I have recently changed from win 98 to NT os. Before doing so I backed up all my data on to a DAT drive using Win 98 backup. Now that I am up and running on NT I find that I can no longer access the backup tapes. I understand the reason (FAT V FTFS) however this does not solve my problem. I need that infro! I would rather not install a dual copy of win 98 (I have heard some horror stories!!). Does anyone have an alternative solution? Thanks

Hi All I know about 98 is that it uses the fat32 file system, that NT does not support. I don't know how to convert Fat32 data to Fat. Maybe create an Fat and Fat32 partition under 98, restore the data, and copy ot to the Fat partition again? Could work. Good Luck Sword

When you say you can't access the tape are you sure it's an NTFS/FAT problem. What's the reported error ? If it is at FAT32 problem then why don't you try a copy of FAT32 for NT4 - the read only version is FREE ! from www.winternals.com. It's excelent, don't know if it works for tapes - or even if tapes are formatted fat/fat32 - tapes are somewhat different to disks in their formatting, they usually just need initialising rather than 'formatting'.

Basically I am stuffed! Why can people not say things straight, in plain English. I realise that tapes are intialiised not formatted but what differnce does the terminolgy mean in this instance. Basically I am left with 10 backup tapes that contain my lifes work (OK a slight exaggeration!) and I cannot get at the information held on them without paying a bod serious cash to simply stick them in his 98 machine. If only this had been made clear before I began than the problems I face now could have been avoided.

You are basically stuffed

go to a computer fair. buy a p75 or even 486 for £20. fdisk/format the drive with dos (not 98 ) disk as fat16 put 98 on it and your dat device. get the data. remove the drive and insert it as a slave in your nt box.

Thanks Mikey - that is the best advice I have ever been given. Luckily it just so happens that there is a fair on this week!