I have a "spare" laptop HD with XP OS installed.
I now wish to use this HD for portable data storage only.
I have a USB enclosure case for it, with cable.
How do I prepare this spare HD for data storage please?
> I have a "spare" laptop HD with XP OS installed.
> I now wish to use this HD for portable data storage only.
> I have a USB enclosure case for it, with cable.
> How do I prepare this spare HD for data storage please?
Will that involve Fdisk, then format ?
Sorry, but I am a novice in this field and wish to format correctly.
"Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6a5q42F368mcaU1@mid.individual.net...
> Terry <terrybetts11138@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I have a "spare" laptop HD with XP OS installed.
>> I now wish to use this HD for portable data storage only.
>> I have a USB enclosure case for it, with cable.
>
>> How do I prepare this spare HD for data storage please?
>
> Just format it.
>
No, format alone is all you need. The only use of fdisk is to repartion it
and with XP its better to repartition the drive using Disk Management if
you do need to change the existing partition(s) on the drive.
> Sorry, but I am a novice in this field and wish to format correctly.
Thats fine, thats what these technical newsgroups are for.
> Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote
>> Terry <terrybetts11138@hotmail.com> wrote
>>> I have a "spare" laptop HD with XP OS installed.
>>> I now wish to use this HD for portable data storage only.
>>> I have a USB enclosure case for it, with cable.
>>> How do I prepare this spare HD for data storage please?
Terry wrote:
> Will that involve Fdisk, then format ?
> Sorry, but I am a novice in this field and wish to format correctly.
If you're using Windows 2000/2K, you can partition and format the drive
from Drive Management. You'll find that in Control Panel >
Administrative Tools > Computer Management.
You probably won't need to partition the drive, just format it.
Terry wrote:
>>> Will that involve Fdisk, then format ?
>>> Sorry, but I am a novice in this field and wish to format correctly.
"Grinder" wrote:
>> If you're using Windows 2000/2K, you can partition and
>> format the drive from Drive Management. You'll find that in
>> Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management.
>>
>> You probably won't need to partition the drive, just format it.
Terry wrote:
> Thanks Grinder
>
> Win XP installed on spare drive.
> Do I format it via Dos or ??
> Also do I need to add the "S" after the word c:\format /?
I'm not sure what you mean by "spare drive." If you're talking about
the drive you want to format, it doesn't matter what's installed on it now.
If you're running Windows XP or 2000 *when* you want to format that
ancillary drive, I would recommend using Disk Management. You'll find
that here in XP:
Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management >
Disk Management
Or, here in 2000:
Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer
Management > Disk Management
If your drive is properly jumpered and installed, you should see it in
the list of drives. It will show any partitions and free space on the
drive. Right-click a partition to get a menu that should include Format.
A word about formats. For Windows 95 and up, there are basically two
file systems that have been used: FAT32 and NTFS. NTFS is newer and has
higher maximum file and volume size limits, as well as some additional
features. There are some that dispute the reliability and
recoverability of NTFS volumes, but I have no difficulty recommending it.
If you use Disk Management to format your disk, you will be given the
option to choose the format. If you use "format" from a command prompt,
you will have to use the /FS:filesystem option to set the format type.
I don't know what the "/s" option is, but if you're using an older
format command, like say from a Windows 95 startup disk, you won't even
be able to format a disk for NTFS.
On Thu, 29 May 2008 22:08:10 GMT, Grinder
<grinder@no.spam.maam.com> wrote:
>Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer
>Management > Disk Management
>
>If your drive is properly jumpered and installed, you should see it in
>the list of drives. It will show any partitions and free space on the
>drive. Right-click a partition to get a menu that should include Format.
No need to even go into Disk Management, you can right click
a drive in my computer and format... assuming drive
currently has only one partition and that's how the OP
wants it. Personally, I think I would rather duplicate the
laptop's (assuming OP has one) hard drive onto this second
one on a first partition as one stage of a backup strategy,
leaving the majority of the drive as a second partition for
the data.
>
>A word about formats. For Windows 95 and up, there are basically two
>file systems that have been used: FAT32 and NTFS. NTFS is newer and has
>higher maximum file and volume size limits,
OP was thinking about formatting in DOS, so the 32GB
artificial limit XP places on FAT32 volumes is removed.
>as well as some additional
>features. There are some that dispute the reliability and
>recoverability of NTFS volumes, but I have no difficulty recommending it.
Well I am one that disputes the usefulness of the
reliability and recoverability differences since in most
cases it's either data corrupt by an instable system itself
or drive failure so for practical purposes either file
system will work, but NTFS is certainly no /less/reliable or
recoverable, unless the person using it had a desire for a
DOS environment and tools booted from that drive... since
DOS won't natively recognize NTFS as it's own boot volume,
has to have a driver or software running for that.
>
>If you use Disk Management to format your disk, you will be given the
>option to choose the format. If you use "format" from a command prompt,
>you will have to use the /FS:filesystem option to set the format type.
>
>I don't know what the "/s" option is, but if you're using an older
>format command, like say from a Windows 95 startup disk, you won't even
>be able to format a disk for NTFS.
