27th December 2001
Installing and reinstalling Windows used to be pretty routine. Ya know, after the thirteenth time, you started to memorize each step. Enter NTFS. It's a newer, more secure, robust file system that will replace FAT32 in a matter of years. In installing Windows 2000 or XP, you have to make a choice whether or not you want to make the move to NTFS or stick with FAT32. If you don't know, don't go (to NTFS). What happens if you find that XP (or 2000) isn't working as well as you'd like it to? More importantly: what if you miss good ol' 98, but your drive was now NTFS? Oops. You'll need to run the Recovery Console to reformat a drive to FAT32. WARNING: this will wipe out all data on that drive. Reboot the computer, making sure you've inserted your XP or 2000 CD-ROM (or the corresponding boot floppy). Tap F10 to continue through the "Welcome" screen. Now, in the Recovery Console, choose an installation and log into it with your Administrator account password. You remember it, right? Type: MAP (and then tap ENTER). Tell it which drive you wish to reformat (in most cases, it will be your C drive). Type: "format C : /fs:fat32" (sans quotes). Tap 'y' to confirm. When all is said and done, type exit to restart the machine. Your C drive should now be back to its original FAT32 condition.