How can I convert NTFS to FAT32 in XP pro? (already installed in N

[Ken Blake]

In

imagine copying a 4GB file from one machine to another over
100BaseT... ouch!

There was no mention of a network in this thread. These are two
local drives.

 

[francis gérard]

In


There was no mention of a network in this thread. These are two
local drives.

i beg to differ (re-read the original post), quoted here for your
refererence:

"I have xp pro running on two machines on a *network*. The active partition
on the *primary machine* is formatted (NTFS). The active partition on the
*secondary machine* is formatted (FAT32). In order to copy files from the
primary to the secondary, I want to convert NTFS to FAT32, then convert back
to NTFS afterward. My question is: can this be done; if so, how?"

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

There's absolutely no need to make such a conversion, just to
transfer files over a network. The file systems on the various
computers communicating over a network are completely irrelevant, as
none of the individual computers' operating systems ever directly
access the other computers' hard drives. Instead, a computer sends a
"request," if you will, for the desired data, and the operating system
of the host ("receiving") computer accesses its own hard drive (whose
file system it obviously can read) and then sends that data back to
the requesting computer as neutral packets of information that are
completely independent of the file systems on the respective
computers. After all, don't you use a Windows-based PC (whether it's
FAT32 or NTFS) to access data stored on the Internet's mostly Unix
servers, which use a completely different file system?

But, for your information, the only way to go from NTFS to FAT32 -
without using 3rd party partitioning tools - is to format the
partition in question.


Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



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having both at once. - RAH

I have xp pro running on two machines on a network. The active

partition on the primary machine is formatted (NTFS). The active
partition on the secondary machine is formatted (FAT32). In order to
copy files from the primary to the secondary, I want to convert NTFS
to FAT32, then convert back to NTFS afterward. My question is: can
this be done; if so, how?

 

[Greg]

It would choke on it and spit out an error saying the drive was full.

Have you tried it or is this just hearsay?

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Greg wrote:

Have you tried it or is this just hearsay?

FAT32 can't handle file sizes 4GB and up.

 

[Greg]

Greg wrote:


FAT32 can't handle file sizes 4GB and up.

I know. I was curious as to what would happen during conversion. Would
the file be truncated to 4GB?

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have xp pro running on two machines on a network. The active partition on the primary machine is formatted (NTFS). The active partition on the secondary machine is formatted (FAT32). In order to copy files from the primary to the secondary, I want to convert NTFS to FAT32, then convert back to NTFS afterward. My question is: can this be done; if so, how?

There is no need at all to convert file systems in order to move files
between them. The files are the same, just the means of storing them.
Think of two offices, one using old Box File on shelves, one suspended
folders in drawers - you can take a letter from one and put it in the
other.

Read up more at my page www.aumha.org/win5/a/ntfs.htm including the
link on converting, should you decide to do that nevertheless

 

[Steve N.]

Have you tried it or is this just hearsay?

I've done it by attempting to backup to a FAT32 drive. The backup file
write stops just shy of 4GB and does exactly what I said.

Steve

 

[Steve N.]

I know. I was curious as to what would happen during conversion. Would
the file be truncated to 4GB?

I misunderstood what you were asking. I don't know what would happen to
a >4GB file during an NTFS to FAT32 conversion. If it didn't fail and
the file was intact I doubt you could do anything with it. The FAT32
file system wouldn't "know" how to deal with it.

Steve

 

[Ken Blake]

In

i beg to differ (re-read the original post), quoted here for your
refererence:

Right you are! My apologies. The thread had gone on long enough,
and the original question not quoted, that I had lost sight of
it.