[DaveBurnett]

Microsoft were extremely naughty when the brought out XP.
They set the limit that it would format natively as Fat32 at 32Gb so anything bigger than that it will only show NTFS.
Get hold of a copy of the excellent FREE Easeus Partition Master from http://www.partition-tool.com/ and install it on the XP machine.
Staples were lying about 60Gb being the largest 98 would recognise, but in any case I would create three Primary partitions on that disk, two as 64Gb Fat32 and the rest as NTFS. Don't forget to Format them.
That way you have the best of both worlds. FAT32 has a single file size limit of 4Gb and a maximum of 256 entries in the ROOT directory (only the root).

[truetechnology]

Try using ACRONIS best recovery program runs off of boot set!!!!

[JohnWill]

Well, you can only use Acronis True Image if you've previously made a disk image with that program.

[john1]

Will not post unless i write words here.

[truetechnology]

Not truly u can boot form acronis like instalation of an OS and Do a file transfer to an external source, Via flash drive or external drive making a previous image of the drive with acronis has nothing to do with it!! it just recovers files off of still powered but crashed or damage drives

[richard94]

Grab this and put it on a CD.
http://www.paragon-software.com/home.../download.html

[richard94]

P.S. This means:
a. You can still use the full drive as one partition
b. No formatting or getting partition managers.

It will cost you a CD-R to get it on the 98 computer though.

[Techiewoman]

Try EASEUS Partition Manager which is free and very much like Acronis True Image. It should give you all 3 options.

[Ed999]

The easiest way to transfer files between two computers that are in the same room is to move them within 6 feet of each other, and buy a USB-to-USB data transfer cable (6 feet max) to connect them.

Then install a file transfer program such as Laplink 2000 on each machine, and start it on both. Then start copying your files: Laplink works like Windows Explorer, but has two panes, one showing the disk of computer A and the other showing the disk of computer B.


If you want to transfer files directly from an existing FAT32 IDE hard disk to your existing NTFS WinXP hard disk, the easy way (observing the proper anti-static precautions throughout!) is to unplug the hard disk from the IDE cable in the Win98 machine, and plug it into the IDE cable in the WinXP machine. Attach the Win98 disk to the middle of the cable, with its jumper pin set to 'cable select'. The WinXP disk must be attached to the end of the IDE cable, with its hardware jumper pin set to 'cable select' too.

The computer will only boot up if the WinXP disk is attached to the END connector on the IDE ribbon cable, and both disks are set to use 'cable select'.

Then boot into the BIOS and run the option 'auto select hard disks'; then save the changes; then restart normally. Windows should now see both disks. Copy the files using Windows Explorer.

[DoubleHelix]

Ed999, your post doesn't describe the easiest solution, contains several errors, and makes quite a few assumptions.

[Ed999]

Although, to you and me, using a USB flash drive might be an easier solution, it can be a difficult solution for a less experienced user under Win98, which has no native USB drivers, probably has only USB 1.1 ports fitted (if any), and will need a PCI card installing plus drivers if the machine has no USB at all.

However, my post doesn't contain any errors. Laplink 2000 is the best version of the old Win98 transfer programs (other programs were typically 16-bit only, with no LFN support); and WinXP is perfectly capable of reading a FAT32 disk of any size (even though it can only create FAT32 partitions up to a maximum of 32GB).

[DoubleHelix]

I suggested connecting the drive using an external USB drive enclosure or a simple adapter. I did not recommend using a flash drive.

Originally Posted by Ed999

The easiest way to transfer files between two computers that are in the same room is to move them within 6 feet of each other, and buy a USB-to-USB data transfer cable (6 feet max) to connect them.

Then install a file transfer program such as Laplink 2000 on each machine, and start it on both. Then start copying your files: Laplink works like Windows Explorer, but has two panes, one showing the disk of computer A and the other showing the disk of computer B.

