Firmware Upgrade Help!!

[MrTNT]

Ok guys I need your help. I finally got my HD300 back from MPIO, actually they sent me a new one with my files transfered over to it.

Now I'm ready to upload the firmware. On the MPIO website, it says after I upgrade the firmware I should format my player; it reads:

"! If you have HD300 40GB, you should format on Widows 98, otherwise the HD300 is not recognized on the computer because the HD300 is changed to NTFS format."

Now what does this mean? Are they simply stating that if I formated on a NTFS file system, them the Windows 98 computer will not see the drive? (which makes sense) Or are they saying that the HD300 will not show up on any computer when formated in NTFS?

How did you guys do it? Or am I the only nerd who bought the 40GB player.

[ECA]

IF you format, AS IN, choose MY computer, select the device and say FORMAT... It must be set to FORMAT in FAT, or FAT32...

[MrTNT]

IF you format, AS IN, choose MY computer, select the device and say FORMAT... It must be set to FORMAT in FAT, or FAT32...

Well yeah...I get that ;-) But what I am asking is why FAT32? And will the HD300 be unusable under NTFS?

[fatboy_1999]

I think they are simply stating that Win98 won't see it as NTFS.

[ECA]

Why?? Ok..
Fat is a standardized format, thats been around along time.
Fat is setup to do something special.
Its the block size.
Its FIXED at 16 or 32 byte sections..
IF something is larger then the requested area, it ADDS 1 block, so that the size is still fixed.
Like this...
16,32,48,64,....
Even if the file is someplace in the middle of a BLOCK, the WHOLE block is added.
say its 42, it will go straigth to 48..
When files are transferred, it does it in BLOCKs. It sees teh mutiple and Loads that many blocks..4blocks x 16=48.
Same with fat32. 32,64,96...
Sence FAT is smaller, those blocks are smaller.
NTFS is different, it will try to Shuffle things to FIT. Its varible..It can be 8/16/32 all at the same time.. This can confuse hardware. Easier to make a SIMPLE format then to mix things up.

YES, it will screw up your machine. If you use NTFS..