Format /s is from DOS, it puts (S)ystem files on so the
FAT(nn) volume is bootable.
Thanks Grinder.
I do not have "Administrative Tools" shown via control panel as you
suggest...strange!!
Sorry ...yes that "spare" drive is the one I want to format.
I intend to "swap" my current laptop HD for above drive, then do the
formatting etc.
Terry
"Grinder" <grinder@no.spam.maam.com> wrote in message
news:ePF%j.185775$yE1.3257@attbi_s21...
> Terry wrote:
> >>> Will that involve Fdisk, then format ?
> >>> Sorry, but I am a novice in this field and wish to format correctly.
>
> "Grinder" wrote:
> >> If you're using Windows 2000/2K, you can partition and
> >> format the drive from Drive Management. You'll find that in
> >> Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management.
> >>
> >> You probably won't need to partition the drive, just format it.
>
> Terry wrote:
>> Thanks Grinder
>>
>> Win XP installed on spare drive.
>> Do I format it via Dos or ??
>> Also do I need to add the "S" after the word c:\format /?
>
> I'm not sure what you mean by "spare drive." If you're talking about the
> drive you want to format, it doesn't matter what's installed on it now.
>
> If you're running Windows XP or 2000 *when* you want to format that
> ancillary drive, I would recommend using Disk Management. You'll find
> that here in XP:
>
> Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk
> Management
>
> Or, here in 2000:
>
> Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer
> Management > Disk Management
>
> If your drive is properly jumpered and installed, you should see it in the
> list of drives. It will show any partitions and free space on the drive.
> Right-click a partition to get a menu that should include Format.
>
> A word about formats. For Windows 95 and up, there are basically two file
> systems that have been used: FAT32 and NTFS. NTFS is newer and has higher
> maximum file and volume size limits, as well as some additional features.
> There are some that dispute the reliability and recoverability of NTFS
> volumes, but I have no difficulty recommending it.
>
> If you use Disk Management to format your disk, you will be given the
> option to choose the format. If you use "format" from a command prompt,
> you will have to use the /FS:filesystem option to set the format type.
>
> I don't know what the "/s" option is, but if you're using an older format
> command, like say from a Windows 95 startup disk, you won't even be able
> to format a disk for NTFS.
Thank you Kony...see my reply to Grinder.
Terry
"kony" <spam@spam.com> wrote in message
news:i3du34d87sk6m42slt6u5gfca9flja6c09@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 29 May 2008 22:08:10 GMT, Grinder
> <grinder@no.spam.maam.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer
>>Management > Disk Management
>>
>>If your drive is properly jumpered and installed, you should see it in
>>the list of drives. It will show any partitions and free space on the
>>drive. Right-click a partition to get a menu that should include Format.
>
> No need to even go into Disk Management, you can right click
> a drive in my computer and format... assuming drive
> currently has only one partition and that's how the OP
> wants it. Personally, I think I would rather duplicate the
> laptop's (assuming OP has one) hard drive onto this second
> one on a first partition as one stage of a backup strategy,
> leaving the majority of the drive as a second partition for
> the data.
>
>
>>
>>A word about formats. For Windows 95 and up, there are basically two
>>file systems that have been used: FAT32 and NTFS. NTFS is newer and has
>>higher maximum file and volume size limits,
>
> OP was thinking about formatting in DOS, so the 32GB
> artificial limit XP places on FAT32 volumes is removed.
>
>
>>as well as some additional
>>features. There are some that dispute the reliability and
>>recoverability of NTFS volumes, but I have no difficulty recommending it.
>
> Well I am one that disputes the usefulness of the
> reliability and recoverability differences since in most
> cases it's either data corrupt by an instable system itself
> or drive failure so for practical purposes either file
> system will work, but NTFS is certainly no /less/reliable or
> recoverable, unless the person using it had a desire for a
> DOS environment and tools booted from that drive... since
> DOS won't natively recognize NTFS as it's own boot volume,
> has to have a driver or software running for that.
>
>
>>
>>If you use Disk Management to format your disk, you will be given the
>>option to choose the format. If you use "format" from a command prompt,
>>you will have to use the /FS:filesystem option to set the format type.
>>
>>I don't know what the "/s" option is, but if you're using an older
>>format command, like say from a Windows 95 startup disk, you won't even
>>be able to format a disk for NTFS.
>
> Format /s is from DOS, it puts (S)ystem files on so the
> FAT(nn) volume is bootable.
>
On Fri, 30 May 2008 08:52:07 +0100, "Terry"
<terrybetts11138@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Thanks Grinder.
>I do not have "Administrative Tools" shown via control panel as you
>suggest...strange!!
>Sorry ...yes that "spare" drive is the one I want to format.
At the start menu -> Run box you can type "diskmgmt.msc" to
start disk management, though as mentioned previously you
can just right click to format a drive in My Computer, no
need to run Disk Management just to do that.
To show Administrative Tools on your start menu, you can
right click on the taskbar and choose properties, then
there's a checkbox or something to "Display Administrative
Tools".
format laptop hd..help please 
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