Re: increasing hard drive size

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

On 20 Jan 2008 12:10:21 GMT, "C.Joseph Drayton" <csdcs@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

On 20 Jan 2008 00:33:55 GMT, "C.Joseph Drayton" <csdcs@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

bsfoss@xxxxxxxx wrote:

i am trying to go from windows98 to xp. With my win98 i had 2 hard
drives, 1 6gig the other is a 120gig(this one is partitioned 3
times 20gig each, i could not get more than this, i assume
because of win98) i am now on xp but can only get 30 gig on the
120gig drive, i cant see the other 2 partitons. i read somewhere
if i use fat32 i can only get 30gig partitions, is this true? i
dont want to use NTFS because of some of my older games. i am
running an old computer (pentium 700) it has 512 mb of ram. if i
install xp on the 6gig(it would not let me do this because of the
i386 crap) could i then format my 120gig to be 120gig or do i
still have to partition it? if so do i have partitioned 4 times
to get the whole 120gig? the data on both disks i dont care about
because i already backed up what i needed. if anyone knows how to
fix thanx.

The Problem is that WindowsXP cannot format a partition larger than
32GB.


Perhaps you know this and just omitted the important word, but that's
not correct. It should read "Windows XP cannot format a FAT32
partition larger than 32GB."


Use a 3rd party partition manager like GParted and the download and
run the 3rd party application 'fat32format.exe' you can find it by
doing a Google search.


No third-party program is needed. Regular MSDOS FDISK and FORMAT work
just fine.


If you can't find it, e-mail me and I will send it to
you.



Not to accuse you of anything, but these days it would foolhardy of
bsfoss or anyone else here to accept an executable program sent to him
by a stranger on a newsgroup. The risk is simply too great. Instead if
you want to recommend a program to someone, post a link to a reputable
site where he can download it.


1) Since we were discussing FAT32 that was a given


Assumptions like that get people in trouble all the time. Being
explicit is far better than assuming people will treat what *you*
think of as a given is correct.


2) If the OP wants to stay in WindowsXP rather than run a MS-DOS boot
disk than he needs a 3rd party utility that will run in WindowsXP

3) That is what anti-virus scanners are for.


I completely disagree. Anti-virus programs substantially *reduce* the
risk of infection, They do not and *can* not eliminate that risk
entirely. Yes, by all means use them, but don't rely on them alone.
Practicing safe hex is still required.


People send me EXEs all
the time. The first thing I do is scan them. A decent browser will have
an extension that can be set to automatically scan all downloaded EXEs.


Two points:

1. There is a great difference between the risk of an executable
program sent to you by someone you know and a stranger on a newsgroup.

2. Even if the executable is sent to you by your brother or best
friend, there is always a risk. Even if the attachment legitimately
comes from a friend, it can contain a virus. I'm not suggesting that a
friend is likely to send you a virus on purpose, but if the friend is
infected without realizing it, any attachment he sends you is likely
to also be infected.

You often see advice not to open attachments from people you don't
know. I think that that's one of the most dangerous pieces of advice
you see around, because it implies that it's safe to do the
opposite--open attachments from friends and relatives. But many
viruses spread by sending themselves to everyone in the infected
party's address book, so attachments received from friends are perhaps
the *most* risky to open.


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Antivirus choice for XP
    ... > A friend who uses MSN MAIL wishes to change from Symantec ... > attachments are not downloaded to your computer until you access them. ... > The main risk that you face in this case comes from e-mail message ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: increasing hard drive size
    ... The Problem is that WindowsXP cannot format a partition larger ... The risk is simply too ... comes from a friend, ... You often see advice not to open attachments from people you don't ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: 2nd request
    ... Don't open email attachments unless you are expecting them. ... -trusted friend, if your friend is infected with a virus and doesn't ... the risk, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Federal Reserve begins to print
    ... believe in using the state to force their own desires on the rest of the ... I had this long discussion with my best friend, ... risk with them. ... Government has a function. ...
    (rec.martial-arts)
  • Re: Attachments
    ... Ted Zieglar ... "Backup is a computer user's best friend." ... Software is useful to attack malware that gets past ... A problem arises when attachments from friends. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)