Win NT, 14gig HD, 1 Partition?

[scooder]

Is this possible? If yes, then how? If not then what are the largest partitions I can do? Need more than the alotted 2gig for C:.
Please help!

[JackLothian]

I believe there are ways to trick NT into creating a primary partition greater than 8 GB but my readings suggest this is dangerous. Apparently NT can only see 8 GB deep during the bootup process so all system files must be in the 1st 8 MB of the HD. After bootup completes NT can see further if you have SP6a installed. If you create a partition greater than 8 GB you must ensure the system files never get written beyong 8 GB. In general I don't think this can be guarenteed so I would abide by Microsoft recommended maximum size for the primary - 8 GB.

To exceed 2 gb in size you must move to the NTFS format. The easiest way to get the full 8 GB is to apply the MS ATAPI patch fom SP4 during installation.

[scooder]

Thank you so much! Guess we'll just have to deal with what we got! Thanks again.
Scooder

[LM-S]

You could create a smaller C: system (active primary) partition; make it around 150-200Meg (you've got lots of space, and it would allow useful repair options in the future...); make it bootable; copy over the i386 to it; install from there into the Extended area - this can be NTFS and all the way...

c:\i386\winnt /b /x /s:c:\i386

is the command...

NT will deposit/install its boot/start-up files into the c: system area, and the actual system files (the OS itself) will go into the Extended area; which you can format during installation...

Again you need either SP4 or above to handle the disk sizes above 8.Gig; you can also download the appropriate ATAPI.exe updated version - which is what you would need...

http://www.windows2000faq.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=13894

from John Savill's NTFAQ's at: http:www.win2000mag.com covers this whole issue; also has the link to ATAPI.exe update...

Equally, you could put the drive into another NT PC, format the whole drive to NTFS and then re-install in its own PC, and then install NT as NTFS... Or - again via another PC, repartition the HD into the smallish C: system primary area, and the larger Extended area. Format c: Primary as FAT16, and the Extended partition as NTFS. Then re-install the HD back 'home' and install NT as already suggested...?

http://www.win2000mag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=9652

and scroll down to the second submission; offers a variation on the above suggestions...

All of this is presuming that you are running a single (NT) system that isn't totally dependant on/formatted to FAT16, with the requirement that system files in the Primary partition...?

[This message has been edited by LM-S (edited 09-11-2000).]