Win2K Pro install won't recognise my HD Partitions???

[toecutter]

Hi All,

This place looks like it's full of people who may be able to help me with this - I hope so!!

I am installing Win2K Pro over the top of Win98SE - I do not want to dual-boot, and do not want to simply upgrade from 98 to 2000 - I want to do a "clean" install, but on the same partition as where 98 sits now (all has been backed up).

I currently (under 98se) have a 40gig HD divided into 5 partitions, with 98' living on my C:, or primary partition. If it's relevant, I initially set up the partitions with the Win98se FDISK etc.., but have subsequently redistributed them using Partition Magic.

When I go to install 2000 Pro from the floppies, it gets to the bit about selecting drives/partitions etc but only lists ONE partition, being roughly the size of my entire HD.

What I wanted to achieve was to load 2000 Pro onto, and format to NTFS ONLY the C: drive, leaving the other partitions, for now, on the old FAT32 - I can convert later if needs be. I have ESSENTIAL data on the other four partitions, and do not want them touched for now, and there's too much to back up - would take about 30 cd-roms etc...

Is there any way I can make the 2000 install "see" all 5 partitions, so that I can specifically format and install to the C: drive only? :confused:

[YeOldeStonecat]

My first guess is the FAT is a bit corrupted. Partition Magic usually does a good job of finding problems, and correcting them. Is yours a fairly recent version of PM?

Can you boot from the Win2K cd-rom?

Wether you have FAT32 or just FAT partitions, no difference, Win2K still runs fine on all of them.

Try slightly resizing your partitions with PM....perhaps it will make a new FAT and 2K will behave a bit more.

If not, backing up with those 30 cd's may really be quicker, wipe it clean.

[Joe]

Do as Yeolde says and try to boot to the cd. Once booted it should run through its paces and get to a point listing your partitions. (asking where to install)

it will also format the C: for you when you select it. (just delete the partition and select the unpartitioned space)

[toecutter]

Thanks guys - much appreciated!

Tried booting from the cd, but same problem when it came to examining my drive - simply reports one 39+ gig drive with a label of "unknown". Also tried running setup.exe file from explorer - same prob..

I have been using PM 7.0, so I have today acquired v8.0 which I will try to use tonight to diagnose the problems, and have a general fiddle.. Maybe it's much improved over the previous version.. hope so..

I have tried just about everything I can think of, and have taken advice from mates and people like you guys... all to no avail, unfortunately, and I'm still concerned about blowing the important data I have on those partitions...

I am going to try some diagnostics with PMv8.0 tonight, and if that doesn't help, I may have to bite the bullet and spend some bucks on a 2nd HD to back everything up on, and nuke the current HD and start with a clean format of the whole thing... I suppose that a 2nd drive would be useful down the track... hmmmm....

Thanks again.. We shall see how it turns out..

<.. says toecutter while trying to convince mrs toecutter we need a 2nd HD...>

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by toecutter
I may have to bite the bullet and spend some bucks on a 2nd HD to back everything up on, and nuke the current HD and start with a clean format of the whole thing... I suppose that a 2nd drive would be useful down the track... hmmmm....

Thanks again.. We shall see how it turns out..

<.. says toecutter while trying to convince mrs toecutter we need a 2nd HD...>

If you spend the $ on a new hard drive, chances are it will be bigger, and faster, and more reliable than your current hard drive. I'd turn that into your primary drive, install XP on that, then slave in your existing drive...either keep your data there, or migrate it in.

[toecutter]

YeOldeStonecat - great point.. Woulda come to me eventually... heh heh.. :p

[richardc]

Try slightly resizing your partitions with PM....perhaps it will make a new FAT and 2K will behave a bit more.

Given that you have tried all the other good suggestons-
this is what you should try first with PM 8 - get athe nelwy installed PM to redistribute or resize ( I forget the command) the partitons equally. You can always resize them later.

A fresh install should tell you if your FAT has/had problems.