Re: vfat not seen by Vista

On Aug 29, 9:16 pm, Chris <ch...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Vlad_Inhaler wrote:
On Aug 29, 11:19 am, Chris <ch...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello,

I have created a partition and formated it as vfat a long time ago. When
I recently boot into Windows Vista, Vista doesn't see the partition and
doesn't allow me to assign it a drive letter.

I created the partition using Yast's Partitioner in openSUSE 10.2.

I would like to avoid formatting the partition in Vista since I have put
a lot of files on the partition already.

Has this happened to anyone else? If so, what did you do to fix it?

Thanks,
--
Chris

Firstly, this is a Linux forum. I really don't have much idea why
Vista would refuse to look at a vfat filesystem.
What I'd tend to look at would be to
- boot up in Linux (rescue system or knoppix),
- copy the contents of that partition to some other device (USB
Stick?),
- boot up in Vista again
- format the partition
- copy from the USB stick back to the partition.
Just a thought, vfat is not that secure. Is Vista trying to protect
you from a filesystem which does not implement access-rights?

I figured that vfat was just fat32. I use the partition to share files
between the Linux and Vista on the same computer. vfat just seemed like a
lowest common denominator. I just find it odd that a linux vfat formated
partition isn't useable in Vista.

Also, I asked in this "Linux forum" (as you put it) because the partition
was formated using a Linux tool. I thought perhaps I was missing some
secret magical switch to mkfs or option in Yast.

If I cannot find the "right way" to format using vfat so that Vista will
like it, then I will have to reformat using Vista.
--
Chris

I had this problem once, but it was using Win95. Since then I *have*
used vfat partitions the way you want to (under XP and Linux) and it
worked. Well, saving the data and then reformatting was what I
suggested anyway :-)
You had not said it was dual-boot, but that makes it easier. Save the
contents while under linux, format under vista and copy back.

.

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