XP install: made C: small FAT and D: large

[sumoalex]

Has anyone run into this problem before. Somehow, XP was installed with a FAT system on c: drive (about 214 mb) and d: is 10 gigs. Obviously, software installations always want to go to the c: drive. How can I reverse these and also have an NTFS system?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bcastner]

The drive may well have had a manufacturer's system recovery partition installed. I have seen FAT12 active, primary partitions created for this purpose by COMPAQ, for example, to handle CMOS software and setup chores.

You reverse things by using a Win98 bootdisk or CD, and use fdisk to remove all existing partitions. Format as normal FAT, and then do the install.

But I caution you that there was a reason the OEM manufacturer reserved that original partition, and you should check carefully that there is driver and upgrade to XP type support for this system.

For an older, 10gb. type of system, it might be wiser to leave it alone under Win98 or whatever.

It will break your heart trying to make it run XP without hours of time, and copious tears.

 

[sumoalex]

It was Thinkpad with Win 98 already install and XP files loaded & ready for install. However, the user was never given a CD key, so she went out and bought the full XP and installed it with the results above.

So now she does have XP installed, with c: 214mb NTFS and d: 10 gb FAT.

What do you suggest she do? I don't believe she has Win 98 available to reinstall.

 

[bcastner]

The little C partition contains some IBM utility software. All of this has been updated, and IBM offers a free download of their utilities, drivers and other softwares required for a successfull XP installation.

It may be that they do not support XP on that Thinkpad. Check the IBM site, it is very well done. If they do not support XP on that model Thinkpad, do not even think about attempting it.

 

[sumoalex]

Thank you, she'll check it out.