jbellemare
asked on
About NTFS
Hello,
I am now running under win 98. I want to upgrade to Win 2000 Profesional.
My computer has two HD. THe first one has two partitions (lets name them C and D). The second one has only one(lets name it E). Now, I backuped all my important data on the second drive (E).
Before upgrading, I want to make sure that when I will say I want to install Windows on the first drive (first partition:C), and convert this drive to NTFS, that it will keep my data that is stored on the second drive (E) in FAT... and that it will remain accessible!
Then, after the installation would be completed, I plan to swith my data to my drive in NTFS (C), and convert the second drive(E) to NTFS. Does this make sense?
Of course, I would convert drive D at the same time.
Unfortunately, I don't have access to a CD burner, so I can't backup on CDs....
I want to make sure that I won't loose any data... Is it possible that it convert all my drives without asking?
Thank you for your help. I prefer to plan than to cry... :)
Jo
I am now running under win 98. I want to upgrade to Win 2000 Profesional.
My computer has two HD. THe first one has two partitions (lets name them C and D). The second one has only one(lets name it E). Now, I backuped all my important data on the second drive (E).
Before upgrading, I want to make sure that when I will say I want to install Windows on the first drive (first partition:C), and convert this drive to NTFS, that it will keep my data that is stored on the second drive (E) in FAT... and that it will remain accessible!
Then, after the installation would be completed, I plan to swith my data to my drive in NTFS (C), and convert the second drive(E) to NTFS. Does this make sense?
Of course, I would convert drive D at the same time.
Unfortunately, I don't have access to a CD burner, so I can't backup on CDs....
I want to make sure that I won't loose any data... Is it possible that it convert all my drives without asking?
Thank you for your help. I prefer to plan than to cry... :)
Jo
yes, use the convert command
this is for XP, but the proceedure is the same for w2k
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q314097
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q314097
Your best bet (and believe me this is from years of experience) is to get your data off and wipe the drive or drives, then install Win2K. You have to reinstall ALL your programs anyway, so why waste time trying to do an upgrade. Win2k upgrades also leave tons of junk files from Win98 . . .
ASKER
Hello everybody,
I just played safe and tried to upgrade on my laptop instead, which had no important files on it. It kept the files, but now, I have a double boot or something really weird. It asks me if I want to boot in Windows OR windows 2000.
On my drive (I only have one drive on my laptop), I still have ALL the files that were on it before. All my programs (but of course, they are not in the registry, so Win 2000 acts like if they are not there...) That is STUPID... I thought that when it converts to NTFS, it was like a format because he suppress the FAT Table.... ?????
So it means that I should wipe out the entire disk using Format before installing 2K. That is a good advice that I will follow. Thank you JDFWIZARD. But, I would keep my files on the data drives and convert it after. I can't backup 8 GIG of data on floppys! ;)
Unplugging the drive sounds good too...but I am not sure I'd like to do that myself... Yikes, I always had trouble every time I played in the box!! :) (I am a power supply blower!)
Oh well, I think that from what I tried, I will take the chance to keep my data drives (D and E)in FAT first, then convert after installing...And I will wipe out my C before installing.
Now, who gets the point? :)
Josée
I just played safe and tried to upgrade on my laptop instead, which had no important files on it. It kept the files, but now, I have a double boot or something really weird. It asks me if I want to boot in Windows OR windows 2000.
On my drive (I only have one drive on my laptop), I still have ALL the files that were on it before. All my programs (but of course, they are not in the registry, so Win 2000 acts like if they are not there...) That is STUPID... I thought that when it converts to NTFS, it was like a format because he suppress the FAT Table.... ?????
So it means that I should wipe out the entire disk using Format before installing 2K. That is a good advice that I will follow. Thank you JDFWIZARD. But, I would keep my files on the data drives and convert it after. I can't backup 8 GIG of data on floppys! ;)
Unplugging the drive sounds good too...but I am not sure I'd like to do that myself... Yikes, I always had trouble every time I played in the box!! :) (I am a power supply blower!)
Oh well, I think that from what I tried, I will take the chance to keep my data drives (D and E)in FAT first, then convert after installing...And I will wipe out my C before installing.
Now, who gets the point? :)
Josée
the reason you ended up with a dual boot, is you chose clean install, and not the upgrade
ASKER
Stevenlewis, it didn't give me any choice! I started the setup, and there it was!
