Formatting and partitioning

[davidovitch]

I wanna start using my new system (finally) but I'm not sure about how to format and partition the HD.
I've got a windowsXP disk and I've been told that there's a menu to make partitions when you run that. But how about formatting? Should I use a boot-floppy and format the HD in DOS before I do anything? Or does the windowsXP disk also take care of formatting before installing windows?

Oh, I almost forgot: What about FAT32 or NTFS? What's the difference between those?

Thanks for any help:)

[james8547]

XP will format the HD for you too when you install it :)

As for FAT32 and NTFS, I don't know the specific details but NTFS is a much better file system. It prevents lost file clusters. You definitely want to go with NTFS.

[corosus]

i recommend using a secondary partition to store your data, that would make things verry easy IF you ever have to do a format C:
(i prefer fat32 for this since i can acess it using a DOS bootdisk and using linux... but that's up to the individual user i guess, i know ntfs is supposed to be more reliable, but i have never lost data on a fat 32 that i would not have also lost on an NTFS, i did however once have an incident with a fat32 partiont that i "lost" (the partition table got compromised) while putting in a new master HD and a buddy of mine that is a linux expert was able to recover it, and i am not sure wheter or not tyis would have worked wilt NTFS

[davidovitch]

Ok. But isn't there a downside to NTFS opposed to FAT32?
I just wanna make sure..

[Confused]

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Chas