How to reformat NTFS Hdrive back to Fat32?

b104 · 24th Nov 2005, 10:02 PM

I did'nt think I would have to ask this question but ,how can I reformat a 10gb ata hard drive back to fat32 from NTFS?
I remember now that it is'nt as straight forward as running fdisk.I unplugged my SATA drive & loaded the startup floppy but it eventually says no drives detected.The startup disc is from (ME)correction<I mean't to write XP not millenium. but am certain it is the same as a 98 stup disc.Either the drive is stuffed or I'm doing something wrong. Any ideas?

P.S. I dont have any hard drive software. i.e Partition magic etc.

Adrian Wong · 24th Nov 2005, 10:24 PM

Hmm.. As far as I'm aware, it's as simple as running FDISK and deleting the partition and creating a new partition before formatting it as FAT32.

Your problem may be because of your SATA controller. It may require a driver to be loaded (press F6 at the Windows XP installation process) first for drives attached to it to be detected.

zy · 24th Nov 2005, 10:46 PM

hmmm .. you can use Windows XP to format it .. or using fdisk

the steps are not complicated ..

PsYkHoTiK · 25th Nov 2005, 12:09 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...and_fat32.mspx

Dashken · 25th Nov 2005, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsYkHoTiK

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...and_fat32.mspx

Still doesn't answer the question.

b104 · 26th Nov 2005, 09:23 PM

Now that I corrected the original Q from ME. to XP,I dont think it fixes anything anyway.I disconnected the SATA drive & left only the 10gb ata via an ATA cable.Even though I want to install 98 not se,I used a ME startup disk which I dont think causes any problems.(unless being created from an oem Gateway version would cause any dramas!).It loads up the st up prog but when I try to format it says no disks detected.I tried the XP disc to format but nothing as well.
P.S. Again Im sure I read somewhere ages ago that reverting back to 9x after formatting adisk with ntfs was not as straight forward as it should be!

Adrian Wong · 26th Nov 2005, 11:05 PM

Err.. Wait a minute. When you used the Windows XP start up disc, did it ask you to press F6 to load third-party drivers?

When you are prompted to do so, press F6 and insert the floppy disk containing the driver for your SATA controller.

Otherwise, the operating system won't be able to detect and initialize the drive.

PsYkHoTiK · 27th Nov 2005, 01:04 AM

Hmm. I read it wrongly then. As far as I know, u cant convert NTFS back to FAT32 through windows. Anyways, why would u want to do that?

zy · 27th Nov 2005, 01:48 AM

huh ? .. as far a i know you can convert from FAT32 to NTFS in Windows XP .. but not the otehr way round

PsYkHoTiK · 27th Nov 2005, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zy

huh ? .. as far a i know you can convert from FAT32 to NTFS in Windows XP .. but not the otehr way round

typo pwns meh

24th Nov 2005, 10:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
b104 Getting there Join Date: 18 Aug 2004 Location: Ex-Tokyo shoebox renter Posts: 230 Reputation: 28 Rep Power: 5	How to reformat NTFS Hdrive back to Fat32? I did'nt think I would have to ask this question but ,how can I reformat a 10gb ata hard drive back to fat32 from NTFS? I remember now that it is'nt as straight forward as running fdisk.I unplugged my SATA drive & loaded the startup floppy but it eventually says no drives detected.The startup disc is from (ME)correction<I mean't to write XP not millenium. but am certain it is the same as a 98 stup disc.Either the drive is stuffed or I'm doing something wrong. Any ideas? P.S. I dont have any hard drive software. i.e Partition magic etc. __________________ B104 Last edited by b104 : 26th Nov 2005 at 09:12 PM.

24th Nov 2005, 10:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
Adrian Wong Da Boss Join Date: 10 Oct 2002 Location: In front of my ASUS F8V notebook! Posts: 30,382 Reputation: 3147 Rep Power: 68	Hmm.. As far as I'm aware, it's as simple as running FDISK and deleting the partition and creating a new partition before formatting it as FAT32. Your problem may be because of your SATA controller. It may require a driver to be loaded (press F6 at the Windows XP installation process) first for drives attached to it to be detected. __________________ Dr. Adrian Wong Tech ARP \| Blog @ Tech ARP \| The Free Trade Zone DYKT : The only offshore account I have is at the sand bank? We need PROGRAMMERS and TECHNICAL WRITERS! Contact us if you are a hot shot programmer or technical writer! My items for sale : 50x SD Card \| Memory Stick PRO \| Cyclone Energy Saver \| Seiko SS watch \| Tiger/Carlsberg beer jugs \| Travel Speakers \| Motorola V600 \| Nokia N90 SOLD! \| New Lowepro Mini Trekker AW Other items for sale @ the FTZ : Zalman CNPS9500 LED @ $20 \| Zalman CNPS7700 Cu @ $20 \| Zalman CNPS7000 Cu @ $20 \| Swarovski bracelet watches \| Dell 17" LCD \| Hi-Fi speakers \| English DIVX movies \| HP LaserJet toners! \| Office chairs

24th Nov 2005, 10:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
zy Dead Join Date: 16 Dec 2002 Location: Penang,Malaysia - Buffalo,New York Posts: 12,884 Reputation: 2064 Rep Power: 39	hmmm .. you can use Windows XP to format it .. or using fdisk the steps are not complicated .. __________________ current: P4-3.2\|P4P800-Deluxe\|512x4-DDR\|NV6600 WD2500KS\|WD5000AAKS\|AD-7191A\|1860NX\|Z2300\|MP470 home (malaysia): P4C-2.6@3.1-StockHSF\|AI7\|256x2-BT-D43\|512x2-DT-D43\|A9600XT-VIVO WD1200JB\|2xWD2500KS\|DRU-800A\|DVD-E616P\|LTR-52327S\|152x\|V.S.4121\|iP1500 laptop: M1210\|T7200\|2GBDDR667\|160GB5K160\|GO7400

