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synthead

Member

Registered: 2006-05-09

Posts: 1,337

[solved] Creating a FAT32 filesystem with mkfs.vfat, readable by DOS

For technical reasons, I have to boot into MS-DOS and do some stuff to a FAT32 partition, but to my surprise, MS-DOS can't read partitions formatted with mkfs.vfat.  The only way I can create a readable filesystem is through Windows XP's Disk Management service in the Administrative tools or by MS-DOS's fdisk (which suffers terribly performing tasks on large drives, ouch).  I am using the -F 32 flag with mkfs.vfat (to force true FAT32), and the version of MS-DOS I'm using is off the Win98SE boot disk, so it can read FAT32.

I could go into Windows XP and do this, but I need to learn what to do in linux to increase my power level!  OVER NINE THOUSAND!  What should I do?

edit - Thought I would also add that after creating the partition with mkfs.vfat, fdisk (the MS-DOS one) recognizes the partition as "PRI DOS" assigned to the drive letter "C:", reporting "UNKNOWN" as the SYSTEM.  In other words, it's there and supposedly readable.  But quit fdisk and type c: at the prompt, and it says "Invalid drive specification."  Trying to run format c: also outputs the same error message.

Last edited by synthead (2009-12-20 07:41:51)

djgera

Developer

From: Buenos Aires - Argentina

Registered: 2008-12-24

Posts: 723

Website

Re: [solved] Creating a FAT32 filesystem with mkfs.vfat, readable by DOS

Hello.

What is the fs type of partiton that you have assigned in fdisk: 0x0B or 0x0C? What is the size of the partition?

synthead

Member

Registered: 2006-05-09

Posts: 1,337

Re: [solved] Creating a FAT32 filesystem with mkfs.vfat, readable by DOS

You are the MAN!  I set the partition type to 0C and it is now recognized and working flawlessly.  I didn't even think of that.  There goes all my retarded DOS and Windows woes after gparted partitioning