I got a crash/blue screen on Windows NT and cannot boot on it again. So in order to save the NTFS partitions/images of my Dual Boot-configured laptop, I tried to connect under Windows 98 a new external hard disk drive to my notebook, a Toshiba Satellite 2770XDVD (equivalent to 2775XDVD). So far unsuccessfully... The internal hard disk is partitionned as follows: - Part 1: FAT32 - Windows 98 SE (Primary) - Part 2: NTFS - Windows NT - Part 3 (ext): FAT16 - data - Part 4 (ext): NTFS - data I bought an OEM external HD, model is a 40GB drive of the Hitachi Travelstar family http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/trave... . Connection type is Pcmcia (no installation is possible with the single USB 1.0 port I have). The HD pins are configured for a Master drive as recommended. At installation Windows 98 recognized the HD device and automatically configured the driver with the Windows system file mshdc.inf. At restart, the HD leds are 'active' but no logical unit is displayed in the Explorer. The PC Card (Pcmcia) entry in the Configuration Settings is active for the corresponding slot. Seems also that the BIOS cannot detect it as a hard disk at the moment. I tried the three modes of the PC Card Controller (Auto-selected, PCIC compatible and Cardbus/16bits). How can I make sure that the external hard disk fits or not to that notebook under W98 ? Could the hardware be incompatible ? A problem of BIOS configuration or upgrade ? I heard of a possible limit of 32GB concerning additional hard disks but did not get any confirmation. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

There is no 32Gb (FAT32) limit in Win98, however NTFS is not recognized under DOS/Win9x - probably not all of the problem, but likely part of it Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie!'... till you can find a rock

From within Windows98, open a dos window, type Fdisk, yes for large disk support, select option 4 and see if appears there. Its possible that the external drive hasn`t been fdisked and formatted or is in NTFS format which 98 won`t recognise. If this is the case you will need to remove the non dos partition, create a fat32 partition and format it before you will be able to use it HTH Woof Always proof-read carefully to see if you any words out.

mmm - notwithstanding the possible "get out of jail free" with the external drive... Have you considered: a - a repair installation of NT; b - a parallel installation of NT (to same partition)? If either succeeds - and at least the parallel installation orta... - then you have immediate access again to your ntfs areas.. Then you can have another go at getting data safely off (external media); and also more time etc. to resolve the issue surrounding the external drive - be it via '98 or NT?

Thanks for help. <Woof> I followed the steps above under Windows 98 SE but encountered a new issue. Fdisk identifies the external drive as Disk 2 that comes unpartitioned originally. Large disk option ok, but it creates a Dos partition of 504 Mb only even if the maximum size has been set - instead of the supposed 40 Gb size. The result is a new partition in Fat16 instead of Fat32. (And the formatting does not enlarge the disk size... mmm!) Maybe fdisk only recognizes the first disk (internal) as a large disk and cannot detect the external one in the Pcmcia slot as a large disk too. Considering that: - Updated fdisk for Win98 SE from a Microsoft's page. - Upgraded the latest Bios for the Toshiba Satellite. - Restarted the same steps but obtained the same results as before. There is on the Web a lot of literature about the critical 504 Mb limit and fdisk as well. I am spending a lot of time to read and to test, and I find it tiring. Either that notebook is too old - bought in 2000 - to be compliant with a new external 40 Gb hard disk or there might be an issue in the process with a Pcmcia connection. Is fdisk the unique way to partition/format a new disk or should I consider using another software ? Any idea ? <trvlr> Well, I do not feel "out of the jail" at the moment ;) " a - a repair installation of NT; " " b - a parallel installation of NT (to same partition)? " Precisely the opening of a new subject was planned here in the NT domain, at least after a safe storing of both nfts areas. I already tried a repair installation, not completely because of a possible 'definitive jail'... Your idea of a parallel installation of NT is great. The current Fat16 partition has 1.5 Gb so it is large enough to accept NT. I shall consider that good solution later. Thanks again.

Remember to include the sp as well in this parallel installation; and you needn't load in any apps etc. unless they're critical to accessing etc. data in order to get it "orf the system..." The repair routine includes check system-files as an option; checks the whole core file system, looks for any that aren't as they orta be... and replaces them. It "didn't orta" to affect data etc... http://smallvoid.com/tweak/winnt/in... - and scroll down a little to the general how to etc... and: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=... refers to W2K; but it applies equally to NT4 Also this may be of interest re' a parallel installlation: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=... ************** fat32 is not usually advised under 504Meg (if it will work at all). Might be that the bios etc. is just not upto it for a drive that size on that "vintage" laptop? *************** One option perhaps configure/format the drive in a standard PC and then attach to the laptop via pcmcia card or even a usb port if it has one (naturally you will need a usb enclosure for the external drive)?

Also... one might... if the parallel install goes in OK, simply build it up to a full (apps etc. incl) installation; then simply delete the original from the drive - and edit the boot.in accordingly. Also... it might be wise to run a checkdisk routine on the drive before you go any further? BSOD can frequently be due to RAM failing; a corrupt system file or files - possibly caused by a drive failing, or at least starting to be less than it "orta be...", or even improper shutdown...? We had a small spate of NT4 systems going down at one stage; all due to failing drives... RAM can be checked either by substitution, or by reducing to a single stick (min pref. 64Meg, but 32 would be OK for test purposes). As this is notebook likely you have just one stick installed besides the onbaard/permanent RAM? Never found memory testers to be too conclusive; and they can take an age to complete...