25th Nov 2005, 12:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
PsYkHoTiK "Little" Devil Join Date: 8 Apr 2004 Location: On the "throne" Posts: 14,385 Reputation: 4069 Rep Power: 59	http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...and_fat32.mspx __________________ Intel SLAPL 4.3GHz @ 1.35v : 2x2GB OCZ Platinum DDR2 1066 : Asus P5K Premium : WD RE3 250GB x2 RAID 0 : 3ware 9650SE-2LP : G92 8800GTS 512mb 820MHz Core : XFi Platinum : Silverstone OP650 : Silverstone TJ-07 : Dtek FuZion CPU : Swiftech MCW60 : MCP655 : Thermochill PA120.3 w Scythe Ultra Kaze CPU-Z: SLAPL : SLA9U : FX-55 : DDR 600 : VX www.techarp.com PsYkHoTiK's Meanderings

26th Nov 2005, 09:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
b104 Getting there Join Date: 18 Aug 2004 Location: Ex-Tokyo shoebox renter Posts: 230 Reputation: 28 Rep Power: 5	Now that I corrected the original Q from ME. to XP,I dont think it fixes anything anyway.I disconnected the SATA drive & left only the 10gb ata via an ATA cable.Even though I want to install 98 not se,I used a ME startup disk which I dont think causes any problems.(unless being created from an oem Gateway version would cause any dramas!).It loads up the st up prog but when I try to format it says no disks detected.I tried the XP disc to format but nothing as well. P.S. Again Im sure I read somewhere ages ago that reverting back to 9x after formatting adisk with ntfs was not as straight forward as it should be! __________________ B104 Last edited by b104 : 26th Nov 2005 at 09:39 PM.

26th Nov 2005, 11:05 PM	#7 (permalink)
Adrian Wong Da Boss Join Date: 10 Oct 2002 Location: In front of my ASUS F8V notebook! Posts: 30,382 Reputation: 3147 Rep Power: 68	Err.. Wait a minute. When you used the Windows XP start up disc, did it ask you to press F6 to load third-party drivers? When you are prompted to do so, press F6 and insert the floppy disk containing the driver for your SATA controller. Otherwise, the operating system won't be able to detect and initialize the drive. __________________ Dr. Adrian Wong Tech ARP \| Blog @ Tech ARP \| The Free Trade Zone DYKT : The only offshore account I have is at the sand bank? We need PROGRAMMERS and TECHNICAL WRITERS! Contact us if you are a hot shot programmer or technical writer! My items for sale : 50x SD Card \| Memory Stick PRO \| Cyclone Energy Saver \| Seiko SS watch \| Tiger/Carlsberg beer jugs \| Travel Speakers \| Motorola V600 \| Nokia N90 SOLD! \| New Lowepro Mini Trekker AW Other items for sale @ the FTZ : Zalman CNPS9500 LED @ $20 \| Zalman CNPS7700 Cu @ $20 \| Zalman CNPS7000 Cu @ $20 \| Swarovski bracelet watches \| Dell 17" LCD \| Hi-Fi speakers \| English DIVX movies \| HP LaserJet toners! \| Office chairs

27th Nov 2005, 01:04 AM	#8 (permalink)
PsYkHoTiK "Little" Devil Join Date: 8 Apr 2004 Location: On the "throne" Posts: 14,385 Reputation: 4069 Rep Power: 59	Hmm. I read it wrongly then. As far as I know, u cant convert NTFS back to FAT32 through windows. Anyways, why would u want to do that? __________________ Intel SLAPL 4.3GHz @ 1.35v : 2x2GB OCZ Platinum DDR2 1066 : Asus P5K Premium : WD RE3 250GB x2 RAID 0 : 3ware 9650SE-2LP : G92 8800GTS 512mb 820MHz Core : XFi Platinum : Silverstone OP650 : Silverstone TJ-07 : Dtek FuZion CPU : Swiftech MCW60 : MCP655 : Thermochill PA120.3 w Scythe Ultra Kaze CPU-Z: SLAPL : SLA9U : FX-55 : DDR 600 : VX www.techarp.com PsYkHoTiK's Meanderings Last edited by PsYkHoTiK : 27th Nov 2005 at 02:57 AM.

27th Nov 2005, 01:48 AM	#9 (permalink)
zy Dead Join Date: 16 Dec 2002 Location: Penang,Malaysia - Buffalo,New York Posts: 12,884 Reputation: 2064 Rep Power: 39	huh ? .. as far a i know you can convert from FAT32 to NTFS in Windows XP .. but not the otehr way round __________________ current: P4-3.2\|P4P800-Deluxe\|512x4-DDR\|NV6600 WD2500KS\|WD5000AAKS\|AD-7191A\|1860NX\|Z2300\|MP470 home (malaysia): P4C-2.6@3.1-StockHSF\|AI7\|256x2-BT-D43\|512x2-DT-D43\|A9600XT-VIVO WD1200JB\|2xWD2500KS\|DRU-800A\|DVD-E616P\|LTR-52327S\|152x\|V.S.4121\|iP1500 laptop: M1210\|T7200\|2GBDDR667\|160GB5K160\|GO7400