Windows XP Conversion from FAT32 to NTFS

[acywong]

My hard drives have been set up as FAT32 under Windows XP. Now I wish to convert the drives to NTFS.

I started to convert drive E, which is one of my data drives. I ran

convert E: /fs:ntfs

in a cmd window.
I got the following messages:

The type of the file system is FAT32.
Enter current volume label for drive E: SPARE
Convert cannot run because the volumne is in use by another process. Convert may run if this volumne is dismounted first.
ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID.
Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (Y/N) y
Volume dismounted. All open handles to this volume are now invalid.
Volume SPARE created 10/03/2007 11:06 PM
Volume Serial Number is 1A0A-1934
Windows is verifying files and folders...
File and folder verification is complete.
Windows has checked the file system and found no problems.
....some statistics regarding the disk space, etc....
Determining disk space required for file system conversion...
Total disk space: 20177608 KB
Free space on volume: 19519952 KB
Space required for conversion: 99037 KB
Converting file system
The volume does not contain a recognized file system.
Please make sure that all required file system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not corrupted.
Unable to notify other components that this volume has changed.


I tried to open drive E: and I was told that it was not formatted. So I proceeded to format it as NTFS. It seems to have formatted OK:

Creating file system structures.
Format complete.
20177608 KB total disk space.
20111240 KB are available.

But when I tried to open drive E: again, I got the message:

The volume does not contain a recognized file system. Please make sure that all required file system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not corrupted

So now I am in a situation where I have the E: drive which format recognizes as NTFS, it "can" format it without any problem, but then I cannot open the drive and it tells me that it is not formatted with a recognized file system !!

Have I done something wrong along the way or did I miss any parameters in the convert or format commands?

How do I get my drive E fixed?

Further can I convert a drive from FAT32 to NTFS without reformatting the drive and thus lose my existing data?

And if I want to convert drive C (the primay partition) from FAT32 to NTFS, how do I do it without losing my OS in the process?

Thanks very much

 

[psd99]

how are you formatting drive E?

click on start, control panel, administrative tools, then computer management

then click on disk management
find your drive E and format it through there. perform a quick format and make the filing system ntfs.


About your other question, you might want to look for a program called partition magic, I'm unsure if you can convert from a FAT32 system to a NTFS especially when an operating system is involved but if any program will do it
partition magic will

 

[acywong]

I have tried to format E: through command window as well as through start, control panel, administrative tools, then computer management with the same end result. It says that it is already NTFS and formats it quite happily, but whn I try to open it afterwards, it says that E: is not formatted.

 

[SlimJim]

Can I second psd99's suggestion that you obtain a program like Partition Magic. There are other cheaper programs by Paragon and Acronis and if you choose the right time you can often obtain a full earlier or special version on magazine discs (certainly in the UK).

I use Partition Magic and have changed my file system from FAT32 to NTFS with no problem. However, I did take the precaution of making an image file before I began - but it wasn't needed. I even changed back from NTFS to FAT32 in one mad moment quickly reversed. I have looked at the apps by Paragon and Acronis and they seem to me to be comparable to Partition Magic in the basic necessary operations.

If you are going to change the Operating System partition then you will have to boot from something other than your hard drive and here again Partition Magic provides the necessary ability to produce either a boot floppy or boot cd.

[EDIT- one thought about your existing E drive. Have you tried running chkdsk to see if there is a recoverable problem]