This is not the easiest method of data transfer. As you've already agreed, USB support can be spotty. This suggestion also requires the poster to purchase both a special cable and special software and requires additional configuration and assumes the Windows 98 system boots and functions correctly.

Originally Posted by Ed999

If you want to transfer files directly from an existing FAT32 IDE hard disk to your existing NTFS WinXP hard disk, the easy way (observing the proper anti-static precautions throughout!) is to unplug the hard disk from the IDE cable in the Win98 machine, and plug it into the IDE cable in the WinXP machine. Attach the Win98 disk to the middle of the cable, with its jumper pin set to 'cable select'. The WinXP disk must be attached to the end of the IDE cable, with its hardware jumper pin set to 'cable select' too.

You assume that the other computer has IDE ports. Many new computers do not. Don't assume. Ask. I also don't believe the drive always needs to be jumpered and connected in the way you suggest.

Originally Posted by Ed999

The computer will only boot up if the WinXP disk is attached to the END connector on the IDE ribbon cable, and both disks are set to use 'cable select'.

Not true. IDE drives can be connected in a master/slave configuration.

[Ed999]

I'm aware that you didn't suggest using a flash drive.

For an inexperienced user it may be easier and cheaper to simply buy a self-contained USB pen drive (a.k.a. "flash drive") to plug in to a USB port, rather than buying a hard drive and an external enclosure to put it in.

Some enclosures are expensive, as are some hard disks. And installing a hard disk in an enclosure can be as technically complicated as installing it on the IDE cables. Buying an enclosure that already contains a hard disk is not always practicable if the enclosure is to be used with Windows 98: they typically come formatted as NTFS, which Win98 can't read from or write to; and the hard disk is typically 500GB, which is way too large to use with Win98, which can't use a partition that exceeds 125 GB.


Buying and fitting a special cable is technically less demanding than installing a hard disk. And these cables always come with the necessary software supplied. All that is needed is to buy one which has software for Windows 98. Laplink 2000, for example, is a transfer program that will work with Win98.

These cables typically come with a variety of connectors, e.g. for USB, parallel ports, and serial ports. This gives additional flexibility, and may avoid the need to use USB at all. A parallel port transfer will be slow, but not much slower than using USB 1.1 (USB 2.0 is pretty uncommon on Win98 machines).

If the Win98 computer can't boot to Windows, but can boot to DOS, a file transfer can still be done by cable, using the DOS program Interlink. I've actually used a Laplink 2000 cable to do such a transfer, using the parallel ports, running Interlink for DOS instead of the Laplink software the cable came with, because Windows wouldn't start.


The poster forgot to mention whether the other computer had IDE connectors, or whether the intention is to use an IDE adapter; but it will not make a great deal of difference. A bi-directional IDE/SATA adapter will cost about $25.


If the other computer uses IDE, the simplest procedure is to jumper both of the hard disks involved to "cable select", as this removes one unneeded complication.

Leaving the jumpers off, so that both disks default to master, is superficially simpler. But that requires the novice user to attach them to seperate IDE cables, which means detaching the DVD-ROM drive: that can be difficult to re-attach, with its extra connector, if you've not done it before. It adds at least one extra complication, so is best avoided.

[Squashman]

As far as I am concerned I am on board with DoubleHelix's earlier suggestion. A simple IDE to USB adapter like this one is a no brainer. No enclosure to screw around with or anything.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812339010

[Ed999]

In the hands of an inexperienced user, isn't it asking for trouble to propose taking an IDE hard disk out of a desktop machine, where it's suitably earthed against electrostatic charges, and place it "in the wild" with no protective enclosure to safeguard it?

If I'm reading the advertising for the adapter correctly, it's saying that no power supply is needed, because the adapter will draw its power from the USB 2.0 port on the WinXP/Vista machine ("Low power consumption allows device to be bus powered from USB connector"). That means the IDE disk won't be earthed.

An anti-static wrist strap won't necessarily be adequate protection for the device in an uncontrolled environment on - literally - the desktop.