It never asked me if I wanted to upgrade or install from scratch. Actually, I prefer to wipe the drive. I thought it would do it during the process. I don't want to "upgrade". It is the only word in english I know to illustrate that I want to pass from Win 98 to Win 2k. (In french, I know a dozen... ;) )
But my question is : If it did a cleaned install instead of a upgrade, then, WHY do I still have all my files from Win 98 on the disk? And I tried to boot using the other option, and it doesn't work. The computer freeze!
Oh well, Sounds like I will experiment on my laptop before work on my PC... Sounds a safer plan. :) So if I understand well, I return to the good old DOS boot disk with Format command! That, I am use to! ;)
Jo
It never asked me if I wanted to upgrade or install from scratch. Actually, I prefer to wipe the drive. I thought it would do it during the process. I don't want to "upgrade". It is the only word in english I know to illustrate that I want to pass from Win 98 to Win 2k. (In french, I know a dozen... ;) )
But my question is : If it did a cleaned install instead of a upgrade, then, WHY do I still have all my files from Win 98 on the disk? And I tried to boot using the other option, and it doesn't work. The computer freeze!
Oh well, Sounds like I will experiment on my laptop before work on my PC... Sounds a safer plan. :) So if I understand well, I return to the good old DOS boot disk with Format command! That, I am use to! ;)
Jo
yep, format, and then run the w2k setup from dos
boot to a w98 boot disk, choose cd support and from the prompt type
x:\i386\winnt
where X: is the drive letter assigned the cd (usually e:)
boot to a w98 boot disk, choose cd support and from the prompt type
x:\i386\winnt
where X: is the drive letter assigned the cd (usually e:)
Josie,
If your computer has an El Torito CD-ROM and the motherboard BIOS supports booting from a CD you do not have to run the Win2K install from a Win98 boot disk. Just boot from the Win2K CD.
For a clean install remember to delete all the partitions. Then create a new one or use the whole disk. Creating a separate partition for the system files and another for programs and/or data is fine, but don't expect to be able reinstall the OS if there are problems later. It only marginally works even if you back up your registry and all your ini files with a program like WinRescue.
If you have a laptop why not copy the data to it then upgrade the other machine. Try compressing the data with WinZip, WinRAR, or WinACE.
Also you may want to try running:WINNT32 /CHECKUPGRADEONLY
on your machine . . .
If your computer has an El Torito CD-ROM and the motherboard BIOS supports booting from a CD you do not have to run the Win2K install from a Win98 boot disk. Just boot from the Win2K CD.
For a clean install remember to delete all the partitions. Then create a new one or use the whole disk. Creating a separate partition for the system files and another for programs and/or data is fine, but don't expect to be able reinstall the OS if there are problems later. It only marginally works even if you back up your registry and all your ini files with a program like WinRescue.
If you have a laptop why not copy the data to it then upgrade the other machine. Try compressing the data with WinZip, WinRAR, or WinACE.
Also you may want to try running:WINNT32 /CHECKUPGRADEONLY
on your machine . . .
ASKER
Actually, I used SmartDrive to boot and access my CD ROM, then, I went into i386 and started winnt.
Yes, I am now working on the laptop, and I've been able to plug them in network. (houlala, I am becoming a PRO) ;) So I will save my data on my laptop, compressed with WinZip.
That is lot of troubles maybe for nothing, because I am pretty sure my data will remains on my second drive (the E drive, not the partition on the first drive, if you look back to the original question).
I will delete de partition on the first drive, using WHAT? Which tool?
So far, my main concert was to save my data, so I think that I will backup on the laptop. I managed to install Win2000 without too much trouble.
But at end, do you think that my data would remain on my drive after the convert (I think of the slave drive, the E one that I use for my backups.) I am curious. I will backup and try, to see... that was my original question! ha ha ha. Answers turned into technical point about installation, that are definitely interresting. :)
Jo
Yes, I am now working on the laptop, and I've been able to plug them in network. (houlala, I am becoming a PRO) ;) So I will save my data on my laptop, compressed with WinZip.
That is lot of troubles maybe for nothing, because I am pretty sure my data will remains on my second drive (the E drive, not the partition on the first drive, if you look back to the original question).
