?

Thanks

Jim
Click to expand...

I think NTFS became the default with SP2.
 
Thanks for the quick replies.
Even if it is the default with SP2 can it be forced to format to FAT32?
I appreciate NTFS is the more stable platform but a colleague insists that
he prefers FAT32.

Cheers

Jim
 
Jim said:
Thanks for the quick replies.
Even if it is the default with SP2 can it be forced to format to FAT32?
I appreciate NTFS is the more stable platform but a colleague insists that
he prefers FAT32.

Cheers

Jim
Click to expand...

XP won't create a FAT32 partition larger than 32GB. This is simply
because NTFS is available and is a *far* better choice for such huge
partitions.
 
Mike Williams said:
I think NTFS became the default with SP2.
Click to expand...


Jim said:
Thanks for the quick replies.
Even if it is the default with SP2 can it be forced to format to FAT32?
I appreciate NTFS is the more stable platform but a colleague insists that
he prefers FAT32.
Cheers

Jim
Click to expand...


Jim:
XP (with or without SP1 and/or SP2) does not provide a capability to format
FAT32 a HD > 32 GB. It's a restriction built-in to the system. So if you're
attempting to install XP on a HD > 32 GB you will not find an option to
format that drive in FAT32.

There are a couple of workarounds to this should the user insist on
formatting his or her large-capacity HD in FAT32. I'll mention one...

With a DOS boot floppy disk (Win9x/Me Startup floppy disk), using the FDISK
& FORMAT commands, one can format the HD in FAT32 regardless of its disk
capacity. XP will then happily use that FAT32 formatted partition when
installing the OS or using the HD as a secondary drive.
Anna
 
Jim said:
I am rather puzzled as to why when installing windows XP Pro on a new
hard drive it only sometimes gives a choice of FAT32. Seems to
default to NTFS. Is there a setting somewhere or a command switch I
should be using to force it to format to FAT32?
Click to expand...


Windows XP can not create a FAT32 partition larger than 32GB, but it will
use one, if it already exists. If you want one, you have to create it
externally (using an older version of FDISK) before installing Windows XP.

Why do you want FAT32? There's only oine good reason I can think of for
preferring FAT32, and that's if you are dual-booting with a non-NTFS-aware
..operating system.
 
Jim said:
I am rather puzzled as to why when installing windows XP Pro on a new hard
drive it only sometimes gives a choice of FAT32. Seems to default to NTFS.
Is there a setting somewhere or a command switch I should be using to force
it to format to FAT32?

Thanks

Jim
Click to expand...


How large is the target partition?

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, 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.

If you truly want FAT32's complete lack of security, stability, and
fault tolerance, and don't mind wasting a lot of storage capacity,
simply format the drive using a Win9x boot diskette, and then install
WinXP to the existing partition.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
 
Back
Top