More than 32 GB hard disk, should be writable from Linux and readable from windows
 

Hello All,
I have following requirement. Linux server should write data(around 100GB) on to some external hard drive. So when I connect this drive to windows box it should be readable.
I can see 2 options.
1) Format hard disk partition with EXT format and it read it somehow on windows.
If somebody knows how to do it? If there is any tool available for windows which will make EXT formatted hard disk readable on windows.

2) Format hard dísk with FAT 32 format.
Here there is limitation that I can format volume of only 32 GB of hard disk and I have to copy data of size around 100GB. Is there any chance that I will be able to format hard disk volume more than 32 GB by using FAT32 format and which will be still readable by Win XP or Win2k and writable by linux server.


Looking forward to read from you soon..

-P.

I have a 120Gb hard disk formatted in fat32 for the same reason, being able to read/write it from both SOs...I haven't heard of that limitation since long time ago. Maybe you should update your BIOS if that's the problem....

Or, but that i'm not sure at all, build several volumes and mount them as RAID so you'll be able to write thos 100Gb you need.

Hope it helps somehow

When you're using windows to make and format the partitions it will only go up to 32GB but when you format them in linux you can go a lot higher.
Fat 32 is the only option if it has to be writable by linux.
I think that M$ has never updated there FAT32 and the 32GB limit is from the past when this was still huge. Knowing they are trying to promote there NTFS they will probably never change these limits.

I haven't had this problem with my 120GB HDD....if i remember good i formated it with partition magic as fat32 and it didn't complain about this 32GB limit....

explore2fs is an ext2 driver for Windows AFAIK.

thanks for your replies.
I formatted hard disk by mounting it on RHL linux and using mkfs.vfat (FAT 32). Formatting was successfull. I tested this hard disk by copying 100 Gigs of data on it from my disk.
Then I mounted it on Suse server and ran my java application which started writing data on to this disk. But this copying process failed after 20 Gigs and after that I was not even able to create any directory or file on that hard disk any more. Only diff between with first copy and second copy was later had folder structure with deep hierarchy.
If somebody what is causing this.