Error Reading Magneto Optical Drives in Windows NT

 Last reviewed: February 14, 1996
Article ID: Q142914
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to access a magneto optical drive in Windows NT, the following error message appears: 

   The drive cannot find the sector required.
The drive is recognized during the boot sequence; however, Windows NT is not able to determine the file structure of the media when accessing the drive.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if the magneto optical drive has been formatted using the Adaptec EZ-SCSI or CorelSCSI format utilities in DOS.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, do one of the following:

  • Install the magneto optical drive on another computer running Windows 95 or Windows for Workgroups 3.11. Then create a network share for the drive. In Windows NT, connect to the network share and access the drive.

    -or-

  • Back up the contents of magneto optical drive and format the drive using Windows NT Disk Administrator. Restore the drive.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT versions 3.5 and 3.51. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

In Windows NT, removable drives are recommended to use one partition. This means that sector zero on the drive must be a Master Boot Record (MBR). In DOS, removable drives can be formatted this way or as a floppy drive (this means that sector zero contains a BIOS Parameter Block for the file system). The Adaptec EZ-SCSI and CorelSCSCI utilities format the removable drives as floppies. Windows NT currently does not support this format.

KBCategory: kbhw
KBSubcategory: nthw ntfilesys
Additional reference words: prodnt 3.50 3.51 fat ntfs

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Last reviewed: February 14, 1996
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