Fat32 & NTFS at DVinfo.net

Randy Reyes · November 3rd, 2003, 07:50 AM

Hello everyone!! I was watching a demo of the firestore at its website:

http://www.focusinfo.com/products/firestore/videos/FSbig.wmv

At around 3:35 the spokesperson says that it records onto "standard fat32 volumes." Using fat32 volumes are no problem for me, BUT, if I'm using NTFC formatted harddrives on my PC will I have a compatiblilty issue? Will I still be able to copy the footage onto my cpu?

Also, has anyone found good price with quality service & product for this item yet? Thanks for all your help. :]

ps: how can I make my links clickable??

Rush Hamden · November 4th, 2003, 03:32 PM

Hello, my name is Rush with EVS. We are a qualified DVinfo.net sponsor, and dealers for Focus Enhancements. I went ahead and viewed the video link that you posted, but could not answer your question. So I called Focus, and based on their reply, the FS-1 is fully qualified for WIN2000/XP, which is an NTFS based system. Media drives can be NTFS or FAT32, and PC WIN2000 will read and write both. From past experience, I can let you know that I have had FAT32 drives brought to me as media drives, and that did not affect my ability to import footage from them. On your NTFS machine, you can format media drives as FAT32 so that you can have mutiple operating systems on the same PC. So, according to Focus, you have the green-light.

Randy Reyes · November 4th, 2003, 06:45 PM

Thanks a lot for the reply! Really, really appreciate it. That will definitely push me forward to investing in a firestore drive. Now all I need to do is find a dealer with a good price & quality service!! :]

Matt McEwen · November 5th, 2003, 12:19 PM

Sorry for the late reply. Rush from EVS is quite correct. While all FireStore models require a FAT32 FireWire disk drive, these can be mounted to Win98SE/ME/2000/XP or Mac OS9/10 systems as external FireWire volumes regardless of the format of your local machine's hard drives. The nice thing of course with FireStore is that it is not always necessary to transfer clips to your NLE system for use. It is possible to simply stream the content directly from the FireWire drive you recorded the clips on to the NLE's timeline. Of course, if you want to copy the files over to media volumes, that is possible as well.

Also of note, all FireStore models now have the ability to create a FAT32 format on any FireWire drive - regardless of what format is on it. For instance, if I have a FireWire drive with no format or a HFS+ format (Mac), it is possible to make a FAT32 volume using FireStore.

Hope that helps

Matt McEwen
Product Manager
Focus Enhancements

Nathan Gifford · November 19th, 2003, 08:42 AM

Even if you are use FAT32 you can copy between NTFS and FAT disks. Remember that your floppy drive is a FAT device and you can copy files back and forth with no problem.

Chris Trainor · October 28th, 2004, 08:58 PM

I am using XP, with a FS1 and xls1, and a lacie 80g firewire drive.

When I plug the FS1 and the drive together, it says NO DRIVE.

It is currently in NTFS file structure, and according to the above posts, I need to convert it.

However, in XP, it will only allow me to format it again to NTFS.

Is there a work around, or an obvious solution I am missing?

Thanks.

Andrew Petrie · October 28th, 2004, 10:29 PM

You should have no problem formatting back to FAT32 through XP. when you go to the Format utility, is there not a drop-down box labelled 'File system', which has both NTFS and FAT32 listed?

Chris Trainor · October 31st, 2004, 11:50 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Andrew Petrie : You should have no problem formatting back to FAT32 through XP. when you go to the Format utility, is there not a drop-down box labelled 'File system', which has both NTFS and FAT32 listed? -->>>

no, there isnt. only ntfs.

however, i installed a partion app, that will allow me to do it. appears xp cannot do it on its own.

so i split the 80 gig in half, one ntfs and one fat 32, and my firestore still doesnt see the drive.

does the entire drive need to be fat32, or will FS1 work with multiple partions?

Rob Lohman · November 1st, 2004, 04:42 AM

FAT32 will not appear for very large drives (if I remember correctly
the mark is around 137 GB) during formatting. I also seem to
remember that they removed the FAT32 option above a certain
other size to encourage people to switch to NTFS. You should still
be able to format the drive under a DOS box in FAT32 (after you
return it to one partition). The correct call would be:

FORMAT X: /FS:FAT32

Where X: is the drive letter for your partition (check disk
management tool which is inside the computer management
option under administrative tools. The disk management tool
can be found under the heading storage in computer
management. Make SURE you have the correct drive letter)

I doubt the FS will work with multiple partitions. I can imagine it
will only work with the first partition and this one must be FAT32.
But that's just a guess.

Matt McEwen · November 3rd, 2004, 06:08 PM

Hi Chris,

I would recommend that you contact the Focus support line at support@focusinfo.com or call 408-370-9963. They should be able to help you out with this.

Matt

November 3rd, 2003, 07:50 AM	#1
Randy Reyes Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 54	Fat32 & NTFS Hello everyone!! I was watching a demo of the firestore at its website: http://www.focusinfo.com/products/firestore/videos/FSbig.wmv At around 3:35 the spokesperson says that it records onto "standard fat32 volumes." Using fat32 volumes are no problem for me, BUT, if I'm using NTFC formatted harddrives on my PC will I have a compatiblilty issue? Will I still be able to copy the footage onto my cpu? Also, has anyone found good price with quality service & product for this item yet? Thanks for all your help. :] ps: how can I make my links clickable??