I will delete de partition on the first drive, using WHAT? Which tool?
So far, my main concert was to save my data, so I think that I will backup on the laptop. I managed to install Win2000 without too much trouble.
But at end, do you think that my data would remain on my drive after the convert (I think of the slave drive, the E one that I use for my backups.) I am curious. I will backup and try, to see... that was my original question! ha ha ha. Answers turned into technical point about installation, that are definitely interresting. :)
Jo
>I will delete de partition on the first drive, using WHAT? Which tool
why delete it, when formating will accomplish the same thing
as to your original question, yes the data on e: willb e safe, and your plan is sound
why delete it, when formating will accomplish the same thing
as to your original question, yes the data on e: willb e safe, and your plan is sound
ASKER
I am sorry, but I don't think that formatting a drive will delete the partitionning of the drive. If you have a 30 GIG HD partionned in two drives, lets say C and D, if you format C, you won't have C and D formatted in the same partition... you have to delete the partition. But I am not sure how you do that before formatting....
Non? :)
Non? :)
I thought you wanted to retain the data on the other partitions. If that's not what you want, and you only want one partiton on the primary drive, then yes, by all means delete the partitions, recreate one or two and format
youcan boot to the w2k cd and do this, or use a w98 bootdisk and fdisk and do this, or you can use delpart (a graphical partitioning tool
http://www.coxpc.com/download.htm
how to use delpart
http://miataru.computing.net/windowsnt/wwwboard/forum/14153.html
and if you don't want to unzip the first link here it is unzipped
http://hercules.lss.ksu.edu/download/MSSTUFF
or even partition magic
www.powerquest.com
youcan boot to the w2k cd and do this, or use a w98 bootdisk and fdisk and do this, or you can use delpart (a graphical partitioning tool
http://www.coxpc.com/download.htm
how to use delpart
http://miataru.computing.net/windowsnt/wwwboard/forum/14153.html
and if you don't want to unzip the first link here it is unzipped
http://hercules.lss.ksu.edu/download/MSSTUFF
or even partition magic
www.powerquest.com
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Okki.... I think that now, I have enough information to complete my tasks. :) Thank you for your help and patience.
Re-reading all the advices, what sounds logical to me is the following :
1. Backup all the data on the second drive and unplug it.
2. Format my first drive and delete the two partitions using the win2K Cd (while installing, isn't?).
3. Complet the Installation of win2k and check everything works
4. Plug back the second drive
5. Convert the second drive to NTFS...
6. Drink a beer.
Now, I am not sure I get the thing about the letters... If I would keep the second drive plugged, then, I would have my main drive becoming F:? You mean, the system drive, which is usualy C: would be F? non? What could be the implication of such a thing?
I think I am afraid of unplugging the drive... I am not use to play inside the box... :(
Jo
Re-reading all the advices, what sounds logical to me is the following :
1. Backup all the data on the second drive and unplug it.
2. Format my first drive and delete the two partitions using the win2K Cd (while installing, isn't?).
3. Complet the Installation of win2k and check everything works
4. Plug back the second drive
5. Convert the second drive to NTFS...
6. Drink a beer.
Now, I am not sure I get the thing about the letters... If I would keep the second drive plugged, then, I would have my main drive becoming F:? You mean, the system drive, which is usualy C: would be F? non? What could be the implication of such a thing?
I think I am afraid of unplugging the drive... I am not use to play inside the box... :(
Jo
You may want to repeat step 6 a few times LOL
> If I would keep the second drive plugged, then, I would have my main drive becoming F
No, it would be c:
Just pay attention when you are setting up w2k to make sure you set it up on the correct drive
> If I would keep the second drive plugged, then, I would have my main drive becoming F
No, it would be c:
Just pay attention when you are setting up w2k to make sure you set it up on the correct drive
ASKER
Ok boys, you helped me much. StevenLewis, look for a question to you name, to get your points too.
Thank you very very much. I will try that over the next days. wish me luck!
Jo. :)
Thank you very very much. I will try that over the next days. wish me luck!
Jo. :)
Good luck, and enjoy the beers :~)
If you want to play it safe - UNPLUG the drive to give yourself that added piece of mind (though you don't have to) but it will prevent you from making a mistake during the installation and setup!
Good luck..
Matthew Jones