Re: NTFS versus FAT32

From: Andy Fraser (andyfraser31_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 10/20/04 

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 13:44:25 +0100

In alt.linux, Don Loder uttered the immortal words:

> Hi guys - I am about ready to install Mandrake 10
> oon a system with a Maxtor 40 GB HDD.
>
> Should I FDISK and format it to NTFS or FAT32 first?

No. They're MS formats. Linux can read NTFS (writting NTFS is too advanced
for this post and isn't normally allowed by default anyway) and read and
write FAT32 but doesn't use them for it's own partitions. Mandrake uses
ext3 by default IIRC but there are others.

> Or just leave it as is?
>
> I want to remove th emessed-up WIN98se that is on it first.

So remove it. You can use fdisk from a win98 boot floppy if you want, you
can use the Mandrake partitioner during install or you can use whatever
other partitioning software you like that can do the job. 

-- 
Andy.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Set-up and file system change
    ... Iwant to format C and on D I have all the XP compatible drivers to ... >the NTFS file system on C. ... formatting both drives. ... You can convert the existing partitions from FAT32 to NTFS by using ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: Format C
    ... I would first try one of those virus removal tools offerred by McAfee or ... However, if you really want to format, you can use FDISK run form a DOS boot ... disk to first remove all partitions, including any non-DOS partitions (i.e., ... NTFS, which is probably what XP is using), then re-partition and re-format ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics)
  • Re: A different kind of security issue...
    ... Manny, ... After the NTFS format files did still remain. ... non-DOS partitions, creating DOS partitions, formatting those, then deleting ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • Re: Formating Hard Drive
    ... You can't use fdsik to format NTFS drives, ... >I use fdisk because right now I have 2 partitions. ... > tried to use fdisk to reboot and format the hard drive it wouldn't work. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Formatting HD
    ... use FDISK to remove any partitions found. ... which FDISK interprets an NTFS formatted partition as being. ... Reboot and then use the same Windows 98 or Me floppy to format the drive. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)