Tutorial: Partitioning in FAT32 file-system
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Notice: This tutorial deals about formating a hard-disk drive to the FAT32 file system. Under certain unforseen events it could be that stored data on your disk will be deleted. Please back-up your files on another drive before you follow this tutorial!
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| info-Box - Used Drives |
- TrekStor DataStation maxi m.u 5 1/4 Inchl
- TrekStor DataStation maxi m.u 5 1/4 Inch
- Medion MD90011 250GB U-ATA100
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1. Anleitung – Partitioning into the FAT32 file system
1.0 Introduction
Some hard-disk drive recorders need to have a FAT32 file system on the connected drives. But most of you store their HD-files on NTFS-formated drives, because these are ableto store files larger than 4gb. When you want to re-format your NTFS-drive back to FAT32 for usage with your receiver, this is just possible with some limitations.
Windows 2000 and Windows XP just can read and write FAT32 file systems of any size (between the over-all limitation of the FAT32 standard), but the Windows2000 and other later operating systems integrated formating-programmes are just allowed to create FAT32-systems up to 32Gib. These limitations depends on its standard and because it was demanded, because a lot of tasks are ineffective and slow on large FAT32-systems. These limitations can be bypassed with third-party software.[1]
1.1 Guide
1.1.1 Download and use software 'Gparted'
Who wants to use it bought copy of Partition Magic can do that. For this tutorial we use the Linux based OpenSource project Gparted. Gparted is free, relatively small with 50mb, doesn't need to be installed and offers almost all features and even some more.
You download the software and boot it from a cd-burned copy. Gparted needs some time for booting up the LiveCD version. If you want to save the CD there is a guide on the manufacurers page for setting up a USB-bootable Version of the LiveCD version.
After some time Gparted is loaded all connected drives and storage-devices, whethere it is internal or connected via USB or FireWire. Additional external storage-devices can be connected belated, but thereafter a new scan has to be started to find these.
1.1.2 FAT32 Formating with Gparted
When Gparted is started this window is opened and all drives will be scaned.
When you click on the Gparted menu (upper left) a drop-down menu appears. There you can refresh the connected drives in case you have belatedly added some drives.
With the second option you can chose the drive you want to partition. This is helpful if more than one drive is connected.
There, or on the right side, you can choose the drive you want to format. In this case we chose the drive titled "horn_hdhdd_1". If such label is not existent you can orient youself by the file-system and the storage capacity of the chosen drive. Tobe sure not to have chosen the wrong drive and irrevocably formated it, you should have disconnect all unneeded drives. This reduces the amount of drives. Additionally you can recognize the internal drives by its volume-size and how much capacity is already occupied by it. If you are not sure you shouldn't act blindfold because sensible datas could be lost. If you are sure to have chosen the right drive you can continue this guide now (see previous image).
Whether you can click on the above "Partition" or you right-click on the chosen partiton and go to "Format to -> FAT32".
Now the pending task appers as "Format /dev/sda1 as fat32" beneath and with an added notice "1 operation pending". This pending operation has to be confirmed by clicking on "Apply".
This warning notice shouldn't be confirmed unnoticed, as explained before!
Gparted needs some short time to make this modifications now.
After the new file-system is created all details are outlined.
After the modification is ready a new drive-scan is done and the chosen drive is displayed with the newly created file-system. Now new modifaction like partition-sizes, further partition with different file-systems can be created.
Our stopover to creat a partiton bigger than 32Gib in FAT32 was achieved and the drive can be connected to a hard-disk drive recorder.
Before NTFS |
After FAT32 |
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Formated in FAT32 the drive is now recognized by Vantage HD7100S PVR and can be used for recordings.
1.2 Supplement
1.2.1 Used Software:
Software:
1.2.2 Sources:
This guide originates from Andreas "-horn-" Hornig and Alexander "Webbi" Peltzer!
With helpful support by Oxygen-Addict of www.eathmer.de.
1.2.3 Technical terms:
For more word explanations we refer to Wikpedia - the free Encyclopedia. Please support them with YOUR word explanations and advertise with that for HDTV!
1.2.4 Right to Names & Copyright:
Every used name and brand are properties of the respective companies and has been used in this text only to for informative purpose.
Copyright 2007 | Andreas "-horn-" Hornig| Websiteimplementation : Andreas "-horn-" Hornig
If you have some questions or (constructive) critics or you want to add somethin, just write Andreas "-horn-" Hornig and Alexander "Webbi" Peltzer (requires Registration), Discuss directly in our forums: Tutorial: Partitioning in FAT32 file-system, or send us an E-Mail at staff@hdtvtotal.de.
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Partitioning in FAT32
Working-place with NTFS HDD
