Possible to customize NTFS cluster size during OS install

[JMichna]

I'm going to be rebuilding a RAID-0 array (new mobo and other hardware) starting from scratch (clean WinXP Pro OS installation).

Is it possible to create a boot floppy (possibly, but not necessarily, WinXP) that will allow me to format my RAID-0 drives using NTFS at a cluster size I select? Something like:
FORMAT C: /A:16k /FS:NTFS

I want to be able to set my NTFS cluster size to be the same as my RAID-0 stripe size (right now leaning toward stripe/cluster of 16k, but still researching). WinXP defaults to NTFS cluster size of 4k during OS setup/installation, so I want to format the hard drives before I begin the OS install.
Thanks,
jmichna

 

[kursplat]

so you will just have 4 clusters per stripe. still works out.......
good luck

 

[stevewm]

Just leave ti at 4k, XP leaves it a 4 for a good reason. If you go any higher than 4 you will loose a few NTFS features, compression being one of them.....

 

[JMichna]

Not interested in compression. No other features are lost; slack is a bit worse, though. Performance of hard drives with RAID-0 array improves for the file sizes I work with at 16k cluster size.

Rather than be told to leave things at default, I'm really trying to find a way to do what I mentioned in the original post.
Thanks, though, for your thoughts.
jmichna

 

[Nothinman]

If you really must, get something like PQMagic and do all the partitioning before installing then just tell setup to leave the filesystem as is.

 

[JMichna]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
If you really must, get something like PQMagic and do all the partitioning before installing then just tell setup to leave the filesystem as is.

I tried Powerquest's Partition Magic 7.0 (got an eval D/L as PM6.0 license holder). As best as I can determine, its boot disk will let me custom size FAT32 clusters BUT not NTFS clusters. Doesn't look like this will do the trick.
Thanks anyway for the suggestion.
jmichna

 

[Abzstrak]

its a good question, I've tried a few times to increase the cluster size for the heck of it, but to no avail... I've trieda few versions of pqmagic, and your right... they only do it on fat32.

I dont have a good reason for doing it, but I'm curious about it to if anyone knows how.