Booting Windows7 on FAT32

Win7Junkie said:

OK while I am trying your solution all I can share is our client is a computer manufacturing giant. In their assembly line they have some legacy applications that supoort only FAT32. They can't afford to change that as its implemented worldwide. Our project is to provide trimmed Win7 OS piece to them that should boot on FAT32. I hope that helps.

BEFORE YOU READ NOTES: I am not down playing your problem. I am not attacking you in any way; and I am not saying you are a liar; all I am saying is something does not make sense.

I have worked for Dell, Gateway, AST, CompuAdd and several others you may have never heard of. If they really are a "Computer Manufacturing Giant" they have the resources to work around a FAT32 issue.

We had a pre-loading/testing propitiatory software that was installed on machines that was fantastically programming by some amazing programmers at the time. The software was used on the production line for loading the OS on hard drives and verifying that everything was working, hardware drivers, etc. This software faced a similar problem like the one you have. When the technology changed we spend about a week trying to figure out a way to keep our software working because it was fast and worked very well. Plus we had spent millions of dollars on it. Mind you we spend what seemed like an eternity (1 week) trying workarounds. Production equals Profit so the system could not be down for a long period of time. Once the week was over and we could not make the software work the “Company” purchased a new solution. Yes it was costly, but continuing to try and make an out-dated propitiatory solution continue to work was not cost effective.

What happens when the next OS comes out? What happens to our profit if we cannot keep it running? etc. – From my point of view and what you are telling me does not make any sense? If this software requires FAT32 and they are a “computer manufacturing giant” they have the resources to overcome this extremely easy. Plus they can use their contacts with Microsoft to resolve the issue. – So something doesn’t add up in my mind.

If this was some small mom and pop operation I could understand as they would not have the recourses to buy a new solution. – If this was a mom and pop company normally they are willing to share just about anything with anyone if someone can come up with a solution that works and keeps them profitable. – So again something just does not make sense.

I completely understand the proprietary nature of what you are doing and you may be under a gag order or confidentially contract. If there is any way you can explain what you are trying to do without giving away the confidential information we may be able to come up with an alternative solution.

We are all here and we are willing to help. If I come across something that fits your situation I will post it.

Windows 7 can boot only -I repeat: only- from NTFS. You are trying to reach beyond the knowledge of today. Nothing wrong with that, so did Da Vinci, Kopernikus, Edison & co. and look how famous they are today.

Just to make my point clear, once more: booting Win7 from FAT32 disk is not possible, according to what we know today. It looks like this computer giant of yours has to invest in modern systems.

Kari

Ok here is what I found today.

Short story I created a hard drive and a USB drive both on FAT32 that have the Retail Windows 7 and then the Windows 7 Enterprise version that boot correctly and load Windows 7 perfectly.

Next I created my own slim version of Windows 7 and put it on the Hard Drive and the USB drive and everything boots and installs perfectly.

The only catch to all this is you can ONLY install Windows 7 on a NTFS drive. I tried to pre-format the drive FAT32 and then do the install and the Installer POP-UPS a message that says: “Windows 7 only supports NTFS”. You are given the option to re-format the FAT32 drive.

However installing FROM FAT32 works perfectly.

I hope that helps.

seekermeister said:

After thinking about this some, I'm wondering why the OP couldn't install W7 on NTFS, and then the 32bit programs on a separate FAT32 partition? I would think that if they installed properly, they would run properly.

I find it more baffling the fact the application is even dependent on the the file system. Sounds like a god awful POS.

I still don't understand how a "Manufacturing Giant" isn't capable of managing their business and turns to a third party seeking a fix on a public forum...

win7clutz said:

I still don't understand how a "Manufacturing Giant" isn't capable of managing their business and turns to a third party seeking a fix on a public forum...

That is my point exactly in my other postings.