You Can't Play The Witcher 2 On a Non-NTFS HDD

[Bretty]

FAT 32 is old. I am suprised this is actually an issue.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

I'm sorry, but who in their right mind uses FAT32 these days?

People on Macs that also run Windows via Bootcamp frequently use FAT32 partitions, as it's the only file system able to be written to by both operating systems. A common setup is a small partition for both operating systems, and the remainder of the drive as FAT32.

A better question is why any developer would think using 9GB data files is a good idea. There's no way that file is anything but an archive of smaller bits of data, and there's no good reason why it shouldn't be broken up. If only for performance reasons, if nothing else.

True about Mac, but as the game is Windows native it's not all that important for the matter at hand.

Unless CDPR should also account for people running on unsupported systems?

I do agree, though, that the 9 gig file is a bit silly. I just checked and it's actually 9,4 gigs.

Edit: To clarify: I realise that running via Bootcamp mostly results in the above mentioned partitioning. But to be frank, any dev can't take into account any imaginable setup. And especially not when it comes to partitioning as that is so variable.

 

[Fleischer]

Uh yeah. All of my current hard drives are NTFS-formatted. Since I can't see any advantage to having FAT 32, it makes sense for them to ignore the qualms of FAT 32 users.

 

[Srdjan Tanaskovic]

Aren't FAT32 ancient now?

People on Macs that also run Windows via Bootcamp frequently use FAT32 partitions,

oh like anyone plays games on MAC

There's no way that file is anything but an archive of smaller bits of data, and there's no good reason why it shouldn't be broken up. If only for performance reasons, if nothing else.

did you read this before you post?

 

[The Lost Big Boss]

Who in the hell uses FAT-32 for their format?

 

[Lazy Kitty]

People actually still use FAT32?
They might as well have all their files and operating systems stored on 4.5" floppy disks...

 

[Atheist.]

right... so what the hell do they suggest? importing one?

why the fuck didn't they mention this beforehand? I'm cancelling my order. I'm not buying a new hard drive for one game! however much I want it.

EDIT: Nevermind! mine is NTFS. every other hard drive I have is FAT32 mind. just not the Internal one which is for the best here!

false alarm!

You do realize that even if you had a FAT32 drive, you wouldn't need to buy a new one. As mentioned before, all you'd need to do is create a partition.

 

[Dectilon]

In other news, people on 56kb modems need not apply for SC2.

 

[Treblaine]

I've built my own PC and I have no idea about this distinction.

How do I know if my drive is NTFS or FAT-32?!?!

Vista enough??

Uh... NTFS and FAT-32 are the format file system of the drive, if you built your own computer you would have had to format the drive before installing the OS. That's like saying I can build an car engine but I don't know what oil it will use.

All I did was plug in the Hard drive (and all other components), insert the Windows Install disc and... install.

Never mentioned FAT-32 or NTFS as options in the windows Install.

I never actively did any formatting before Windows installed itself. When you install windows on a drive does it format the ENTIRE drive to NTFS?!?!

See THIS is how easy it is to build a PC people... I built one without even knowing what I am doing.

BTW: my PC runs perfectly, all the performance that I ever wanted

 

[Baneat]

I've built my own PC and I have no idea about this distinction.

How do I know if my drive is NTFS or FAT-32?!?!

Vista enough??

Uh... NTFS and FAT-32 are the format file system of the drive, if you built your own computer you would have had to format the drive before installing the OS. That's like saying I can build an car engine but I don't know what oil it will use.

All I did was plug in the Hard drive (and all other components), insert the Windows Install disc and... install.

Never mentioned FAT-32 or NTFS as options in the windows Install.

I never actively did any formatting before Windows installed itself. When you install windows on a drive does it format the ENTIRE drive to NTFS?!?!

See THIS is how easy it is to build a PC people... I built one without even knowing what I am doing.

BTW: my PC runs perfectly, all the performance that I ever wanted

It would only become apparent if you had the desire to change it.

 

[solidstatemind]

I'm sorry, but who in their right mind uses FAT32 these days?

People on Macs that also run Windows via Bootcamp frequently use FAT32 partitions, as it's the only file system able to be written to by both operating systems. A common setup is a small partition for both operating systems, and the remainder of the drive as FAT32.

A better question is why any developer would think using 9GB data files is a good idea. There's no way that file is anything but an archive of smaller bits of data, and there's no good reason why it shouldn't be broken up. If only for performance reasons, if nothing else.

