XP uses HDD differently?

[Steven]

I have a 3 partitions: for W98, for WXP, for my DATA.
These are all FAT32. I use BootMagic at startup from W98.

XP works fine, but:
- I couldn't reinstall windows on the W98 partition
because there are unrepairable errors on the DATA
partition but the XP error checker says everything OK!
(I had to use Norton Disk Doctor from W98 to repair most
but not all the errors on DATA)
- WXP can't read Nero Image files save in W98 and vice-
versa.
- Usually after I look at a folder in WXP I can't use
it any more in W98 because all it's contents appears
in "chinese", it can't be deleted, ScanDisk shows
unrepairable error but XP continues to read it well.
- Because of these errors on DATA ("An invalid cluster
was found in a directory entry", "File size does not match
FAT allocation for file") my W98 drive got corrupted 3
times already and the only thing that can solve this
is "FORMAT C:" !!
- I found that even TEXT files saved in WXP can't be
read normally in W98. Does XP use formats like UNICODE,
DBCS or something?

Some of these problems are not totally because of XP
(I think) more likely the result of W98 (first edition)
not being able to read some new formatting. Is there a way
to force XP to use HDD normally or does anyone have an
idea what my problem could be?

Please help! I already lost my W98 partition 3 times!
Thanks in advance!

 

[Ron Martell]

I have a 3 partitions: for W98, for WXP, for my DATA.
These are all FAT32. I use BootMagic at startup from W98.

XP works fine, but:
- I couldn't reinstall windows on the W98 partition
because there are unrepairable errors on the DATA
partition but the XP error checker says everything OK!
(I had to use Norton Disk Doctor from W98 to repair most
but not all the errors on DATA)
- WXP can't read Nero Image files save in W98 and vice-
versa.
- Usually after I look at a folder in WXP I can't use
it any more in W98 because all it's contents appears
in "chinese", it can't be deleted, ScanDisk shows
unrepairable error but XP continues to read it well.
- Because of these errors on DATA ("An invalid cluster
was found in a directory entry", "File size does not match
FAT allocation for file") my W98 drive got corrupted 3
times already and the only thing that can solve this
is "FORMAT C:" !!
- I found that even TEXT files saved in WXP can't be
read normally in W98. Does XP use formats like UNICODE,
DBCS or something?

Some of these problems are not totally because of XP
(I think) more likely the result of W98 (first edition)
not being able to read some new formatting. Is there a way
to force XP to use HDD normally or does anyone have an
idea what my problem could be?

Please help! I already lost my W98 partition 3 times!
Thanks in advance!

I have zero problems with my own machine configured similarly and also
using Boot Magic.

I have 3 versions of Windows installed (98SE, Me, and XP Pro) each on
their own primary partition and 3 extended partitions for application
programs and data files.

I suspect that you have may have a hardware problem with the drive
itself or something you are using with XP is corrupting the data.

There is no difference in FAT32 format between partitions created by
different versions of Windows.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[Andrew E]

Open cmd prompt,type:CHKDSK C: /R
Usually the /F takes care of hd errors,but /R will
repair.

 

[Richard Keirle]

I recently had to low-level {they still call zero-fill a low-level format!}
format a Maxtor 6E040L0 40gb? hd recently, (with their powermax.exe/"make a
floppy" utility), that had a corrupt NTSF drive. I was so unhappy with not
succeeding in recovering the NT4 crap ...oops, I mean XPpro installation
from the repair console, that I installed W98se / Fat32 and "upgraded" XPpro
to it. Then because the USB2.0 drivers supposedly contained in XP sp1
wouldn't install correctly, (have since found out that the MS USB2.0 drivers
for previous Windows platforms are one and the same), reformatted and
installed W98se, tweaked it till it was lovely and left it at that.....

regards, Richard