Converting from Fat32 to NTFS

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Guest

I am using Windows XP Home Edition and my comp HD is
formatted using Fat32. The comp HD is 40GB and is in two
partitions. I have recently purchased a 60GB external
drive which I wish to use for backup. This drive has been
formatted using NTFS. I wish to convert my comp HD to
NTFS. Can anyone please advise what is the best way to do
this without losing all my files. I was thinking of
using "backup" to copy all my files to the external drive
then formatting my computer HD and reinstalling Windows
using NTFS. Then reinstalling backup to my comp HD.
Is this feasable? I am not very computer literate so I
would appreciate if you could keep it as simple as
possible.

Dave
 
this is a actually quite easy...

i had to do this just the other week...just use the convert command (see
below)...

hope this helps...

cheers,
me.

from the xp help :
Choosing between NTFS, FAT, and FAT32
You can choose between three file systems for disk partitions on a computer
running Windows XP: NTFS, FAT, and FAT32. Use the information below to
compare the file systems.

NTFS is the recommended file system for the following reasons:

a.. NTFS is more powerful than FAT or FAT32, and includes features
required for hosting Active Directory as well as other important security
features. You can use features such as Active Directory and domain-based
security only by choosing NTFS as your file system.
b.. It is easy to convert partitions to NTFS. The Setup program makes
conversion easy, whether your partitions used FAT, FAT32, or the older
version of NTFS. This kind of conversion keeps your files intact (unlike
formatting a partition). If you do not need to keep your files intact and
you have a FAT or FAT32 partition, it is recommended that you format the
partition with NTFS rather than convert from FAT or FAT32. Formatting a
partition erases all data on the partition and allows you to start with a
clean drive.
Whether a partition is formatted with NTFS or converted using the convert
command, NTFS is the better choice of file system. For more information
about Convert.exe, after completing Setup, click Start, click Run, type cmd,
and then press ENTER. In the command window, type help convert and then
press ENTER.

c.. In order to maintain access control on files and folders and support
limited accounts, you must use NTFS. If you use FAT32, all users will have
access to all files on your hard drive, regardless of their account type
(administrator, limited, or standard.)
d.. NTFS is the file system that works best with large disks. (The next
best file system for large disks is FAT32.)
There is one situation in which you might want to choose FAT or FAT32 as
your file system. If it is necessary to have a computer that will sometimes
run an earlier version of Windows and other times run Windows XP, you will
need to have a FAT or FAT32 partition as the primary (or startup) partition
on the hard disk. Most earlier versions of Windows cannot access a partition
if it uses the latest version of NTFS. The two exceptions are Windows 2000
and Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later. Windows NT 4.0 with Service
Pack 4 or later has access to partitions with the latest version of NTFS,
but with some limitations: It cannot access files that have been stored
using NTFS features that did not exist when Windows NT 4.0 was released.

For anything other than a situation with multiple operating systems,
however, the recommended file system is NTFS.

Important

a.. Once you convert a drive or partition to NTFS, you cannot simply
convert it back to FAT or FAT32. You will need to reformat the drive or
partition which will erase all data including programs and personal files on
the partition.
The following table describes the compatibility of each file system with
various operating systems.

NTFS FAT FAT32
A computer running Windows XP or Windows 2000 can access files on an
NTFS partition. A computer running Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or
later might be able to access some files. Other operating systems allow no
access. Access is available through MS-DOS, all versions of Windows, Windows
NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and OS/2. Access is available only through
Windows 95 OSR2, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000, and
Windows XP.


The following table compares disk and file sizes possible with each file
system.

NTFS FAT FAT32
Recommended minimum volume size is approximately 10 megabytes (MB).
Volumes much larger than 2 terabytes (TB) are possible.

Cannot be used on floppy disks.
Volumes from floppy disk size up to 4 gigabytes (GB).
Does not support domains.
Volumes from 512 MB to 2 TB.
In Windows XP, you can format a FAT32 volume up to 32 GB only.

Does not support domains.

File size limited only by size of volume. Maximum file size is 2 GB.
Maximum file size is 4 GB.

Note

a.. Some older programs may not run on an NTFS volume, so you should
research the current requirements for your software before converting
 
Mark thanks for the advice.
I read that if you use the convert command that it may
make the clusters 512bytes instead of the the normal 4kb
in NTFS. It suggested that the partition should be
realigned using a programme called BootIT and the drive
defragged before using convert command. They also said
that a conversion is not as good as a clean reinstall.
What do you think and did you have any problems?
Dave
 
Windows itself has a utility to do this without losing files. But if I
were you, I would backup my critical files anyway before doing it, just
to be on the safe side.
 
formatted using Fat32. The comp HD is 40GB and is in two
partitions. I have recently purchased a 60GB external
drive which I wish to use for backup. This drive has been
formatted using NTFS. I wish to convert my comp HD to
NTFS. Can anyone please advise what is the best way to do
this without losing all my files.
Click to expand...

See my page at www.aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.htm for precautions and
method

But when doing something major like this always be sure that essential
data is freshly backed up, just in case
 
no problems when i did it...

i didnt know about the cluster size...

i dont know much more than that sorry...
 
Dear friends:

Generally speaking, Microsoft's "Convert" utility doesn't cause any
problem, but there are some issues.

1) Always do a backup first.

2) If you have Multiboot Capabilities in your boot.ini, including
Microsoft's own Recovery Console, they will not work after conversion.
The reason for that is that "Convert" forgets to convert the boot
sector image that those multi-boot applications need to boot. So you
will need to reinstall all of them again.

3) They are some applications, like ZoneAlarm Pro that they will
forget all its settings, and others their registrations, so be
prepared to reconfigure them after the conversion, or to re-register
them. The reason of this problem is explained in Partition Magic 8.01
Help File: "during the conversion, file names are required to be
converted from one method representing characters to another method".
So, if your program stored its keys or its settings in a file whose
name has some special characters in it, maybe its name would have
changed after the conversion.

4) The same issue above applies for any user file with special
characters in its name.

Alex Nichol said:
See my page at www.aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.htm for precautions and
method

But when doing something major like this always be sure that essential
data is freshly backed up, just in case
Click to expand...

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!
 
Juan said:
Generally speaking, Microsoft's "Convert" utility doesn't cause any
problem, but there are some issues.

1) Always do a backup first.
Click to expand...

See the serious problem likely to arise and described in the page I
mentioned.

And please DO NOT send your comments to author when posting a reply here
 
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