🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello good people,

Does Windows 98SE have a problem with ExtemdedX (type 0Fx) partitions?
I couldn't find any reference to this in the MS knowledge base, or a fix
in the download section.

I have just installed an IBM DJNA-352030 aka Deskstar 25GP 20GByte as
the third disk, IDE secondary slave, on my computer - ASUS TX97LE m/b,
K6-3 @ 417MHz, 128MB RAM. In the BIOS, the disk is set for auto detect
and LBA mode, and shows the correct size. 

Method 1:
Using Partition Magic 4.01 I created an extended partition and a couple
of logical 2GB FAT16B (06x) partitions called P1(H:) and P2(I:). On
rebooting, MSDOS sees H: no label, and I: P2. Then Win sees H: no label
and inaccessible, I: P2 and J: P1. I can format H: from Windows Explorer
and label it W1, then I can use it. However, PM still only sees H:P1 and
I:P2! Use PM to delete P1 and P2, then all three disappear from Windows.
Redefine P1 and P2 and H: W1 reappears too. PM still sees only H:P1 and
I:P2. Partinfo does not report any errors.

Method 2:
Alternatively, (starting from scratch), from DOS using FDISK to create
the extended (0Fx) and 2 logical partitions (W1 and W2). Then Windows to
format H:W1 and I:W2. Now PM sees H: as unformatted still (bad) and I:W2
(ok). The DOS FORMAT and SCANDISK commands are unhappy about W1 and
complain about invalid partition tables and incorrect LBA values, even
though the Windows version of these work ok.

Method 3:
So I had another go. Used PM 3.05 to create the extended partition as
type 05x, then PM 4.01 to create the two partitions (P1 and P2). This
worked ok and DOS, Win and PM see H:P1 and I:P2. Then I created another
2 logical 8GB FAT32 partitions called P3 and P4. P3 spans the 1024
cylinder line, and P4 is entirely above it. Windows, the Windows MS-DOS
prompt, and PM see all 4 ptns correctly, but native DOS sees only the
first three, as dir K: (P4) gives Invalid drive specification.

All three methods have partition recognition problems. Am I right in
thinking that Methods 1 and 2 are the most likely to cause data
corruption? Is method 3 secure?

TIA for any answers,
Chris.