[Ham-Computers] RE: WINDOWS XP doesn't see HD

[Hsu, Aaron (NBC Universal)]

-----Original Message-----
...NTFS is "NOT COMPATIBLE" with FAT32 and cannot read FAT32. So DOS and
BIOS AND XP says it there but XP's NTFS formatted op system cannot read it!
--------------------------

Sorry, not true.  Windows 2K/XP knows how to natively handle FAT, FAT32,
NTFS (all versions, but it converts it NTFS5 first), and several CD/DVD
formats.  If you throw a FAT/FAT32 formatted disk at a Win2K/XP system, it
has no problem reading or writing to it.  BTW, PC floppies are FAT based.

In fact, any OS with the appropriate file system handler can read any
particular file system.  There are apps that allow you to read MacOS
formatted disks on a PC and vice versa.  Linux has support for FAT/FAT32 and
NTFS.  In fact, there are Linux boot-disk based utilities that allow you to
access data on NTFS formatted disks - I have used Linux based boot disks to
access NTFS partitions for various purposes.  There is even a DOS device
driver that will allow you to mount an NTFS partitioned disk.  I've never
tried this driver, but, theoretically, with this you should be able to
access an NTFS formatted disk from DOS or Win9x.  I wouldn't trust it that
much, but it is possible.

73,

  - Aaron, NN6O