Microsoft KB Archive/73736

= Effects of FDISK on Boot Record, Root Directory, and FATs =

Article ID: 73736

Article Last Modified on 11/16/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.1
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.01 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q73736



SUMMARY
If you use MS-DOS FDISK to delete and then recreate a partition or logical drive on your hard disk, the boot record, root directory, and file allocation tables (FATs) of these logical drives may be affected in varying degrees, depending on the particular version of FDISK used.



MS-DOS Version 3.2
  Area                Effect --  Boot record         Preserves boot record. Root directory     Preserves root directory. 1st copy of FAT    Preserves 1st copy of FAT. 2nd copy of FAT    Preserves 2nd copy of FAT.

MS-DOS Version 3.21
  Area                Effect --  Boot record         Zeros area formerly occupied by boot record. Root directory     Zeros area formerly occupied by root directory. 1st copy of FAT    Zeros area formerly occupied by 1st copy of FAT. 2nd copy of FAT    Zeros area formerly occupied by 2nd copy of FAT.

MS-DOS Version 3.30a
  Area                Effect --  Boot record         Fills area formerly occupied by boot record with bytes containing value F6. Root directory     Fills area formerly occupied by root directory with bytes containing value F6. 1st copy of FAT    Fills area formerly occupied by 1st copy of FAT with bytes containing value F6. 2nd copy of FAT    Fills area formerly occupied by 2nd copy of FAT with bytes containing value F6.

MS-DOS Version 4.01a
  Area                Effect --  Boot record         Fills area formerly occupied by boot record with bytes containing value F6. Root directory     Invalidates root directory; may contain &quot;garbage&quot; values. 1st copy of FAT    Invalidates 1st copy of FAT; may contain &quot;garbage&quot; values. 2nd copy of FAT    Invalidates 2nd copy of FAT; may contain &quot;garbage&quot; values.

MS-DOS Versions 5.0 and 6.0
  Area                Effect --  Boot record         Fills area formerly occupied by boot record with bytes containing value F6. Root directory     Preserves root directory information. 1st copy of FAT    Preserves 1st copy of FAT. 2nd copy of FAT    Preserves 2nd copy of FAT.

Additional query words: 6.22 3.20 3.21 3.30a 4.01a 5.00 5.00a 6.00 6.20

Keywords: KB73736

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