*FIXED* 60 Gig FAT 32 formatted HD errors on WinXP

[Jeriko]

After floundering around Microsoft's help database, I believe I have found cause of a problem I'm having - but not the solution.

With help from here, I got my old IDE drive to show up on my new system (had to change IDE settings from Legacy mode).

But the problem is I'm getting a "This request could not be performed because of an I/O error" message when I try to access some of the folders from the old drive.

I think this is because it is a FAT32 formatted HD over 20GB, which apparently causes troubles with XP / 2000 based systems.

If this is the cause of the problem, the only solution I can imagine would be to convert the FAT32 drive to NTFS - which can apparently be done with convert.exe (according to MS - I've never used this prog so I'm not familiar with it).

So. If this is the problem as I suspect, should I run this conversion on my new XP system, even though it doesn't seem to be able to view some of the folders? Will this cause data loss during the conversion?

Or can I / should I run convert on my old system, a Win98 based platform, which can recognize the folders? Can convert.exe even be run on Win98?

-J

 

[ScrapSilicon]

you can go from FAT32 to NTFS..but not the other way.. I ran a 40GB Maxtor as FAT32 XPPro rc1 for almost a month without a reboot...was getting a little glitchy there at the end ..add/remove programs(numerous times).. should be rebooted..I'd suggest backing up anything you feel needs it..possibly even reformatting might be in order..gl

 

[snidy1]

You should convert to NTFS. It's better than FAT32. Windows 98 doesn't support NTFS, so you can't convert that system.

 

[Jeriko]

I have two hard drives in my old system. I have copied everything from my C drive to my D drive - and it's the 60GB D drive that's having the issue.

I do not need to convert my old C drive with Win98 - it's staying with the old system. I just need to convert the 60GB drive that's moving over.

Understanding that Win98 doesn't support NTFS, can I at least convert my 60GB drive, the one I do not boot off of, to NTFS from a DOS prompt on my Win98 system?

I'm hesitant to do the conversion on my XP system because it failed to recognize so many folders.

-J

 

[DaveSimmons]

I think this is because it is a FAT32 formatted HD over 20GB, which apparently causes troubles with XP / 2000 based systems.

No, my old W2K server ran a 60 GB FAT32 single partition with 0 problems, and my new W2K server has a 120 GB drive as one FAT32 partition (formatted with IBM's utility) running on the motherboard IDE.

W2K / XP have limits on how large of a FAT32 partition they'll format by themselves, but have no problems with using large FAT32 partitions.

Your drive may be failing, the cable may be loose or bad, or the drive may need a fresh formatting, but FAT32 is not the problem.

 

[Jeriko]

I doubt the drive's failing because my Win98 system has no troubles with any of the folders. It's just WinXP.

-J

 

[Jeriko]

Man this is going to sound dumb - but I fixed the problem. A jumper had fallen out during the physical transfer of the drive - and I put it back... on the wrong two pins. Forcing the system to read it as a 15 cylinder drive rather than the 16 it is!

Everything works now, and it's ready for the convert.

So - simple quetion so I don't get bitten in the but during the process. I'm about to convert the drive to NTFS. It's a 60 gig drive, of which 1.27 gigs are free. I know the conversion tool checks beforehand but I just want to make certain - is that enough?

-J

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Jeriko
Man this is going to sound dumb - but I fixed the problem. A jumper had fallen out during the physical transfer of the drive - and I put it back... on the wrong two pins. Forcing the system to read it as a 15 cylinder drive rather than the 16 it is!

Everything works now, and it's ready for the convert.

So - simple quetion so I don't get bitten in the but during the process. I'm about to convert the drive to NTFS. It's a 60 gig drive, of which 1.27 gigs are free. I know the conversion tool checks beforehand but I just want to make certain - is that enough?

-J

sweet..that follows the advice of check your connections...1.27GB..free..? uhm...can you burn any of that off to CD or DVD to free up to about 3GBs or so...might be ok but....still hope you have backed up your more important stuff as well...good luck

 

[Jeriko]

Well I'm going to try - perhaps in vain - to get rid of 30 gigs worth of unnecessary data so that I can transfer it onto a Raptor, then reformat the drive in NTSF, then transfer all the data back.

It's messy, but I don't know what else to do.

Should I consider just keeping the drive in FAT32 perhaps?

-J

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Jeriko
Well I'm going to try - perhaps in vain - to get rid of 30 gigs worth of unnecessary data so that I can transfer it onto a Raptor, then reformat the drive in NTSF, then transfer all the data back.

It's messy, but I don't know what else to do.

Should I consider just keeping the drive in FAT32 perhaps?

-J

you need to really give up a list of what you are working with..I thinking you have 2 different machines ..but ..not..sure

So. If this is the problem as I suspect, should I run this conversion on my new XP system, even though it doesn't seem to be able to view some of the folders? Will this cause data loss during the conversion?

is this XP system ..a newly built..or..? <edit> if you are now able to access fully the Win98 setup from the new XP..no errors..I'd leave the FAT32 alone..or .. ..after backing things up..hit the convert.exe button..

 

[Double Trouble]

I still use FAT32 on my boot partition and the partitions where I keep my most used proggies. Why switch to NTFS?? It doesn't offer me anything I need. I don't need NTFS file security, since anyone with physical access to the box can get around that in about 5 minutes. Further, no matter how you turn it, when things get ugly (and I know for all of us they have at one point or another), you can always count on being able to use a simple boot disk and access your data -- if you use NTFS you have to start resorting to exotic tools like Winternals NTFS-DOS etc. Call me old fashioned, but I still like FAT 32 just fine.....