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Error Message 6 in FDISK

Discussion in 'Other PC Software' started by Christer, 2004/02/04.

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  1. 2004/02/04
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Hello all!

    When I added a second HDD to my system, as Primary Slave, I proceeded to partition it with FDISK.

    The Primary Master has two NTFS partitions and one FAT32 partition.

    When I started FDISK, I had the usual Large Disk Support question and after confirming, it asked if LDS was to be applied to the NTFS partitions as well. The answer was YES.

    At the bottom of the screen there was a flashing message saying something like:

    I´ve found no information on this on the web and I wonder if someone on here knows what the message means and where to find FDISKC.MSG.

    Thanks for Your time,
    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  2. 2004/02/04
    reboot

    reboot Inactive

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    Are you sure you were fdisking the correct drive?
    If the drive you just added has no partitions, why would fdisk tell you anything about NTFS?
    Was the primary drive fdisked with Linux?
    Have you tried mounting the drive in other locations, such as secondary master?
    Are you absolutely positive the jumpers are correct?

    (I still think you were trying to fdisk your primary master by accident).
     
    reboot,
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  4. 2004/02/04
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Hi Jim,
    thanks for Your response!

    The error message was during the initiation of FDISK. Once I had confirmed the Large Disk Support and also for NTFS volumes and hit enter, the message went away. Sorry for being unclear about that.

    This was the first time that I used FDISK with two HDDs, one with a mix of NTFS and FAT32 partitions and the new one larger than 64GB so it was a wee bit confusing.

    I choose the "select drive menu" and selected #2 which had no partitions. I was quite confident that I worked with the correct HDD since I didn´t have to remove any partitions to create the new ones.
    I split it in three partitions, rebooted and went back to FDISK.

    The drive lettering was the confusing bit.

    On the Primary, the two NTFS partitions didn´t get any drive letters and the FAT32 partition became D:

    On the new HDD the first partition became C:, the second E: and the third F:.

    I can tell You that I looked twice and thrice before confirming the formating ...... :eek: ...... and I was relieved when it said "formating XXXXX MB" and the numbers fit the partition size!

    Anyway, since all went well, I´m a bit curious about that Error Message and where FDISKC.MSG is to be found.
    Could it possibly be that it should have been written to the floppy but the floppy was write protected?

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  5. 2004/02/04
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    I forgot to mention what happened when I started Windows XP Pro.

    There have been discussions on the side effects on drive lettering of CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. They are said to be moved up and down when adding and removing HDDs.

    Not on my system. The primary HDD were lettered C:,D: and E:, the opticals F: and G: with the added slave HDD lettered H:, I: and J:.

    I think that I will remove the new HDD and Ghost back to before that one appeared on the system.

    Next, I´ll change the drive letters for the opticals to X: and Y:.
    There is a message saying that it could have bad concequences but I believe that applies to fixed drives only, not opticals with removable media.

    Finally, I will put the new HDD back which should get the drive letters of the fixed drives in sequence.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  6. 2004/02/04
    bluzkat

    bluzkat Inactive

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    Drive letter changes...

    Christer,
    You can save yourself alot of work and change the drive letters from within the Management Console. Go to Drive Management, then right-click on the drive you want to change and select the appropriate option. I've used this before with no problems. Also, moving your optical drives to 'X' and 'Y' will prevent this problem in the future. That's one of the first things I change, it keeps them out of the way for any partitioning changes I make. HTH

    B :cool:
     
    bluzkat,
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  7. 2004/02/04
    BillyBob Lifetime Subscription

    BillyBob Inactive

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    The first thing I do when creating a boot disk ( and this goes WAY , WAY back to the OLD days of DOS 6 )

    I set the boot disk so the it sets the CDROM up to at least S:

    Any Bootable CRDOMS are also set this way as they are made from the 98SE startup disk.

    Then once I get the OS installed ( if a clean install ) the FIRST thing done is to set the CDROMS up to S: & T: ( if they are not already there )

    Then I start installing software.

