can't reformat hd? 2

[DiamondLil]

Hi all.
have a bit of a problem...finally got a working set of windows 2000 boot disks (every set I made from the windows 2000 install cd would absolutely not work, had to go to bootdisk.com). I can get to a c:winnt prompt but the command 'format c:' won't work ?! I get an error, the computer's looking for a file - autofmt.exe - which it can't find. I finally found the file when I did a search after I restarted windows, but I shouldn't have to try to run this to reformat my hd, should I?
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
-l

 

[DiamondLil]

Ok, is there a reason that I would not want to convert it to a dynamic disk?

Can I convert with win2k disk mngmnt or fdisk or ?

 

[Dreamland]

Yes, you can use Win2K to convert your existing disk to a dynamic one.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=309044

FDISK will not help - FDISK's purpose is to do conventional partitioning. Dynamic disks are Microsoft's new, improved and proprietary partitioning scheme. You can't have both on the same disk - it's one or the other.

The single biggest reason most people don't want to convert is that Windows versions *before* 2K can not read anything on a dynamic disk. What's confusing is that you can create a FAT16 or FAT32 formatted volume on a dynamic disk, but still not be able to read it with DOS or Win98. Both only understand conventionally partitioned disks. If this is the only disk on your machine and Win2K is the only operating system, then it might not make any difference that earlier versions can't read it. More at:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;175761

The article seems to suggest a dynamic volume can span multiple disks in Win2K, but I've seen many people say they couldn't or that feature was never implemented. Shouldn't affect your particular situation.

 

[wolluf]

You can convert with disk management (those links I posted earlier have some info) - definitely NOT fdisk.

I've never used dynamic disk - because its a one-way conversion, and it doesn't seem to be accessible from other operating systems (and I've got a multiboot machine), I've got a copy of Partition Magic, and I can't see any advantages to it. But, as mentioned by Dreamland it is free and will do what you what. I don't know what else you might want to do with your machine in future - dynamic disk would seem to limit the options a bit (but no experience, so may be talking through my hat - Comtec17 would be better positioned to advise I'd think, as he's obviously using it).

 

[bcastner]

The tough issue with dynamic disks for a regular user:

1. If you do not have RAID, you are likely on a single-threaded IDE chain. Do not bother.

2. Except for Mirror and RAID5, there are no advantages and serious point of failure weaknesses in having two devices as points of failure.

3. Then there is that it confuses the heck out of any recovery software, recovery services, and I suspect, Microsoft.

4. It certainly confuses earlier Windows and DOS.

There are some possibe incredibly cool features, such as mapping a folder on a virtual drive to another hard disk to create an automatic mirror; performance enhancement possibilities; mirroring on a server is always a nice feature; etc..

But for a user-class machine do not even go there.

 

[coomes1966]

I have a compaq Proliant 7000 server and one of the 18 GB SCSI H/drives has failed. It is out of warrenty so I have had to "borrow" a spare disk from our standby server. Does anyone know who (or how) I can get to replace the drive in the caddy without taking out a second mortgage Compaq are quoting mega bucks !!!!

 

[wolluf]

coomes1966 - you would be better starting a separate thread for your question.

 

[kshugart]

You can extend an NTFS partition whether a basic or a dynamic disk, at the following link from MS Technet:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;329826

Klon Shugart
Data Recovery Specialist
CCNA/MCP2K/CDRT
Microsoft Certified Partners

http://www.adv-data.com

 

[wolluf]

kshugart

Quote from

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;325590

'If an NTFS volume resides on a hardware RAID 5 container that has the capability of adding space to the container, you can extend the NTFS Volume with Diskpart.exe while the disk remains a Basic disk.'

So the circumstances for extending a basic partition are not commonly used.