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Server OS Partitions (Fat32 OS 2GB Partition)
Does anyone know what the Fat32 OS Partition does that comes with Dell when you don't have a OS installed on the machine by default?
I am having a problem with setting up Windows Backup on two new servers 2016 due to their being a Fat32 OS partition that I never seen before.
Is it safe to convert them to NTFS? Mounting them shows nothing but wondering the purpose is. I search dell forums and found some older post about them but never really a answer why it is there or the reason behind it.
We used a Microsoft License center of 2016 and installed 2016 on two servers (identical models) and already deployed them as DC for two locations and when trying to realize their a "OS" partition is when we started having problems with Windows backups.
I know not to delete this partition but wondering if it safe to just convert them to NTFS.
DELL-Chris H
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April 25th, 2017 06:00
Masterned,
If it is a small partition place in front of C: then it is the recovery/diagnostic partition. This partition will be created whenever you use Dell deployment tools (USC/LCC, SBUU/SMTD). Using only the Windows DVD, a partition may still be created there, but it should be NTFS.
Let me know if this helps.
MasterNe0
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April 25th, 2017 17:00
All we did was unpack the server, used a windows 2016 DVD to install the OS and then after installing the OS, installed the server administrator from the dell utility afterwards. We did not do anything else or used any other "dell" dvd or software including dell deployment tool so I am still unsure how we even got these partitions. The Partition is Fat32 (on both servers we set this up on).
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AKRICH
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June 13th, 2017 09:00
To begin you will need to first assign a drive letter to the 2GB partition.
Then with the following command you will convert it to NTFS, which will allow the Windows Backup to complete.
convert e:\ /fs:ntfs (where e: is the drive letter you assigned for the Fat32 partition)
Now on a side note: Simply deleting the partition will result in the boot files being deleted, making the server unbootable.
Let me know how it goes.
sadeghitk
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August 21st, 2018 14:00
Hi,
Having same issue, could you share, what did you do ? Did you reformat the OS partition ?
Thanks,
Terry