Installing Windows XP onto a FAT32 partition

Hello, is it possible to install Windows XP Professional on a FAT32 partition, and if so, how do I do it. I am working on a dual boot system, and since linux isn't very good at writing NTFS I think it would be much more convenient to boot with FAT32. Thanks a lot.

You can install XP on a FAT32 partition with no problem. The installation is carried out in the identical fashion as installation on an NTFS partition.

I figured that you could. But when I go through the thing to select the partition that I want to install it on, it says I have to format my drive and it only gives me the options of NTFS and NTFS (quick). I tried going into the console and using the 'format' command to explicitly format the drive in FAT32, then I used the 'diskpart' command to make sure that it showed it as FAT32, and when I boot into the installation program, it says that the partition type is unknown and it gives me an option of formatting in NTFS or NTFS (quick) again. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I found that I have to format with less than 32 gigs. Apparently, windows XP can't handle 40 gig FAT32 partitions.

you mean to say, you cant have fat32 w/ more than 32gigs?

XP cannot format more than 32gb during the install. Best way to do it is to use a windows 98 bootdisk, create the parition and format it using the bootdisk, then run the XP install and tell it to leave the file system intact.

thats ghey

Hey, its microsoft. Dont expect everything to work properly all the time.....


Anyway, Know Nuttin, is correct. Go to bootdisk.com, get a 98se boot disk. Boot to that, and format the drive, it will automaticly format using fat32, then run your xp install, and choose to leave the partition in its current state (dont format it again), and your set to go....