November 4th, 2003, 03:32 PM	#2
Rush Hamden Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Burbank, California Posts: 122	Hello, my name is Rush with EVS. We are a qualified DVinfo.net sponsor, and dealers for Focus Enhancements. I went ahead and viewed the video link that you posted, but could not answer your question. So I called Focus, and based on their reply, the FS-1 is fully qualified for WIN2000/XP, which is an NTFS based system. Media drives can be NTFS or FAT32, and PC WIN2000 will read and write both. From past experience, I can let you know that I have had FAT32 drives brought to me as media drives, and that did not affect my ability to import footage from them. On your NTFS machine, you can format media drives as FAT32 so that you can have mutiple operating systems on the same PC. So, according to Focus, you have the green-light. __________________ Want to get more from your hard-earned gear? Digital Cinema Filmmaking Course 24 hours of educational video on 16 DVDs, focused on filmmaking savvy, examples, demonstrations, and tips. Learn Scriptwriting, Formatting, Editing, Camera Operation, Lighting, Exposure, Audio, and Directing.

November 19th, 2003, 08:42 AM	#5
Nathan Gifford Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Tickfaw, LA Posts: 1,217	Even if you are use FAT32 you can copy between NTFS and FAT disks. Remember that your floppy drive is a FAT device and you can copy files back and forth with no problem. __________________ Nathan Gifford Southern Cyclist Magazine & Productions For quick answers try our Search! To see me and Rob Lohman click here

October 28th, 2004, 10:29 PM	#7
Andrew Petrie Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 484	You should have no problem formatting back to FAT32 through XP. when you go to the Format utility, is there not a drop-down box labelled 'File system', which has both NTFS and FAT32 listed? __________________ Andrew \| Canon XL1s, ME66, Vinten Vision 3, GlideCam V16 (for sale!)

November 1st, 2004, 04:42 AM	#9
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	FAT32 will not appear for very large drives (if I remember correctly the mark is around 137 GB) during formatting. I also seem to remember that they removed the FAT32 option above a certain other size to encourage people to switch to NTFS. You should still be able to format the drive under a DOS box in FAT32 (after you return it to one partition). The correct call would be: FORMAT X: /FS:FAT32 Where X: is the drive letter for your partition (check disk management tool which is inside the computer management option under administrative tools. The disk management tool can be found under the heading storage in computer management. Make SURE you have the correct drive letter) I doubt the FS will work with multiple partitions. I can imagine it will only work with the first partition and this one must be FAT32. But that's just a guess. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

November 4th, 2003, 06:45 PM	#3
Randy Reyes Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 54	Thanks a lot for the reply! Really, really appreciate it. That will definitely push me forward to investing in a firestore drive. Now all I need to do is find a dealer with a good price & quality service!! :]

November 5th, 2003, 12:19 PM	#4
Matt McEwen Focus Enhancements Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Campbell, CA. Posts: 508	Sorry for the late reply. Rush from EVS is quite correct. While all FireStore models require a FAT32 FireWire disk drive, these can be mounted to Win98SE/ME/2000/XP or Mac OS9/10 systems as external FireWire volumes regardless of the format of your local machine's hard drives. The nice thing of course with FireStore is that it is not always necessary to transfer clips to your NLE system for use. It is possible to simply stream the content directly from the FireWire drive you recorded the clips on to the NLE's timeline. Of course, if you want to copy the files over to media volumes, that is possible as well. Also of note, all FireStore models now have the ability to create a FAT32 format on any FireWire drive - regardless of what format is on it. For instance, if I have a FireWire drive with no format or a HFS+ format (Mac), it is possible to make a FAT32 volume using FireStore. Hope that helps Matt McEwen Product Manager Focus Enhancements

October 28th, 2004, 08:58 PM	#6
Chris Trainor Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: new orleans / baton rouge Posts: 46	I am using XP, with a FS1 and xls1, and a lacie 80g firewire drive. When I plug the FS1 and the drive together, it says NO DRIVE. It is currently in NTFS file structure, and according to the above posts, I need to convert it. However, in XP, it will only allow me to format it again to NTFS. Is there a work around, or an obvious solution I am missing? Thanks.

October 31st, 2004, 11:50 PM	#8
Chris Trainor Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: new orleans / baton rouge Posts: 46	<<<-- Originally posted by Andrew Petrie : You should have no problem formatting back to FAT32 through XP. when you go to the Format utility, is there not a drop-down box labelled 'File system', which has both NTFS and FAT32 listed? -->>> no, there isnt. only ntfs. however, i installed a partion app, that will allow me to do it. appears xp cannot do it on its own. so i split the 80 gig in half, one ntfs and one fat 32, and my firestore still doesnt see the drive. does the entire drive need to be fat32, or will FS1 work with multiple partions?

November 3rd, 2004, 06:08 PM	#10
Matt McEwen Focus Enhancements Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Campbell, CA. Posts: 508	Hi Chris, I would recommend that you contact the Focus support line at support@focusinfo.com or call 408-370-9963. They should be able to help you out with this. Matt