DOCUMENT:Q101626 08-AUG-2001 [winnt] TITLE :Windows NT Removable Media Requirements and Limitations PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT PROD/VER:3.1 3.5 3.51 4.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbhw kbHardware ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.1 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.1 - Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1 - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Windows NT supports most removable hard disks and magnetic-optical disk drives. These disks are treated as hard disks because they must be partitioned and they are assigned a drive letter. However, Windows NT does not support write-once disk drives. Windows NT supports removable media subject to the following restrictions: - A removable hard disk can have only one primary partition. Extended or logical partitions are not supported. - Windows NT supports only the Windows NT filesystem (NTFS) and MS-DOS-compatible (FAT) file system on removable media. - The user cannot assign the drive letter for the device. - Removable disks are not supported in a fault tolerant manner. - You can install the Windows NT system files (the files contained in the WINNT directory) on a removable disk. However, the NT boot files, such as NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM, must be on the hard disk drive (fixed disk). - If the paging file is located on the device or if the device has the NTFS installed, the media is locked until the system is shutdown. - The FAT file system locks the media while it is in use and unlocks it after approximately 10 seconds of inactivity. NOTE: Windows NT supports a 20.8MB "floptical" disk as a floppy disk, not as a hard disk. Each write to a floppy disk is performed on a write-through cache basis and you can remove a floppy disk as long as the drive light is not on. Additional query words: prodnt iomega bernoulli WORM ====================================================================== Keywords : kbhw kbHardware Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT351search kbWinNT350search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTW310 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS310 kbWinNTAdvSerSearch kbWinNTAdvServ310 kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS350search kbWinNTS310search kbWinNT310Search kbWinNTW310Search Version : 3.1 3.5 3.51 4.0 ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2001.