Formatting Using the Compaq Array Configuration Utility

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This article was previously published under Q227879

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SUMMARY

This article describes how the Compaq Array Configuration utility formats disks.

The Compaq Array Configuration utility allows for translating disks using 63 sectors per track.

When you install Windows NT 4.0 or Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 on a Compaq Array, you must format the disk with 63 sectors per track to install Windows NT on a partition that is larger than 4 gigabytes (GB). The boot and system partitions must reside in the first 4 GB of disks that are formatted with 32 sectors per track, or in the first 7.8 GB of disks that are formatted with 63 sectors per track.

For additional information about disk support in Windows NT, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

224526 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/224526/EN-US/ ) Windows NT 4.0 Supports Maximum of 7.8-GB System Partition

When you start your computer using the Compaq SmartStart CD-ROM and you configure the disk array, you are prompted to choose which OS you are going to install. You are prompted with the following selections:

WINNT 3.51 Max Boot
WINNT 3.51
WINNT 4.0

If you choose the WINNT 3.51 or WINNT 4.0 selections, you translate the disk to use 32 sectors per track by default. If you choose WINNT 3.51 Max Boot, you translate the disk to use 63 sectors per track.

Compaq has confirmed that you can choose WINNT 3.51 Max Boot when you use Windows NT 4.0 and you need to use 63 sectors per track. For additional information about using the WINNT 3.51 Max Boot selection, please contact Compaq technical support or visit the following Compaq Web site:

http://www.compaq.com (http://www.compaq.com)