DOCUMENT:Q82373  24-SEP-1999  [win95x]
TITLE   :Permanent Swap Files and the Disk Partition Table
PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
PROD/VER:WINDOWS:3.1,3.11
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:win31

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The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Windows versions 3.1, 3.11 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When creating a swap file, you may receive an error message similar to the
following:

   The partitioning scheme used on your hard disk prevents the creation of a
   permanent swap file.

This error message can display whether you use the Virtual Memory dialog box
during a custom Windows Setup, or the 386 Enhanced option in Control Panel to
create swap files.

CAUSE
=====

This message can result from one of the following:

 - A partition manager

 - A virus

 - Uninitialized fields in the partition table

MORE INFORMATION
================

Windows is very careful about what hard disks it uses when it creates permanent
swap files. Windows would cause serious disk errors and data loss if it
incorrectly modified a disk that is formatted with special software. To prevent
damaged disks and lost data, Windows makes absolutely sure that it understands
the exact format of the disk.

One of the checks performed by Control Panel (and Setup, because Setup uses
Control Panel to create a swap file when a custom setup is performed) is to look
for disk partitioning software, such as Disk Manager or SuperStor. This is done
by examining the partition table on the disk.

If partitioning software is found, Control Panel displays an error message. This
message does not imply that the partitioning software is incompatible with
Windows; it simply means that a permanent swap file cannot be created on that
disk.

The following conditions can cause Control Panel to mistakenly detect
partitioning software:

 - Another operating system is installed on the computer and happens to use the
   same partition type number (there are only 255 partition type numbers
   available); that partition is detected as one using partitioning software.
   There is no way to work around this problem if this is the cause.


 - The machine is infected with a virus. Some viruses create their own "foreign"
   disk partitions and set themselves up as the boot operating system (for
   example, the Michelangelo virus). If no other explanation for the disk
   partition error can be found, the disk should be scanned for viruses. When
   the virus is removed, Windows should be able to create the permanent swap
   file.

 - The disk drive may have been partitioned in the past with partitioning
   software, and was later repartitioned using MS-DOS version 4.01 or 5.0 FDISK.
   MS-DOS and FDISK support only four partitions on a disk, while some partition
   software supports more than four. Therefore, FDISK does not reset partitions
   in the extra entries. As a result, Windows interprets these invalid entries
   as an incompatible disk partition.

 - Ontrack Software Disk Manager-N utility partitions and formats part of a hard
   drive as a Novell file server. When a machine configured with Disk Manager-N
   is started, the Novell utility attached to the master boot record (MBR) loads
   and gives you the option of starting the system on the MS-DOS partition or to
   the Novell file server partition. If your hard disk has been partitioned with
   Disk Manager-N, you cannot create a permanent swap file under Microsoft
   Windows 3.1.

   The following text was taken from the Disk Manager README file:

   DISK MANAGER - N

   DISK MANAGER - N is a disk installation utility tailored specifically for the
   NOVELL local area network. This utility replaces the COMPSURF utility from
   NOVELL. DISK MANAGER - N installs disks running under NETWARE 86, ADVANCED
   NETWARE 86, and ADVANCED NETWARE 286.


KBCategory: kbnetwork kbdisplay kb3rdparty kbsetup kberrmsg
KBSubcategory: win31

Additional query words: 3.10 scheme swapfile 3.11 Michael Angelo win31tlc techlib

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Keywords          : win31 
Technology        : kbWin3xSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310 kbWin311
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1,3.11

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