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Windows Server Forum / Windows NT / Setup / September 2004

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HDD in Windows NT4.0

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Mauricio Guerra R. - 23 Sep 2004 14:44 GMT
I have a PC with a 80GB HDD. I want install NT4.0 but I
don't know if this OS supports that size of disks.. What
is the maximum capacity supported in NT4.0 ?
Dave Patrick - 23 Sep 2004 14:56 GMT
Not a problem as long as your hardware supports it. To do a clean install,
either boot the Windows NT install CD-Rom or setup disks. When you get to
the point, delete the existing NTFS and or other partitions found. After you
delete the partition(s) abort  the install, then again restart the pc
booting the CD-Rom or setup disks to avoid unexpected drive letter
assignments with your new install.

Depending on your drive's geometry Windows NT supports a system partition
(the first primary active partition and where the files required to start
the OS reside (boot sector)) limited to 7.8gB NTFS or 4gB Fat16, while the
boot partition (where the OS is installed) is not limited in size. You wont
be able to create a system partition greater than 4gB with Windows NT Setup;
if you need a system partition 4gB - 7.8 gB, you'll need to use Partition
Magic or use another NT machine to create the first primary active
partition. The system and boot partition can be the same partition.

If you created one large system/ boot partition > 7.8 gB and installed the
OS, it may work, but the problem is if you defragment the drive or service
pack the install and the files ntdetect.com, ntldr, boot.ini, and
ntbootdd.sys end up being relocated to a point beyond the 7.8 gB barrier,
then the bootstrap process wont be able to find them and the OS wont start.

Once the OS is installed you can use Disk Administrator to partition and
format the rest of your drive. You'll need atapi.sys from SP4 or later for
Windows NT to be able to recognize a drive larger than ~ 8 gB. See the first
article for the link and instructions.

Installing Windows NT on a Large IDE Hard Disk
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q197667

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-unsup-ed/fixes/nt40/atapi/atapi.exe

Windows NT 4.0 Supports Maximum of 7.8-GB System Partition
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q224526

Boot Partition Created During Setup Limited to 4 Gigabytes
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q119497

Windows NT Partitioning Rules During Setup
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q138364

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Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

|I have a PC with a 80GB HDD. I want install NT4.0 but I
| don't know if this OS supports that size of disks.. What
| is the maximum capacity supported in NT4.0 ?
Calvin - 24 Sep 2004 00:16 GMT
Hi Mauricio,

See http://nt4ref.zcm.com.au/bigdisk.htm for a detailed explanation of the
limitations and my suggestions as to how best to proceed.

Calvin.
 
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