"Disk Read Error Occurred" When Converting Boot Drive to NTFS

ID: Q222996

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

SYMPTOMS

After you successfully install Windows NT on a system partition that uses the FAT16 file system and then convert that partition to the NTFS file system, you may receive the following error message when you restart your computer:

DISK READ ERROR OCCURRED

This may occur even after an apparently successful conversion of a FAT16 drive in an extended partition or on a non-boot partition to NTFS.

If you then view the partition information using the MS-DOS Fdisk tool, the active partition may be reported as type HPFS.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the the computer's CMOS settings for the hard disk are incorrect. For example, the disk may be set to Normal in the CMOS, when it should be set to Autoselect or LBA.

RESOLUTION

Select the correct CMOS setting for the drive before partitioning and formatting the drive and installing Windows NT. For information about setting your computer's CMOS settings, please refer to your computer's documentation or manufacturer.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbenv kberrmsg
Version : WINDOWS:2000; winnt:4.0
Platform : WINDOWS winnt
Issue type : kbprb