XP does not reconize FAT32 partition.

I have this 46Gb partition that is formatted to FAT32 (so that I can share file between XP and linux).
All is fine except windows XP does not know what to do with it. I tried going to control panel, and went to the disk management section. I cannot do anythnig to that partition expect delete it. What can I do so that windows can access that partition?

Thank you very much.

 

I'm not sure but the reason it can't access it is b/c the partition that windows itself is installed on is NTFS. If the partition windows is on is FAT32, then it could've read both.

 

If XP can't read the partition then the Partition Table is probably corrupt. You can try resizing the partition by using QtParted from within Linux, assuming that Linux can read the partition.

 

I have WinXP installs on NTFS partitions that can indeed read and write to FAT32 partitions. Are you at SP1 or above? You may be encountering an LBA limitation if not.

 

The partition table is not corrupted. I checked it.
I also don't think that it has to do with the LBA limitation. From a lot of googleing, most say that it is not the problem.

 

I'm curious to know how you went about checking it?

I'd almost be willing to bet that your partition type is 44. That makes it corrupt, unless you have GoBack installed.

You can check it from within windows with diskpart.

 

Being a Mac user as of late, this is a little rusty, but I believe its the correct steps.

Open a cmd.exe prompt, from start, run.
type:
diskpart
ENTER
at the diskpart> prompt:
type
list disk
ENTER
This shows the hard drives on the system. Find the one in question and note the number.
select Disk X (replace X with the correct number)
ENTER
list partition
ENTER
Note the partition number in question (probably 1).
select partition 1
ENTER
detail partition
ENTER

Note the partition type. What is it?

 

This is the detail partition:
partition 6
type 83
Hidden: yes
active: no
There is no volume associtaed with this partition.

It is a logical partiton... if that helps.
The "no volume associated with this partition" is probably the problem, but I dont know how to fix it.

 

Type 83.

Thats a Linux partition. Its not fat32 at all, and Windows will not be able to read it.

 

I am very sure that it is FAT32 because I am able to check it inside the windows administrative tools, and even windows says it is FAT32. It is just not able to use it.

 

Well, ok, believe what you will

But if the partition you checked via diskpart is the same one in question for this entire thread, its not Fat32.

http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/partitions/partition_types-1.html

I am very sure of the information I have as well. Type 83 never has, and never will be, Fat32.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=type+83+partition&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Look at the google search string I used. Surely its not by accident that most of the links deal with Linux?

The only other explanation is that its a corrupt partition table, which Windows will read its type incorrectly.