Microsoft KB Archive/79304

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

FastTips: MS-DOS 5.0 Installation/Partitioning Sequence Q&A
Last reviewed: April 9, 1996

Article ID: Q79304

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft MS-DOS operating system version 5.0

SUMMARY
This article contains the complete text of the &quot;MS-DOS 5.0 Installation/Partitioning Sequence&quot; fax script.

This fax script is available to customers who call the Microsoft FastTips Service for Operating Systems at (800) 936-4200.

MS-DOS 5.0 Installation/Partitioning Sequence
1.Q. How do I repartition my disk into one large partition?

A. Changing your hard disk from multiple partitions to a single partition involves backing up your program and data files, repartitioning your hard disk, and then restoring your program and data files. For specific instructions, refer to your Microsoft MS-DOS &quot;User's Guide and Reference&quot; or order FastTips Technical Library item Q77821, titled &quot;Repartitioning Your Hard Disk After MS-DOS 5 Upgrade.&quot;

For information on the Fdisk program, refer to pages 149 through 160 in the Microsoft MS-DOS &quot;User's Guide and Reference&quot; for version 5.0. 2.Q. When I load SMARTDRV.SYS, I get the message &quot;Incompatible disk

partition detected.&quot; What can I do?

A. If your system includes a third-party disk partition and you try to    use SMARTDrive, you may receive this error message. You can force SMARTDrive to load by specifying the /p switch. However, doing so may corrupt your hard disk if either of the following conditions is true:

- Your hard disk contains more than 1024 cylinders.

- Your hard disk is not supported by the system's ROM BIOS.

Use SMARTDrive only if you are sure that your hard disk does not meet either of these conditions. For more information concerning SMARTDrive, please refer to pages 617 to 619 in the &quot;Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide and Reference&quot; version 5.0 manual and to Section 7.5 of the README.TXT file. 3.Q. I have a hard drive with more than 1024 cylinders. Is there a way of

accessing the entire hard drive?

A. The MS-DOS 5.0 Upgrade uses the hardware BIOS to read and write to the hard drive. Due to the limitations of the standard AT BIOS, MS-DOS only accesses the first 1024 cylinders of a physical hard drive. Please contact your hard drive manufacturer for a possible hardware solution to this limitation. If you have formatted your hard drive and found it to be significantly reduced in capacity, your hard drive may have more than 1024 cylinders. If you do not know how many cylinders your hard drive has, consult your hard drive manual or contact your dealer for more information.