System / Active Partition

[DwarfData]

Hi Guys,

We've recent bought several Dell servers and built them using Windows Server 2008. Not realising, the machines were rolled into production with a small partition on them originally created by Dell. This partition is showing as the Active System Partition and is FAT32.

We've rolled out Microsoft Data Protection Manager 2007 as part of our backup solution, which is working fine apart from the fact it can not backup the System State on the Windows 2008 servers. This ability was added in the last 'Feature Pack' but, although available, doesn't work on these new servers.

I've now identified the problem with DPM is because of the FAT32 Active System partitions.

Does anyone know of a reliable, safe way of changing the Active System partition so I can remove the FAT32 from the System State backup.

Cheers

DD

 

[Dark Atheist]

convert x: /fs:ntfs - this might allow you do issue the command from within the server - if not do it from boot disk/safe mode

 

[DwarfData]

Hi Carpo,

Thanks. But I actually wish to change the Active System partition to the partition on which we installed the OS rather than convert the Dell partition to NTFS.

DD

 

[madmatt]

Did you install the OS or is this the way it came from Dell? I would be

Using the Dell Build and Update Utility will create a FAT32 partition while BUU does its job, but once Windows Setup starts (following the file copy on the next restart) it will convert the partition from FAT32 to NTFS automatically.

 

[DwarfData]

We installed the OS ourselves.

 

[madmatt]

Did you use BUU? Did you select the proper OS from the selection menu within BUU?

 

[DwarfData]

We didn't use the BUU. We installed Windows 2008 directly from the Windows CD.

 

[madmatt]

I would recommend using BUU in the future. It will load all of the drivers needed including any RAID controllers. It will automate the installation of Windows. Makes life easy.

I have no solution for your current situation. I don't trust utilities to make changes to system partitions.