    And all three of my machines are set the same. ( CDROM at S: )

    BillyBob
     
    BillyBob,
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  8. 2004/02/04
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    As a good security precaution, I have my system set up as such:

    Drive 1:
    C partition - fat32 - files storage
    D partition - fat32 - files storage
    E- CDRW
    F- CDROM
    L - WinXP Pro
     
    TonyT,
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  9. 2004/02/04
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Guys,
    thanks for Your comments!

    I am at the moment only playing around, trying to learn what happens and what does not. In the end, I will reverse positions of the two drives to make the new one Primary and relegate the old one to backup as Slave.
    I will transfer the Data and Ghost Images and do the system transfer by restoring a Ghost Image to the new system partition on the new HDD.

    Finally, I will wipe the old HDD by overwriting it with zeros, repartition and format for backup use.

    Now, does anyone know anything about that Error Message?

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  10. 2004/02/04
    reboot

    reboot Inactive

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    The error is ambiguous at best, and all I can find on it, is that it is probably written to the floppy, but being write protected, it doesn't happen.

    RE Relettering drives:
    Use Windows disk management to letter your CD, DVD, Burner, whatever optical drives, to letters that make sense.
    I use "R" for Reader (normal CD ROM), "W" for Writer (burner), and "V" for DVD.

    Your drive letters will turn out one of two ways in fdisk.
    Because it's FAT (on the floppy), it cannot read NTFS partitions to assign a drive letter, so they don't get the correct one until you restart in Windows.

    If you make the first partition active on the slave drive, it will become Drive "D ", and you have no choice in the matter. Don't make it active, and it will end up the next letter in sequence.

    In XP, disk management, you CAN change the drive letters you want. Changing the boot partition letter (C) is more difficult, but it can be done as well (I have no idea why anyone would want to though).

    Here's the procedure I use for adding a drive to an existing XP box:
    1.) Boot to the floppy, fdisk the drive, creating partitions as needed. Do NOT make any of them active.
    2.) Restart the computer in Windows.
    3.) Let the new drive(s) be detected, and restart when prompted.
    4.) Open Explorer, format the new drives by right click menu.
    5.) Open Disk Management, reassign drive letters as needed/wanted.
    6.) Rename the drives to logical things, such as MP3's, Storage, Downloads, whatever the drives are actually being used for.
    Note: When I say "drives" above, I mean drives and/or partitions.

    When you do swap drives, don't worry about active/non-active partitions. Windows XP doesn't care if a partition is active or not, even if you're using FAT32 instead of NTFS, the only problem you may have, is that once cloned, and swapped, the boot drive may become "D ", which can cause all sorts of problems.
    If you do end up in that scenario, let me know, and I'll post the instructions on how to reletter the boot drive back to "C" so everything works properly.
     
    Last edited: 2004/02/04
    reboot,
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  11. 2004/02/04
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Hi Jim!

    I have the slave HDD in a rack and can remove and put it back with ease and that is what I´ve done this evening, to find out what happens with drive letters and how they can be changed.

    The HDD partitions are now in sequence and the opticals are X: and Y:

    When the data and Ghost Images have been transfered to the new HDD, I will shut down and physically swap their positions. Next, I´ll run a few IBM disk utilities on the old drive, such as updating the firmware which is a recommendation from IBM on the DeathStars and also wipe it in a disk repair which writes zeroes to the whole drive. The latter is said to be a "modern day low level format ".
    I will also partition and format the old HDD using FDISK and finally restore the system partition on the new HDD using a Ghost Image.

    Since the OS will be gone from the old HDD I don´t expect the system partition on the new HDD to become D: but C: as usual, right?

    I have done it before on a friends computer. His LapTop had its HDD replaced on warranty but came back with all the Compaq **** installed on a single partition.
    I repartitioned it as my friend wants it and restored the Image of the previous HDD.
    When the computer was started, the only thing that happened was that it detected that it was a different HDD and installed it. Probably only changing the serial number and partition information in System Information or something like that.

