How do I format my C: partition with XP to be NTFS?

rubadub

How do I format my C: partition with XP to be NTFS?
I have gone past my registration and want to stick on W2K or anything else. What is up with microsoft not letting you install older versions on machines?

I tried putting on 98 but the boot disk would not recognise NTFS and wanted to wipe the entire drive (I have a partition I want to keep)

7aken

you can either let xp do it during setup or right click my computer> manage > storage heading > disk management > right click the disk or partition you want to format and press format. windows 98 (fat32) will not see an ntfs partition. when setting up xp you can however keep your fat32 partition, thus you wont lose any data on it provided you dont format again. (leave current file system option)

smeggle

rubadub wrote:

How do I format my C: partition with XP to be NTFS?
I have gone past my registration and want to stick on W2K or anything else. What is up with microsoft not letting you install older versions on machines?

I tried putting on 98 but the boot disk would not recognise NTFS and wanted to wipe the entire drive (I have a partition I want to keep)

em fdisk will wipe the drive. use format c: or whichever partition you want to format.

if say your drive is configured into three partitions
c:
d:
e:

you can format each individually or any one of those partitions with no affect to the other partitions. so at A: command prompt type format c:/s and only c: will be formatted. d: and e: would not be affected.

It also makes no difference if the drive is ntfs or fat - windows 98 boot disk will format anyway. Once you've formatted follow basic re-install for windows 98 and the other partitions will be available on first boot up. very rarely do you need to re-mount the partioned drive.

aidan_walsh

rubadub wrote:

What is up with microsoft not letting you install older versions on machines?

Whats stopping you? If you own a legit copy, you have every right to use it as long as you like. Don't expect them to support it forever though.

NTFS is only supported on NT-based platforms (which includes 2000 and XP), not 9x. Also, the newer the system, the newer the version of NTFS.

To convert to NTFS in XP, open a command prompt and type

convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs

rubadub

you can either let xp do it during setup or right click my computer> manage > storage heading > disk management > right click the disk or partition you want to format and press format

It wont let me format while running XP as it is the partition the OS is on. I got another copy of XP to try and format it during setup but it was an older version of XP and wont let me install it since it is older. :mad:

aidan_walsh wrote:

Whats stopping you? If you own a legit copy, you have every right to use it as long as you like.

I have legit copies of 98 and w2k. I put on XP just to get by for a month. My activation is now required. It is split into 2 partitions. I can load up in safe mode but if I try and install w2k it says it will not allow me as it is an older operating system.

I made a boot disk in XP in safe mode, when it boots all I get is a: if I type format C: I get a invalid drive message and it only appears to be a: that is recognised

aidan_walsh wrote:

convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs

will this work in safe mode tying
C: /fs:fat32
?

It also makes no difference if the drive is ntfs or fat - windows 98 boot disk will format anyway.

98 says it cannot determine the drive content and wants to format the entire thing

I thought there would be some simple program I could put on a floppy and format it, like fdisk for NTFS

Asok

Well first off "/fs:fat32" wont work.
You cannot convert an ntfs drive to fat32.

To do what you want boot from the 2k cd and when chosing the partition you want to use for your os, In this case C just select it as the install partition and if i remember my 2k installs it will ask you do you want to format it and then bajazus it will do what your after and start your 2k install.

rubadub

That would work... if my copy of W2K wasn't from my busted dell :mad:
It says it will only install on a dell PC!
If I get it running setup on XP it will not let me install as it is an older OS.

Now if I can get a E: prompt in dos I would be fine (I think), I have not tried this yet and will give it a go (the PC is in another house so I cannot try right now). The dell crap seems to be only in the boot info bits on the cd. I tried making a W2K install boot disk but get the same dell messages

aidan_walsh

rubadub wrote:

That would work... if my copy of W2K wasn't from my busted dell :mad:
It says it will only install on a dell PC!
If I get it running setup on XP it will not let me install as it is an older OS.

Now if I can get a E: prompt in dos I would be fine (I think), I have not tried this yet and will give it a go (the PC is in another house so I cannot try right now). The dell crap seems to be only in the boot info bits on the cd. I tried making a W2K install boot disk but get the same dell messages

You want to downgrade from XP to 2000? I thought you were going the other way...

Why don't you just download a free third party tool that will format the partition from DOS for you?

Asok

Ok I didnt read your first post correctly. The convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs
will work if you want to convert the drive to ntfs but if win98 isnt recognising it then it allready is ntfs. Tbh I am a little confused as what you want to do, Is it that you have a oem copy of win2k that you want to install. Or that you want to re install xp ....

rubadub

aidan_walsh wrote:

You want to downgrade from XP to 2000?

Yes

aidan_walsh wrote:

Why don't you just download a free third party tool that will format the partition from DOS for you?

Because I dont have a clue where to get such a program! all I have been trying is boot disks that wont even recognise C:
Please give me a link or name to type in google for such a program

win98 isnt recognising it then it allready is ntfs.

It is definitely NTFS

Tbh I am a little confused as what you want to do, Is it that you have a oem copy of win2k that you want to install.

I want to format the c: drive which contains XP, it is NTFS, I want to then install W2K on it. It is a dell disk with W2K which is causing further trouble.

Asok

Right well then what i first posted will work and just get yourself a working non dell 2k disk.

rubadub

I hope it will. I may get the same old thing about it being older than the OS on it. The other XP disk I got did the same thing. I will try getting a e: prompt on the drive.
I am off home now, will let you know how I got on tomorrow.

Thanks for all the advice.