Thinkpads Forum

Is there a way to defeat the automated conversion to NTFS, when windows is first loading up from the factory installation?

Well, why would you want to do that? The Preload partition should be in NTFS anyway, at least that is what I have seen just about every Thinkpad with Windows XP on it do.

Yeah, why would anyone want to stop the ntfs conversion? FAT is sooooo windows 98, lol.

NTFS is far superior to FAT, why do you want FAT?

Maybe he wants complete access to the XP drive from dual-boot Linux or OSX? == FAT32

I have read several posts in the past by some who don't want to convert for certain reasons, less security needs would be one, i have also read (contrarty to what most would think) that fat32 runs slightly faster (yes I read this, don't flame me) smugiri comes to mind due to compatibility with a linux partition.

There is a registry hack to prevent the converstion. I'll see if I can find it. You would have to stop that last boot before it does the conversion and change the registry entry.

This is from my MCSE/MCSA study guide, i knew I had read this somewhere:

"If you choose to convert a partition from FAT or FAT32 to NTFS, and the conversion has not yet taken place, you can cancel the conversion by editing the registry with the REGEDIT command. The key that neets to be edited is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager. The value needs to be changed from autoconv \DosDevices\x: /FS:NTFS to autocheck autochk*."

The Preload partition should be in NTFS anyway, at least that is what I have seen just about every Thinkpad with Windows XP on it do.

Actually every XP install I have done either thinkpad or retail version is FAT32, the last process, last reboot converts the FAT to NTFS.

Kyocera,

Thanks for the registry hack.

I dont' remember, does it boot into windows and then reboot later doing the conversion? I thought it did the conversion before I got into Windows at all. So I'm wondering how I run regedit, if I'm not in Windows yet. I feel like I'm missing something.

Also, how do I stop the boot before it does the conversion? I remember all that happening automatically without having an opportunity to stop anything. Thanks for any further explanation.

donking!

As the machine is unpacking all the windows/ibm files the partition is still fat32, from memory on my machines t30/t42 it takes a while for all this to happen there are a couple of reboots, when the windows desktop is visible and a dialog box shows getting ready to load sysprep or something or really at any point before the process is completely finished, go to the registry and make the change. The last, thing that happens in the factory install after the last reboot is the conversion.

You can take charge of the desktop while the sysprep is running.

NOTE: one time I did a factory restore on a 10 gig drive just for fun there was not enough room on the drive to unload all of the windows files therefore the conversion process could not take place, the machine ran fine, there was enough there to use the OS but it stayed in fat32.

Hmm. The registry hack method did not work. D'Oh! I found somewhere else on the web that said the same thing. But no dice.

After every boot I checked the BootExecute key in the appropriate directory, but it already said: autocheck autochk *.

It rebooted three times. Said autocheck autochk *. And then the last time converted to NTFS anyway.

So it just went ahead and conveted? I have to reinstall my t42 to factory tomorrow, I'll try it and see if it works for me. I'll try to look and see what it is set to immediatley after sysprep starts and maybe try to change the value then.

It did go ahead and convert anyway.

Maybe I missed the exact moment and should have kept closing and reopening the registry editor as the set up when through each of its stages and not just checking it at each reboot. I did keep it open during the entire setup process, after each reboot. But maybe it doesn't refresh itself, while the window is sitting there open? Curious to hear how it works for you on the T42.