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View Full Version : Drive formating tools, need help finding one that can specify cluster size

bugmage
11-30-05, 09:22 PM
im formatting my raid array and Im wondering is there a way to specify a 8 k cluster size ntsf format with the format command on the xp cd?

or can you guys post some good freeware that can do this? i cant find any
retsam
11-30-05, 10:02 PM
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/format.mspx


this should help you out on what you want to do ...
$n][pErMan
11-30-05, 10:23 PM
im formatting my raid array and Im wondering is there a way to specify a 8 k cluster size ntsf format with the format command on the xp cd?

or can you guys post some good freeware that can do this? i cant find any
what OS? I could have sworn XP and win 2003 will do that for you. At least the other day I was formatting a drive on a server with 2003 and it allowed me to specify the cluster size when I formated it through the computer management utility located in "Administrative Tools"
TierMann
11-30-05, 11:30 PM
[pErMan']what OS? I could have sworn XP and win 2003 will do that for you. At least the other day I was formatting a drive on a server with 2003 and it allowed me to specify the cluster size when I formated it through the computer management utility located in "Administrative Tools"
^^ What he said.
Or start->run->diskmgmt.msc will put you more exactly where you want to be.
Right click the drive you want and select "format" then you can change the Allocation size to 8192. Regular windows format from explorer only lets you set up to 4096. Diskmgmt won't let you format a drive with the system or a page file on it so you'll need to boot from another drive and make sure your page file is turned off (atleast for the drive(s) you're formatting) for the time being.
retsam
11-30-05, 11:36 PM
just use the command that i showed up there in the recovery console on the windows xp disk ....that should do what your looking todo ...i dont think you can do what you are looking todo with the diskmgmt tool...
TierMann
11-30-05, 11:44 PM
Yeah. Retsam's is the easier way to go since you're wiping everything anyway. But you can also do it from diskmgmt as long as there's no system or pagefile like I said. I've done it and just double checked it on my external disk.

*gives retsam a cookie*
retsam
11-30-05, 11:59 PM
mmmm cookies..... /retsam chomps away ...
retsam
11-30-05, 11:59 PM
/retsam_lookes_around_pissed....what no milk!!
TierMann
12-01-05, 12:20 AM
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/6748/images5rr.jpg
bugmage
12-05-05, 03:28 PM
so anyway ive installed it befor i checked back here so im locked at a 4kb cluster size, now what i want to do is use ntbackup to change it to 8kb,

this is what ive done, made a backup, restored that to another hd, but i cant get the other hd to boot off of it?? what did i do wrong, when thats fixed ill format my raid array from windows up it 2 8kb and send windows back over
rewt
12-05-05, 04:16 PM
this is what ive done, made a backup, restored that to another hd, but i cant get the other hd to boot off of it?? what did i do wrong..

See Replacing the Boot Sector (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkd_tro_bohs.asp)