I'm going to have to disagree with you here. There are often very valid reasons for large contiguous data segments, particularly when you're trying to minimize the number of times that the program accesses the hard drive to load new data as well as the speed with which it performs that task. Smaller files are 'broken up data' by definition and much more likely to become fragmented. Result: longer seek times, longer read times, slower load times, etc. etc.

Regardless, this debate is moot. Why? Because under system requirements, they specify that the OS required is Windows XP/Vista/7, all of which use NTFS (unless you are running a pre-SP3 original install of XP... in which case DUDE! Do a fresh install already!!! Good LORD you've got to have some serious crud filling up your reg file!)

So, by definition, if you're using the OS they require, the file system requirement isn't hidden at all, it's a given.

EDIT: Well, with the exception of a BootCamped Imac. But I think it's sort of inherent in bootcamping that you know not everything is going to work on the PC side.

 

[Orloran]

In other news, people on 56kb modems need not apply for SC2.

Exactly.

 

[Treblaine]

I've built my own PC and I have no idea about this distinction.

How do I know if my drive is NTFS or FAT-32?!?!

Vista enough??

Uh... NTFS and FAT-32 are the format file system of the drive, if you built your own computer you would have had to format the drive before installing the OS. That's like saying I can build an car engine but I don't know what oil it will use.

All I did was plug in the Hard drive (and all other components), insert the Windows Install disc and... install.

Never mentioned FAT-32 or NTFS as options in the windows Install.

I never actively did any formatting before Windows installed itself. When you install windows on a drive does it format the ENTIRE drive to NTFS?!?!

See THIS is how easy it is to build a PC people... I built one without even knowing what I am doing.

BTW: my PC runs perfectly, all the performance that I ever wanted

It would only become apparent if you had the desire to change it.

It?

Change what? The Operating system or the Drive?

Or are you being general, like upgrading components, because that's fairly well standardises, the only tricky part is power and I guess also airflow.

 

[Weslebear]

Didn't know anyone actually used the FAT-32 format, every PC I have had has had its HDD in NTFS, I mean I make Youtube videos and the files can get big with raw footage from games so FAT-32 would be useless.

 

[Worgen]

I've built my own PC and I have no idea about this distinction.

How do I know if my drive is NTFS or FAT-32?!?!

Vista enough??

really it should be ntfs, theres no reason to use fat 32 anymore, anything past windows 98 has automatically formated for ntfs by default

ntfs is universally better then fat32

 

[devotedsniper]

Never mentioned FAT-32 or NTFS as options in the windows Install.

I never actively did any formatting before Windows installed itself. When you install windows on a drive does it format the ENTIRE drive to NTFS?!?!

It's because Windows Vista and 7 only allow you to run NTFS on the operating systems partition (which is likely your whole hard drive), and any other hard drive you buy today usually comes preformatted in NTFS, it's been the worldwide standard for Windows for at least 10 years, you have no need to worry.

As for 9GB being too big it's not really, it will just be like a folder (most likely the one with all the areas in it) but will help against unwanted access, also pretty much ALL hard drives within the last 3-5 years will be able to handle the data transfer required since not all of the file will be used, and even then the data being used by the game at the current time will be in the RAM (memory) it won't access the hard drive unless it needs something else from it. *EDIT* and even then it will be transfered to the RAM ready to be used.

 

[Tirnor]

...and has resisted attempts to reformat...

Resisted? Really? Is this the passive Rosa Parks/won't give up the seat type of resist or are we talking something like guerrilla warfare/fly a paper airplane into your PC tower resist?

Even though the NTFS requirement is not explicit, it is not an unreasonable jump to that from the requirement of Win XP/Vista/7 which all create NTFS partitions upon installation.

Though in XP you CAN tell it not to if you have a small enough system drive, should you find yourself in one of the few situation where this is really needed... but on the other hand, if you know enough to know that you NEED to do this, whipping up a NTFS partition/drive for the game is something you wouldn't bat an eye at.

I do acknowledge that Mac users might be left in the lurch with their dual-boot into a fat32 partition, but if you want to get snippy about what is in the requirements, I don't see a mention of Mac support at all.

(Insert giggle about the poster that built his own pc but didn't know what a file system was here.)

- Tir

 

[Calderon0311]

Protip: As long as your drive has been made post 1993, you can format it as NTFS. If you're running a windows system, you SHOULD be running NTFS.