NTFS Drive

[freddy]

I am trying to install Win98 SE into a drive that I think is NTFS. I booted the machine with my Win98 Boot disk. Ran Smartdrv from my win95 disk, then tried to run setup from my win98 disk.

I get an error indicating that the disk needs to partitioned becasue it may be an NTFS drive etc.

What do I do ? I dont have any partitioning tools that run from DOS.

Any help would be welcome

[Iman74]

You should have fdisk on the the Win98 bootdisk. Also, you should be able to delete and recreate as well as format the new partition all from booting to a Win98 CD

[freddy]

My system I suspect is to old to boot from my W98CD.
I cannot remember fdisk commands, but should I just r-partition, is it because Win98 cannot be installed on an un-partitioned NTFS drive ?

[freddy]

This PC has a SCSI drive that is 2-3GB. Thats all I have. I want to get it running for my daughter for basic stuff. I will install windows 98SE on it.
What is the minimum partition size it will work on ?
Does the problem lie with the fact that this is a NTFS formatted drive?
Can I re-format the NTFS to make sure it is clean ?, If so how do I do it, format does not seem to work

Thanks for your patience

[Tuf]

Win9X won't work on a NTFS partition. You wil have to format it using FAT. If it is 2-3 GBs and you only want one partition use FAT32. It will ask you if you want to enable large disk support, select yes.

[Iman74]

It's simple.

-Boot to the win98 bootdisk
-at the a:\ prompt type fdisk
-then the rest is self explanatory. Just read the questions it asks you.

[freddy]

I cant seem to format the disk. From my A:> it say cannot format, is it because maybe it is an NTFS formatted disk. If so what command can I use to format th drive. I noticed there is an adptor card, that on booting allows me to access some options, I initiated a format, but not sure if it will be FAT32 or continue to be NTFS. As I paln to install W98, I will need FAT32, if someone can shed some light

Thanks

[Markoman01027]

When you boot up into Windows 98S setup, you should be able to format the drive and create a new partition(FAT32).

Since it is a NTFS partition, you cannot boot up and run FDISK, since it will not recognize it. That is why you need to boot up into WIN98 setup.

[Markoman01027]

FDISK only works with FAT, FAT16, and FAT32 file systems. Since you are running a NTFS partition, you will not be able to format/partition the drive, aswell as enter FDISK, since NTFS does not have that as a valid command in DOS.

Just run Windows 98 Setup and you will be fine. it will just format, delete the partition, and create a new one for you with FAT32.

[freddy]

Do you mean Boot the system with a Win98 disk ?. I did that and ran fdisk. I created 1 partition and said yes to support large drive. But it never asked if I wanted to convert to FAT32.
So where did I go wrong ?
The machine has a SCSI adaptor card and I am in its propoerties and requested a drive format which is taking forever ? But am not sure what format it format my drive NTFS or FAT32 ?

[freddy]

Win98 setup wont run as it indicates that NTFS found on drive and then stops back into C prompt. Boy it looks really messed up....now it cannot find C:/ and renamed main Drive to D:/ and win98 cannot find C to install. How do I rename drive to C:/

Thanks for you help

[freddy]

Here is where I am....Format was suiccesssful via the Adaptor card menu.
Booted the machine with my Win98 Boot Disk
Placed my win98 in CDROM and ran setup
Message: Cannot Create temp Directory...if you have HPFS or NTFS you will need a boot partition....

[GaryRouth]

Hi Freddy

Try this: go to http://www.bootdisk.com and download the utility called delpart.exe (it's down near the bottom of the list of downloads . . . it's about 120k or so [tiny]). Add it to your floppy bootdisk & run it from the A: prompt. Delete all partitions. You can then run fdisk to create one Primary DOS partition. Then you can reboot to your Win98 bootdisk, start setup, and let Win98 format the drive for you (it will offer to do so). And when it asks, say "Y"(YES) to "Enable Large Disk Support?" [Large Disk Support in Win98 Setup = FAT32].

Post again if you need more help - best of luck,
. . . Gary

[p.s. - to run delpart.exe, simply type delpart.exe at the A: prompt. I believe you will need to restart the computer before you proceed to the fdisk. - (After you delete the partition, you reboot to the A: prompt - then type fdisk and create the primary DOS partition - then reboot, and run Win98 SetUp.) ...]

[freddy]

I used DELPART.exe and it indicated there were no partitions...So I used my Win98 Bootdisk and Booted and ran fdisk and created Large disk support with DOS Partition........
I guess as my disk is small I created one large partition....
It indicated that I need to format my partition.....What Next,
Do I reboot with my WIN98 boot disk or ?

[GaryRouth]

yes, reboot with the Win98 bootdisk and run SetUp - it will offer to format the drive for you. By saying yes to enable large disk support it will format with FAT32

Good Luck
. . . Gary

[freddy]

Re-bbot without Boot disk just freezes, indicating missing O/S
re-boot with Win98 boot disk, cannot find C: drive seems to have renamed it D:

[freddy]

Done that Ran Setup from my win98 disk.....
Scan regsitry and indicates Windows requires 7340032 bytes on my C:...nothing else comes up, I guess with the drive being renamed (no idea how) seems I have a A: and D; drive
Nothing happening or very slow....

[freddy]

I am trying to Install Win98SE and using a WIN98 Boot does that matter, and also CD ROM support could that be an issue as this computer shows up with a SCSI CD-ROM etc
Not Sure what is going on....!!!!

[freddy]

Ok even tried my WIN95 Setup and it says needs...7340032 bytes on my C:, So what happend to my C: after FDISK, no idea, seemed to have created D: and thats it....

Thanks for any help

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

Try the whole thing again.
1) Boot to a Win98se bootdisk (if you don't have a Win98se bootdisk, download it from bootdisk.com) that has delpart.exe on it.
2) Run the delpart.exe program (by typing delpart.exe at the A: prompt) - Delete all partitions.
3) Reboot with a Win98se bootdisk.
4) Type fdisk
5) Select option 4 to view partition information. You should have no partitions there at all. If any are listed, exit that screen and try the delete option. If none are listed, move on to:
6) Select "Create Primary DOS partition" - it will "verify disk integrity"
6) After it has created the partition, it will let you know that it needs to be formatted - you can let the Win98 SetUp program do this.
7) Reboot to the Win98se bootdisk. Switch to the drive letter for your Cd drive (put the Win98se cd-rom there). For example, if the Cd drive is D: then simply type D: at the A: prompt.
8) Once you are at the right drive letter prompt for your cd-rom, type Setup. (to make sure you are at the right prompt, type dir . . . if you are in the right place, you will see a list of directories, one of which will be \Win98)
9) When Win98se offers to format the drive, say Yes to enable large disk support.

That should do it.
Good luck again.
. . . Gary

[freddy]

EUREKA.....Thanks....I Guess after the FDISK, it could not find C: because the drive was not formatted, I just used format c: command, completed and now been able to install WIN98

THANKS for your time...hopefully will return the favor sometime

[GaryRouth]

Sometimes we just keep trying, and by golly = success.
Nice work

. . . Gary