Formatting an External Hard Drive

[Rubicante]

i've got an external hard drive (USB 2.0) that i need to format to FAT32 for my buddy to use, so he can transfer files from his PC at home to the Macs at his school's computer lab. however, the option to format to FAT32 is not available in Disk Manager. Anybody know how to resolve this, or get around it?

 

[LTC8K6]

It's probably too big for FAT32. You may have to make 2 or more partitions. XP and 2K limit FAT32 drives to 32GB, for example. If the drive is bigger than that, you will only get the NTFS option.

You can use the drive MFR's tools to partition the drive.

XP and 2K can read FAT32 drives larger than 32GB if they have been formatted already. Perhaps you can format it on the mac?

 

[Rubicante]

Getting to a Mac right now would be a pain, but I guess it's an option... Aren't there any utilities that will do it within XP (Partition Magic?) It's a 120GB drive, so that means a whole lot of 32GB partitions. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I'm running XP Pro...)

 

[jt63]

You could just create how many FAT32 partitions you need and make the rest NTFS

 

[imported_Cooch]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6XP and 2K limit FAT32 drives to 32GB, for example. If the drive is bigger than that, you will only get the NTFS option.

That's absolutely incorrect. I first started out with a 40 GB HDD with Win98 SE isntalled. Then i upgraded it to 80 GB.

Later when i upgraded my OS to W2K, i bought a 200 GB HDD.

 

[thirdlegstump]

partition magic will format that sucka

 

[Rubicante]

Originally posted by: Cooch

Originally posted by: LTC8K6XP and 2K limit FAT32 drives to 32GB, for example. If the drive is bigger than that, you will only get the NTFS option.

That's absolutely incorrect. I first started out with a 40 GB HDD with Win98 SE isntalled. Then i upgraded it to 80 GB.

Later when i upgraded my OS to W2K, i bought a 200 GB HDD.

It's true when you're using WinXP Setup. I can't find any information about going back later and reformatting a secondary drive to FAT32. In any case, if deathkobra is right, then I'll grab Partition Magic. Been looking for an excuse to get it anyway.

 

[imported_Cooch]

Originally posted by: RubicanteIt's true when you're using WinXP Setup.

No it's not Rubicante. Both XP and W2K are NT based OSes.

You just missed a recent rebate/sale going on for Norton PM 8.0; didn't the external drive come with sort of setup software when you bought it?

 

[rileychris]

I just did this on an external 160 GB firewire drive. I formated the whole drive with Partition Magic 8.0 in WinXP to NTFS (one 160 GB partition) then converted the whole partition to Fat32 using the same. It then worked fine with the Mac and my PC.

 

[thirdlegstump]

With PM, you should be able to format that drive in 1 step in it's full size. I've done it numerous times before for my Mac clients.

 

[corkyg]

Echo! Via Partition Magic 8!

 

[Rubicante]

Originally posted by: Cooch

Originally posted by: RubicanteIt's true when you're using WinXP Setup.

No it's not Rubicante. Both XP and W2K are NT based OSes.

You just missed a recent rebate/sale going on for Norton PM 8.0; didn't the external drive come with sort of setup software when you bought it?

I did miss the debate, apparently, but I was just going off of the info I found on the Microsoft site.

Text

Although Windows 2000 and Windows XP Professional can mount FAT32 volumes of any size, Windows 2000 and Windows XP Professional can format FAT32 volumes up to 32 GB only.

The same info is given out not only on Microsoft's site but numerous other sites, based a little Googling i did.

Anyway... the point is, I'm gonna use Partition Magic. Thanks for the help.

 

[LTC8K6]

Cooch, Win98 does not have the 32GB limit. If you formatted the 40GB drive in win98, XP and NT would read it just fine, just as they will if you format it with 3rd party programs.

MS feels that NTFS is what you should be using for drives larger than 32GB, so they took the choice away from you in XP.