Can XP access a hard drive formated for Win 98?

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

"Ken" <kenandeva@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:5058d240.0408060345.1911fd3f@posting.google.com...
> Hi. Can XP access a hard drive formated for Win 98?
>
> I'm about to upgrade from a PC running Win 98 SE to a new computer
> running XP. My 98 computer has a backup internal hard drive. I'd
> like to take this drive and install it as a backup in my XP PC. The
> idea is that I'd do this as a way of transferring files on my 98 PC to
> the new XP PC.
>
> After I had the 98 hard drive installed in my XP machine, I'd transfer
> the files to the XP's main hard drive, and then reformat the 98 drive
> to be an XP drive.
>
> However, I'm thinking that XP might not be able to read a disk that
> was formatted for 98. But then, maybe it can?
>
> Anyone know?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ken

Certainly it can - XP can read all FAT formatted drives.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (More info?)

On Fri, 6 Aug 2004 20:53:01 -0700, donguz
<donguz@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I recently installed XP on a set with 98SE already installed ..........The XP
>will recognize the 98 and its programs,BUT if you are in 98, My Computer will
>not show the XP and files on the drive that XP is on ......
>
>"Ken" wrote:
>
>> Hi. Can XP access a hard drive formated for Win 98?
>>
>> I'm about to upgrade from a PC running Win 98 SE to a new computer
>> running XP. My 98 computer has a backup internal hard drive. I'd
>> like to take this drive and install it as a backup in my XP PC. The
>> idea is that I'd do this as a way of transferring files on my 98 PC to
>> the new XP PC.
>>
>> After I had the 98 hard drive installed in my XP machine, I'd transfer
>> the files to the XP's main hard drive, and then reformat the 98 drive
>> to be an XP drive.
>>
>> However, I'm thinking that XP might not be able to read a disk that
>> was formatted for 98. But then, maybe it can?
>>
>> Anyone know?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Ken
>>

This is not an absolutely direct answer to your question but it may
prove useful. I hope so. It is a copy of an anwer of mine in
another NG.

Peter

_________COPIED FROM ANOTHER NG___________________

There is (at least) one occasion when there is a very good reason
for sticking to FAT32. If you have Win98 and WinXP on the same
machine and you use drives other than C: to accommodate programs and
data which will be used by both operating systems, then you must
stick with FAT32.

The only problem that I have had with this was the need to format a
USB2 160Gb external HD with FAT32. The job was done eventually.

With advancing age my memory has decided to go into early retirement
so I try to make copious notes when doing anything unusual. Here
are my notes about FAT32 formatting large HDs.

I hope that they help somebody!

Peter

_______________________________________________________________
26th June 2004.

FORMATTING OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES.

This note has been prompted by difficulties experienced when fitting
the 160Gb HD to the i-Buddie external hard drive.

1. Important background information.

At any time this system operates with one of three selectable
bootable drives as drive C:.

The choice is made at start-up via Boot Magic immediately following
the BIOS sequence.

The three selectable drives can be any combination of Windows98-SE
and WindowsXP Pro.

Hard drives D: to O: inclusive are all common to Windows98-SE and
WindowsXP Pro. For this reason formatting of all drives has to be
FAT32 to ensure complete interchangeability of data.

2. How I set up the new HD.

(Perhaps this is not the most direct method but it worked)

As supplied the HD was neither partitioned or formatted.

Not wanting to put the data on the two internal HDs at risk I
disconnected them and temporarily connected the new HD to the end
connector on the IDE cable and one of the two free Molex power
connectors. This seemed to be logical but when booting from the
Win98-SE system floppy or Partition Magic Rescue floppies the new HD
was not detected.

I then reconnected the two internal HDs and the new HD as the
external HD.

Booting into XP1 and going to My Computer - Manage - Disk drives, I
was able to detect the external HD and make it visible.

Using Windows Explorer I attempted to FAT32 format the external HD.
This was not possible. However the HD had to be formatted so I
formatted it NTFS.

Once again, not wanting to put the data on the two internal HDs at
risk I disconnected them and temporarily connected the new HD to the
end connector on the IDE cable and one of the two free Molex power
connectors.

Booting with the Windows98-SE system disk the HD was detected. I
then ran "Delpart.exe" which deleted the partition allowing me to
use "Fdisk" and then format FAT32. It is not possible to format
FAT32 "On top" of an existing NTFS partitioned HD.

Now that the new 160 Gb HD was FAT32 formatted I reconnected the two
internal HDs and the new HD as the external HD.

Booting into XP1 I was able to use Partition Magic to re-size the
partition on the new HD. The partition is an "Extended Partition" of
156.719Gb preceded by 7.8Mb of unallocated space. There must be a
reason for that space but I have not investigated!

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