Computer Hope
Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows NT/2000 => Topic started by: idiot69 on November 14, 2005, 11:35:36 AM
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I have a Dell CPx laptop that "had" Windows 2k Pro on it when I got it. I wanted to change it over to Windows 98, which I have a full version disc, along with the SE update cd. The harddrive was partitioned into 5gb and 15gb partitions, in NTFS format.
Using fdisk from a boot disk I downloaded I have managed to delete what was a working OS, but cannot get Win98 to enter setup. In fdisk I see the 2 partitions but the smaller one I formatted using the bootdisk shows as FAT12.
As my username indicates, I am NOT very experienced in this stuff. I want to end up with Windows 98SE on this unit, but I don't know how to format the existing drive as FAT 32. I know enough to know I have to at least get the 5gb partition into FAT32 to load the Win98 OS onto. Then from windows I think I can reformat the larger partition.
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Where did you get the bootdisk from? Is it a '98 bootdisk? Did you delete the old partitions and make new ones, and did you remember to Enable Large Drive Support and set the C: drive active?
I presume that the D: drive is a Logical partition within an Extended DOS partition?
20 GB (Metric size) = 18.6264514923 GB (binary size) = 19073.49 MegaBytes.
The C: drive should be 5120 MB or 5 GB.
The Extended partition should take up the rest of the drive and the Logical will be approximately 13953.49 MB or 13.63 GB.
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"Then from windows I think I can reformat the larger partition."
Better to re-make the partitions with fdisk and format both drives after re-booting, then install Windows.
If you have problems deleting the old partitions try DELPART.
See the link at the foot of this post.
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Before I found your replies I re-ran the fdisk and format and did get the 5gb partition to FAT32.
I am using a WinME boot cd I dl'd online. And all you comments are correct about the "enable large drive" and the sizes of partitions. BUT... I could not get the larger partition to delete with fdisk. It showed to be an Ext dos partition.
I tried every delete option and it would say "cannot delete as long as logical drives exist", so I would try to delete logical drives and click that partition and it would say "no logical drives exist"
I am now running the Win98 install on the 5gb partition. It warned me that there is an NTFS partition that will not be accessible with W98. Does that mean it will not recognize it enough to even reformat it?
Am I going to lose the 15gb partition if I complete the install, or can I still go back and use the fdisk/format utilites and not affect the partition with W98?
Sorry for the dumb questions, but I don't know the answers.
Thanks for your help!!!
ken
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If there is an NTFS partition you need to use DELPART to delete it, as you are unable to using fdisk.
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If there is an NTFS partition you need to use DELPART to delete it, as you are unable to using fdisk.
That is certainly true with a Windows 98 boot disk, Mac. However, Microsoft enabled the Windows ME boot disk to delete NTFS partitions so those who had Windows 2000 previously installed could install Windows ME instead.
Idiot:
Delete all logical drives, then delete all the partitions, then create one partition, then reboot and use the
FORMAT command to format the one partition. If you enable large disk support, it will format the partition with FAT32 instead of FAT16.
Let Mac or i know if you need more assistance.
Best regards,
Doc
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That is certainly true with a Windows 98 boot disk, Mac. However, Microsoft enabled the Windows ME boot disk to delete NTFS partitions so those who had Windows 2000 previously installed could install Windows ME instead.
I am trying to wean those using XP off anything to do with '98 / ME as they start using daft things like fdisk. ;D
Delete all logical drives, then delete all the partitions, then create one partition, then reboot and use the FORMAT command to FULL format the one partition.
If you enable large disk support, it will format the partition with FAT32 instead of FAT16.
Let Mac or I know if you need more assistance.
Best regards,
Doc
Hey! It's the 16th of November and I didn't get Vista Beta 2 yet.
What happened? Someone assassinate Bill Gates?