Here is my report on my partitioning problem.

I've been successful, but had to use the Western Digital
"Data Lifeguard" tools package.  The resulting
partitions can be manipulated under Linux.

Rob Wultsch wrote:
 > Did you do a mkfs.fat on the partitions?

Nope, I hadn't done that.  Thanks for the wakeup call.
I had just been using the mkfs command inside parted.
But I also suspect that parted's mkfs command
might have been adequate if I'd started out making
a single extended partition in the first place.
My real problem was nothing but Windows lameness.

In my very limited view, it appears that primary
or extended partitions created under Linux are not
readable by Win98.  Or maybe just primary.

Device:  Western Digital 80 GB

* Used parted, and learned to say things like this:
      mkfs.vfat -F 32 /dev/hdc5
   The result was a set of FAT32 partitions that looked
   fine under Linux but were invisible to Win98.
   One time I had multiple primary partitions.
   At the end I had none, using only a single extended
   and four logicals, but Win98 was still not satisfied.

* I used Western Digital's Data Lifeguard to make four
   partitions, of about 20 GB each.  Since I selected
   "additional storage" rather than "boot device", they
   did not create a boot partition, but one extended with
   four logical partitions.  I'd have to wipe all this out
   if I changed my mind about having a boot partition.

   The good thing about having no boot partition is that
   Windows lists this additional storage at the *end* of
   my drive-letters list -- I have all sorts of registry
   entanglement with /dev/hdb in Windows, and it would
   all be broken if the third disk was bootable!
   And they say Linux is complicated -- not in this case!
   If you want to add /dev/hdc, it doesn't screw up any of
   your other configuration.

* Before leaving Data Lifeguard the first time, I deleted
   all but the first logical partition.  The result was a
   partition I could see and write to in Win98 but fdisk
   could not see it - and neither could Data Lifeguard when
   I went back into it!  (You have a disk that is not yet
   set up, would you like to do that now ...)

* Back into Data Lifeguard.  Played the game:  four
   logical partitions, all space accounted for.

* Back into Linux with parted and mkfs, *deleted* all
   four logical partitions, leaving the extended partition
   and partition table that Data Lifeguard had set up.
   I used slightly different boundaries for the partitions
   to verify that I had that kind of control.

* Back into Windows.  Everything works.
   Oh, except defrag (attempted on a lark) -- my half Gig
   of memory is not enough.

   Bart wrote:
   > The problem (for me) was Win NT can't use a drive
   > that big. I had to use the drive manufacturers
   > partitioning utility.  That sucked because parted
   > can't make any adjustments to those partitions
   > later AND the manufacturers utility wipes out
   > everything when creating a new partition.
   > If this turns out to be your problem, plan your
   > partitions *very* carefully.

   If I decide later to put a boot partition on the
   front of this thing of course I will be out of luck
   unless I want to obliterate *all* of my logical
   partitions.  But since I have about 50-60 GB in the
   other two drives, I would probably have some room
   to save what I really need from the 80GB and wipe it
   out.

   My main use for this drive is as my backup medium
   as a hedge against actual disk failure.  I don't
   have any really valuable stuff, and so I'm willing
   to keep almost all my junk inside the box.
   Some of the backup space will become Linux volumes
   as protection against certain Windows risks.  But
   a worm that would wreck all my partition tables
   or a fire that would melt the box are risks that
   I'm willing to sort of shrug off ... But all the
   pictures and resumes will be saved on CD.

Thanks again,

Vic

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