Preparing Advanced Format hard drives for Microsoft Windows installations on HP Business Notebook PCs, Workstations, and Desktop PCs

Use the Ghost command line switches –align=1MB to ensure the partition is aligned to a 1 MB boundary,

and thus also a 4 KB boundary.

Note: Although Ghost preserves the alignment in the image, the command line switch -align=1MB

overrides the original alignment. Remember that specifying the incorrect combination of partition size and

the ExtendOemPartition line – even with a non-Advanced Format drive – may result in a BSOD (as outlined

earlier in this table).

Important tips

This section provides important tips regarding the set-up and use of Advanced Format drives. More

information is provided on the following topics:

 Encrypting drives

 Installing Windows Vista (prior to SP1) or Windows XP images

 Avoiding a potential error associated with a Windows Vista deployment on an Advanced Format

drive

 Creating a 1 MB-aligned partition

 Extending the partition during a Windows XP image deployment

 Aligning drives in a RAID configuration

 Using third-party deployment tool

 Enhancing performance with many small writes (as with ImageX)

Encrypting drives

For optimal performance with a software-encrypted Advanced Format drive, install the vendor’s latest

driver that is tuned for Advanced Format drives prior to encrypting the drive.

Important

Always back up all your data before manipulating any drive to avoid data

loss.

Before you encrypt an Advanced Format drive, you should ensure the

partition is 4 KB-aligned.

If your drive is misaligned, you should decrypt, align and re-encrypt the

drive using the instructions provided with your encryption software.

Installing Windows Vista (prior to SP1) or Windows XP images

If you are planning to install Windows Vista (prior to SP1) or Windows XP on an Advanced Format

drive, you should first create a 4 KB-aligned partition and then install the image in such a way that the

partition is not modified.