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Date:      Thu, 7 Jul 2005 13:03:58 +0300
From:      datora tehnika <datora@gmail.com>
To:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Copying data onto a NTFS partitioned hdd
Message-ID:  <7d6729180507070303d921631@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <42CCF6C8.2000405@gizm0.org>
References:  <200507071706.27858.shinjii@virusinfo.rdksupportinc.com> <42CCF6C8.2000405@gizm0.org>

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Two days ago I was trying to pre-emptively solve this problem.  A
couple quickie comments that may help out at some point, plus related
questions :

I tried to format a new hard drive using Win2K, knowing there were
issues w/ NTFS under *BSD.  So, decided to format using FAT32 under
disk management.  It failed three times (only after wasting 30 mins or
so ''formatting'').  First, I selected 512 byte sectors .. they were
''too small.''  Then I went with ''default,'' but then the volume size
was ''too large.'' (for a 40 GB drive, the identical twin of which
served as a Win98 drive without a blurp).  Last FAT32 effort I chose
teh remaining 1024 byte sector option with same result as 512 byte
option.

Of course, win2K was too stupid & lazy to evaluate these problems
prior to committing to format & actually pretending to do it ...

So, I am assuming that for future, I would use Win98 to create a FAT32
data partition that can be shared by Win/linux & *BSD.  Or, possibly
*BSD or linux to create such .. but I have my doubts regarding Win
being able to access such.


So, the question portion I wasn't able to answer through various
google searches :

Win insisted on ''writing a signature'' to the new drive (not used to
install an OS .. just format as one large volume for data storage).  I
finally relented & let it since I was unable to find out what such a
''signature'' is and, more importantly, couldn't locate a utility that
would allow me to write a signature (or its equivalent) to the drive.

Will this affect my ability to let *BSD read the drive later ..?  What
is this ''signature'' thingie, and what is the lingo for it under
linux/*BSD?  Is there a utility that I can run under Win or from a
bootable floppy that would let me intitate a virgin drive ?  Maybe
even partition & format in a ''universal'' FAT32 for DOS/Win/*nix/*BSD
to all access for dfata read/writes?

Other question on this is that I understand that linux has solutions
to read/write to ntfs.  Should *BSD not be able to emulate enough
linux to use such a function ..?  Linux & Win emulation are sold
pretty hard as one of the positive points about *BSD.  I was going
with the FAT32 solution to simplify my life, not because I thought it
was required.

BTW, I had to format as NTFS since Win2K is my only option for the
moment; first time I ever tried to use WinNT to format a volume or
drive as FAT32 & was strikingly unsurprised when it failed at such a
banal task.  I am now operating under the assumption I must reformat
later to use with *nix/*BSD, so this thread is quite interesting to me
so I can do it right the next time .. hopefully within a week to ten
days.

  --  datora
serfing the stream electric



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