    I like to help my friends with their computers because I learn from it and the only prerequisite I have is that they invest in Ghost and let me use it to backup my work.
    If they don´t, they are on their own because the work with the HDD replacement had been much more cumbersome without Ghost.

    And it boosts ones confidence too ...... :cool: ......

    Finally, I´d like to thank You for Your offer to assist if I make a mess of it! That too, is a confidence booster!

    Christer

    I forgot:

    The new HDD was Slave to the old HDD when I FDISKed it and FDISK doesn´t let You set a partition on the Slave as active.
    When I FDISK the old HDD it will be Slave to the new HDD.

    I will have a Primary Partition on both HDDs because if the new one should go south it will be easy to Ghost the old one back into action.
     
    Last edited: 2004/02/04
    Christer,
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  12. 2004/02/04
    Newt

    Newt Inactive

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    Christer - XP isn't it? Why are you mucking about with fdisk?
     
    Newt,
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  13. 2004/02/04
    reboot

    reboot Inactive

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    As you will be restoring an image, then no worries about the boot drive getting messed up letters.

    Newt, your point?
    Have you tried setting up multiple partitions on multiple drives, from within XP?
    Extremely easy, if you have Partition Magic, othewise...
     
    reboot,
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  14. 2004/02/04
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Newt,

    Well, old habits die hard ...... :eek: ...... especially if they aren´t that old.

    On a more serious note, I actually did it first from within XP and then removed the partitions to find out how FDISK handles mixed partition types and the mess created by large HDDs (over 64GB).

    I´m sort of experimenting until I finalize the setup and now I´ve learned a few things, if some should ask about it ...... :eek: ...... well, for a few weeks until I forget.

    Jim,

    That was my thought too. Thanks for the confirmation.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  15. 2004/02/04
    Newt

    Newt Inactive

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    Newt, your point?
    Have you tried setting up multiple partitions on multiple drives, from within XP?
    Extremely easy, if you have Partition Magic, othewise...

    Reboot - truth be told I have not. Plenty with 2K but with XP I just made a big partition using the whole drive. I'm a pretty simple fella and hated the idea on my own personal machine of trying to remember what was where. Never used PM although there have been a couple of times I thought about buying it.

    I think I have a spare HD lying around though so the first weekend we have bad weather and I can't fish, I just may play with it.

    Even with the 2K stuff I figured out ahead of time what basic layout I wanted and then did the deed. Here are a couple:

    Server A
    Code:
    Drive	Format	Total	Used	Free	% Used	% Free	Volume	
C	NTFS	14.65 GB	5.36 GB	9.29 GB	36.62	63.38	WINDOWS2000	
G	NTFS	341.82 GB	180.20 GB	161.62 GB	52.72	47.28	Group	
H	NTFS	341.82 GB	132.08 GB	209.75 GB	38.64	61.36	App	
I	NTFS	752.02 GB	220.93 GB	531.08 GB	29.38	70.62	User	
S	NTFS	19.19 GB	8.67 GB	10.52 GB	45.16	54.84	Swap
    Server B
    Code:
    Drive	Format	Total	Used	Free	% Used	% Free	Volume	
C	NTFS	8.75 GB	4.65 GB	4.10 GB	53.09	46.91		
D	NTFS	8.16 GB	1.67 GB	6.49 GB	20.44	79.56	Oracle	
K	NTFS	24.41 GB	4.16 GB	20.25 GB	17.05	82.95	Data	
L	NTFS	2.93 GB	372.49 MB	2.56 GB	12.43	87.57	System	
M	NTFS	2.93 GB	17.57 MB	2.91 GB	0.59	99.41	Archive	
N	NTFS	2.93 GB	335.60 MB	2.60 GB	11.20	88.80	Dump	
O	NTFS	24.41 GB	2.71 GB	21.70 GB	11.10	88.90	Index	
P	NTFS	2.93 GB	522.29 MB	2.42 GB	17.43	82.57	Temp	
Q	NTFS	2.93 GB	47.59 MB	2.88 GB	1.59	98.41	Redo	
R	NTFS	2.93 GB	1.70 GB	1.23 GB	58.12	41.88	Rollback	
S	NTFS	24.41 GB	17.70 GB	6.71 GB	72.51	27.49	Data B 	
T	NTFS	2.93 GB	731.01 MB	2.21 GB	24.40	75.60	System B	
U	NTFS	2.93 GB	17.54 MB	2.91 GB	0.59	99.41	Archive B	
V	NTFS	2.93 GB	1.17 GB	1.76 GB	40.01	59.99	Dump B	
W	NTFS	24.41 GB	15.84 GB	8.57 GB	64.90	35.10	Index B	
X	NTFS	2.93 GB	1.45 GB	1.48 GB	49.43	50.57	Temp B	
Y	NTFS	2.93 GB	77.56 MB	2.85 GB	2.59	97.41	Redo B	
Z	NTFS	2.93 GB	2.09 GB	854.93 MB	71.47	28.53	Rollback B
     
