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hello
in my computer i only install microsoft windows xp in one partition, until today i have been installing microsoft windows xp in a fat32 partition so that i could use a linux live cd and work with the system files without booting microsoft windows
but now i want to install microsoft windows xp to a ntfs partition, is there a way to work with the system files without being in microsoft windows?
thanks
Ok, just so we're on the same page:
You've got a fat32 formatted hdd with dual partitions, one for Linux, one for XP.
You want to move to ntfs for the windows boot.
You want to do this while protecting your personal files and keeping linux on the machine, yes?
Best solution: Get a 2nd hard drive. You can't put linux on an ntfs format (to the best of my knowledge). What you CAN do is format the 2nd drive to ntfs, mount winxp on it, xfer your winfiles from the fat32 drive to the ntfs drive, then backup your linux files to CD, repartition drive 1 for all linux, restore the linux files from cd, and boom, you're done.
I believe that it can be done, in that Linux will see the NTFS partition BUT I think you would have to be cautious in using Linux to write to the partition. I seem to recall that was an issue in the past?
Perhaps if you told us your make and version of Linux, more knowledgeable types will be able to give you a more definitive answer?
:)
i only have one harddrive and one partition where i want to install microsoft windows, there is no linux or any other partition and i don't want that. thanks!
Ah,k. so you want to go from fat32 to NTFS. Easy enough - back up your essential files to CD, reinstall using format to ntfs, restore backed up files.
Meh. re-read your question - I'll offer up this, from experience with UBUNTU linux live -
Unfortunately it likes fat32 and doesn't much like ntfs, tends to get glitchy. I know of no other way to edit your system files without booting into windows on ntfs format. Sorry about the misunderstanding.
actually
you do not have to reinstall to convert to ntfs...you just use the convert utility...
as suggested...it is always good to do a backup first
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro...onvertfat.mspx
and AFAIK...linux reads ntfs
MLF
By that, do you mean that you want to use a bootable Linux CD?Quote:
but now i want to install microsoft windows xp to a ntfs partition, is there a way to work with the system files without being in microsoft windows?
If "yes" then be cautious about trying to write to your files, I am not sure if that issue has been resolved?
:)
When I was in school...many moons ago :cool:
We had systems with multiple OSes
We used to put a 500mb fat partition in the front (first active partition) and then install the OSes.
The OSes would dump what boot loader files they needed in this fat partition which would then point to the partition where the OS system files resided.
I had one machine 4 partions 3 OSes.
I am slightly confused at what you want to do...if you just want to convert the current install...used the utility I posted above...
I have used it many times...with no ill affects
if you have data on it...always good to back up first
MFG
I know that many live cds do support ntfs. One that I've been using a lot recently is whax (old whoppix). I have been able to mount ntfs partitions but only as read only. So, you will not be able to write to the partition. Here is what I do...
I have a ntfs partition that I use for xp. The live cd will mount the filesystem as read only.
Then I have a fat32 partition that I can read and write from either operating system.
I'm sure that other live cds out there support reading of ntfs.
Here is a live distro that claims to not only read, but also write to ntfs.
http://overclockix.octeams.com/
It was my understanding that writing to ntfs was still experimental... so, I'd be careful.
As mentioned above, it is not necessary to format and reinstall to convert from fat to ntfs.
However, if you are planning on adding another partition for fat32... then it might be worth it. Something that might be easier is to install an old hard drive as a slave (we all have boxes of them laying around, right?) and use that as your fat32 partition.
You have many options... just how much work and time do you want to put into it?
I'd go for the converting of file system and adding a second hd for the fat32.
You will still need to backup your data! Just in case...
you can buy ntfs support for linux, such as --> http://www.ntfs-linux.com/index.htm
It works fine for me ---> but i use only in a emergency, not an a day-to-day basis....
It has a boot option too.
On that page there is a demo.
Try Bart's PE :Quote:
(OP) now i want to install microsoft windows xp to a ntfs partition, is there a way to work with the system files without being in microsoft windows
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/Quote:
Now we can boot from a CD-Rom and have full read/write access to NTFS volumes!
Officially, Linux NTFS support is very limited. From the 2.6.13.1 kernel configurator:
It is possible to read NTFS files relatively easily. Writing to them is another matter. I have experimented with it somewhat with limited success. It can be used, for example, to overwrite login passwords at this point.Quote:
This enables the partial, but safe, write support in the NTFS driver.
The only supported operation is overwriting existing files, without
changing the file length. No file or directory creation, deletion or
renaming is possible. Note only non-resident files can be written to
so you may find that some very small files (<500 bytes or so) cannot
be written to.
While we cannot guarantee that it will not damage any data, we have
so far not received a single report where the driver would have
damaged someones data so we assume it is perfectly safe to use.
Note: While write support is safe in this version (a rewrite from
scratch of the NTFS support), it should be noted that the old NTFS
write support, included in Linux 2.5.10 and before (since 1997),
is not safe.
I am aware of some projects which enable NTFS write support, but cannot remember their names right now. One method I remember was the driver requiring the actual NTFS driver from Microsoft, which canot be included in the project distribution because of copyright law, so its use would therefore be illegal. To my knowledge there is currently no project which has successfully implemented safe NTFS write support.
Correct me if I am wrong, Striek, since I haven't used Bart's PE Builder to do it, but I believe it makes a copy of your driver as it builds the boot disk and then uses it to read/write ntfs.
Sounds right. It may well be Bart's PE Builder I'm thinking of. Whatever it is, it grabs the NTFS drivers off the Windows partition and uses them for the NTFS support to create an ISO image which you then burn to a CD. So the NTFS support is actually coming Microsoft. I thought it was a Linux live cd... but my memory may fail me (few too many bumps on the head I guess).
hrm... I guess it wouldn't be illegal if you already had a paid copy of the driver (i.e. an NTFS capable Windows OS).
What I meant was that nobody has successfully and safely recreated full write support for NTFS other than Microsoft. Sorry for the confusion.