win2k format problem

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Hi, I'm trying to format a 61.32Gb partition as FAT32 so that it's
readable by Windows and Linux. When I try to do the format (with win2k's
computer management app - disk management) I get the error message
'volume size is too big'. Any ideas?

Dave

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Dave wrote:

> Hi, I'm trying to format a 61.32Gb partition as FAT32 so that it's
> readable by Windows and Linux. When I try to do the format (with win2k's
> computer management app - disk management) I get the error message
> 'volume size is too big'. Any ideas?
>
> Dave

I found the information. The article says you can use either Win98 or
WinMe to do the formatting.

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articl [...] .html?Ad=1

"Windows XP and Windows 2000 limit partition creation to no
larger than 32GB on FAT32. This limitation is by design:
Microsoft wants you to use NTFS for large drives. If you use
Windows Me or Windows 98 to format a drive, XP and Win2K can
use a FAT32 partition larger than 32GB; however, these OSs
can't create the partition."


Also see the article at:

http://support.microsoft.com/defau [...] -us;314463

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 17:30:39 +0000, Dave
<davehowey@hotmail.co.uk> wrote:

>Dee wrote:
>> Dave wrote:
>>
>>> Hi, I'm trying to format a 61.32Gb partition as FAT32 so that it's
>>> readable by Windows and Linux. When I try to do the format (with
>>> win2k's computer management app - disk management) I get the error
>>> message 'volume size is too big'. Any ideas?
>>>
>>> Dave
>>
>>
>> You cannot format a partition larger than 32 GB with Windows 2000/XP.
>> You have boot with a floppy and do the partition and formatting with
>> either Win98SE or WinMe, but I don't remember which.
>
>Can I do the same thing by just running CMD for a DOS command, then
>using the 'format' command in there? Surely FAT32 with a cluster size of
>32Kb should be ok? Has anyone else tried this?
>
>Dave

The answer is no. As already stated you have a 32GB limit.
Get a DOS bootdisk, windows 9x startup floppy image, etc,
with FDISK on it. Boot it and run FDISK, answering "Y" to
the enable-large-disk-support (or however it's worded)
prompt. Microsoft deliberately crippled the capabilities of
WinNT for FAT32 because they want you using their
proprietary format.

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

If I remember correctly, FAT 32 cannot recognize partitions larger than 32
GB.

--
DaveW



"Dave" <davehowey@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news07ek7$tmp$1@jura.cc.ic.ac.uk...
> Hi, I'm trying to format a 61.32Gb partition as FAT32 so that it's
> readable by Windows and Linux. When I try to do the format (with win2k's
> computer management app - disk management) I get the error message 'volume
> size is too big'. Any ideas?
>
> Dave

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

DaveW wrote:

> If I remember correctly, FAT 32 cannot recognize partitions larger than 32
> GB.
>

If you read the references in previous post apparently they can be read.
Even Microsoft has information on it. So, I would have to say, you
haven't remembered correctly!

The references plainly state that 20000 & XP cannot format FAT32
partitions greater than 32 GB and that the solution is to use Win 98/Me
to do the formatting. Have you been awake at all during this discourse?
If not, then go back and read what was posted instead of making an
obviously ill informed remark!

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Dave wrote:

> Hi, I'm trying to format a 61.32Gb partition as FAT32 so that it's
> readable by Windows and Linux. When I try to do the format (with win2k's
> computer management app - disk management) I get the error message
> 'volume size is too big'. Any ideas?
>
> Dave

Format it in one of the 'Windows' machines, by which I presume you mean
Win9x, you want it to be 'compatible' with.

As an 'incentive' to get you on NTFS Windows 2000/XP won't format FAT32
over 32 gig but it'll read/write them just fine once formatted with
something else.

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 14:35:26 -0500, Dee <dee@home.net> put finger to
keyboard and composed:

>Dave wrote:
>
>> Dee wrote:
>>
>>> Dave wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi, I'm trying to format a 61.32Gb partition as FAT32 so that it's
>>>> readable by Windows and Linux. When I try to do the format (with
>>>> win2k's computer management app - disk management) I get the error
>>>> message 'volume size is too big'. Any ideas?
>>>>
>>>> Dave

http://support.microsoft.com/defau [...] us;Q314463

>>> You cannot format a partition larger than 32 GB with Windows 2000/XP.
>>> You have boot with a floppy and do the partition and formatting with
>>> either Win98SE or WinMe, but I don't remember which.
>>
>>
>> Can I do the same thing by just running CMD for a DOS command, then
>> using the 'format' command in there? Surely FAT32 with a cluster size of
>> 32Kb should be ok? Has anyone else tried this?
>>
>> Dave
>
>Didn't you read and comprehend what I posted? You have to be in either
>Win98 or WinMe. Win XP & 2000 C A N N O T perform the format! Go back
>and read everything again!

IMO, given that the vast majority of Windows users have never heard of
the command line, the question was a fair one. There is no reason to
expect that commands issued from the GUI would perform identically
with commands issued from the CLI. In fact I'd be interested to see if
Win98's format.com could be executed from Win2K's or XP's CLI. This
would be handy if one didn't have a floppy drive or a Win98 CD.

>I sincerely hope you are not a Systems Administrator somewhere! If you
>are, the company you work for should start looking for a Computer
>Professional!

Given that the OP uses Linux, and is not afraid of the CLI, I'd say he
is probably more proficient than most Windows users/administrators.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.