    Newt,
    #14
  16. 2004/02/05
    reboot

    reboot Inactive

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    Nicely done in 2k Newt.
    XP Home would give you fit's though ;)
    XP Pro works the same as your version of 2K. :D
    PM makes it GUI simple for those who are technobabble challenged ;)
    Fdisk makes it work by brute force, for those of us who remember computers BEFORE windows, and a 20 meg hard drive was about $2000.00
     
    reboot,
    #15
  17. 2004/02/05
    Newt

    Newt Inactive

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    Reboot - I ain't gonna touch XP-home. Nope. Not.

    And I remember buying a Sider 5Mb hard drive for my AppleII in around 1980-81. Spending $3K in 1980 dollars to get fast and huge mass storage for a PC that only cost around $2K with the whopping 48Kb of RAM that came standard. I did upgrade the beast to the full 64Kb it would use though. :D

    5 years later the newer and more powerful Apple IIc or IIe was only around $1K and a 10Mb Sider was under $700.

    (and for you youngsters, 48Kb & 64Kb for memory was NOT a typo) :eek:
     
    Newt,
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  18. 2004/02/08
    jubalsams

    jubalsams Inactive

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    FDISK error

    About the odd FDISK error:

    0100.<CW>.9.2204.<CH>Partition selected is not a Non-DOS Partition ...0100.<CW>.L.1304.
    <R>Could not change partitions, because the disk could not be locked..I.2204.<CH>Do you
    want to make this partion inactive (<Y>/<N>)? <H>[<S> ].S.2200.<HWB>Message string
    error <I>. See header of FDISKC.MSG for error definition...2204.<HBW>Internal
    error..Incorrect MS-DOS version
    .%1 already installed
    .%1 bytes available on disk
    .Invalid parameter "Cannot FDISK with network loaded
    .No fixed disks present
    .Error reading fixed disk
    .Error writing fixed disk
    .Y..N.,The master boot code has NOT been updated.
    /Configures a hard disk for use with MS-DOS.

    .FDISK [/STATUS] /X

    - /STATUS Displays partition information.
    J /X Ignores extended disk-access support. Use this switch if you
    = receive disk access or stack overflow messages.
    */MBR and /CMBR cannot both be specified.
    </MBR only operates on drive 1, use /CMBR for other drives.
    -You must specify a drive number with /CMBR.

    /PRI./EXT./LOG./PRIO./LOGO./Q./STATUS./?./MBR./X./ACTOK./CMBR./FPRMT./XMBR..:\(

    * Remote * ..jPRI DOS..j XENIX ..jEXT DOS..j Table ..j PC/IX ..j NTFS ..jNOVELL ..k
    CP/M .!Packed file is corrupt1...


    The error code seems to be the same as a failure to LOCK (2204)
    from my reading. Possibly it choked on trying to lock an unformatted
    secondary drive.
     
    jubalsams,
    #17
  19. 2004/02/08
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Hi jubalsams,
    thanks for the list!

    I will run FDISK from a floppy which is not write protected and see if FDISKC.MSG gets written to it when the error message appears.

    I´ll post back later.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
    #18
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