Advanced Format SW: Not Just For Win XP

On the general download page entitled WD Blue / SE / SE16 (SATA II) e.g., for WD2500AAKX, the restriction given below the link for the Advanced Format SW states:

  • (Only for Windows XP users with WD Advanced Format Drives)

Yet the actual download page for AcronisAlignTool_s_e_2_0_111.exe itself states:

  • For installing WD Align and/or WD Align Media Builder: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 on any Windows PC 

Why does the actual SW page specify that OSes other than WinXP are acceptable?

Hi jbuckets4. The software really only needs to be used on Windows XP, since XP can’t natively align partitions. The software is needed to do it.

The reason that the software is listed as compatible with the other operating systems is because it can be installed on those systems without an issue. A case when this may be needed is if an OS is cloned to an Advanced Format Drive and the cloned drive is now mis-aligned. Since Windows can only align during a format, you may need to use this software to align the partitions.

I have a question regarding xp, vista and win 7 so it seems fitting I add it to this thread (correct me if I’m wrong).  

I currently run xp sp3 professional. 

I have just ordered a new WD drive that  has AF.   I intend to copy over my current xp boot drive and files onto the new drive. 

From that point, I am going to upgrade to Win 7 using the XP-Vista-Win 7 method.  

Should I bother aligning the drive for the brief time it has XP on it? 

Do you forsee any problems with this plan?

Thanks in advance.

Hi the drive is aligned when you format it. So since the os that is going to format the drive is XP yes it needs to be aligned.

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Thank you.

If I understand this correctly,  if I use the align tool OR format/partition the drive with Win 7 (my other machine), I should be OK to run XP for a few days before I upgrade?

Hi yes if you format the drive with XP it needs to be aligned if you use win 7 to format it you do not need the align.

simpk5 wrote:

I have a question regarding xp, vista and win 7 so it seems fitting I add it to this thread (correct me if I’m wrong).  

 

I currently run xp sp3 professional. 

 

I have just ordered a new WD drive that  has AF.   I intend to copy over my current xp boot drive and files onto the new drive. 

 

From that point, I am going to upgrade to Win 7 using the XP-Vista-Win 7 method.  

 

Should I bother aligning the drive for the brief time it has XP on it? 

 

Do you forsee any problems with this plan?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

Upgrading from OS-to-OS like that can get pretty messy on it’s own. I would highly recommend installing a fresh copy of Windows 7 instead of going through multiple upgrades like that. Also, a fresh install of an OS will typically have better performance.

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Hello LB_WD,

Thanks for the input.  I’m aware I could be causing a “mess” with this upgrade path and could very well end up with a clean install of Win 7.  I myself wouldn’t recommend this path to others :slight_smile:

Since I have the xp system totally backed up and verified, I can always clean install win 7 and still retain the data (emails, docs etc.). I have to do something soon as the current boot drive is about to fail (overheating) and MS support of xp is gone.

The issue on this machine  is with a dozen or so apps I don’t have installation disks for anymore (some were on floppies believe it or not).  I have no way of knowing if they’ll even run on win 7, but I consider this as an experiment more than anything else.  The upgrades will take several hours each but not concerned since I have other machines to work with while I’m “playing” with this one.

Thanks again,

John