Reformatting a hard drive using convert.exe

[BlastOButter42]

I've got an external hard drive (298GB) that's formatted in FAT32. I
want to convert it to NTFS using the convert.exe utility, and I just
want to make very sure that that will not delete the files on that
drive.

I should've changed it to NTFS as soon as I got it, but now I've got
about 50GB on it that I don't want to delete (and not enough room on my
regular hard drive for it). I could change it to NTFS it by deleting
the existing partition and making a new one but that would delete my
files.

Thanks,
Robert

 

[Guest]

No it will not delete any files, however you should always have backups of
important data. I've done the convert, it went fine didn't lose a thing.

 

[Rock]

I've got an external hard drive (298GB) that's formatted in FAT32. I
want to convert it to NTFS using the convert.exe utility, and I just
want to make very sure that that will not delete the files on that
drive.

I should've changed it to NTFS as soon as I got it, but now I've got
about 50GB on it that I don't want to delete (and not enough room on my
regular hard drive for it). I could change it to NTFS it by deleting
the existing partition and making a new one but that would delete my
files.

Using convert.exe should retain the data, however, you are changing the file
system and that means there is a potential that something could go wrong.
Even if that process would otherwise work fine, what if there is a power
outage right in the middle of the conversion? You could loose all the data.

The key point here is to make sure you have a backup of all data on the
system. This is a basic axiom of computing. Always, always have a backup
of all important data. Data loss is a matter of if, not when.

I'm gathering you're already taking chances with your data by not having a
backing, hoping that nothing bad happens during normal day to day
activities. That's risky enough, but now you want to make such a
fundamental change as the type of file system without a backup? If you do
the conversion without a backup you're flirting with disaster - unless of
course you don't care if the data is lost.

Lastly before doing the conversion, read this if you haven't already done
so,

CONVERTING FAT32 to NTFS in Windows XP
http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.htm

In particular pay attention to the issue about realigning the partition
before conversion to save yourself from ending up with 512 byte clusters.

 

[BlastOButter42]

Using convert.exe should retain the data, however, you are changing the file
system and that means there is a potential that something could go wrong.
Even if that process would otherwise work fine, what if there is a power
outage right in the middle of the conversion? You could loose all the data.

The key point here is to make sure you have a backup of all data on the
system. This is a basic axiom of computing. Always, always have a backup
of all important data. Data loss is a matter of if, not when.

I'm gathering you're already taking chances with your data by not having a
backing, hoping that nothing bad happens during normal day to day
activities. That's risky enough, but now you want to make such a
fundamental change as the type of file system without a backup? If you do
the conversion without a backup you're flirting with disaster - unless of
course you don't care if the data is lost.

Lastly before doing the conversion, read this if you haven't already done
so,

CONVERTING FAT32 to NTFS in Windows XP
http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.htm

In particular pay attention to the issue about realigning the partition
before conversion to save yourself from ending up with 512 byte clusters.

I use the external hard drive to back up files on my regular hard
drive, but there are about 50GB of video on the external hard drive
that I have no room to back up anywhere else. Anyway, at least
according to this, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314097/EN-US/ , the
convert.exe tool is pretty save even in the event of a power failure,
and besides, I don't think I have any other choice. Unless you can
conjure up 50GB of storage for me somewhere.

Thanks,
Robert

 

[BlastOButter42]

I use the external hard drive to back up files on my regular hard
drive, but there are about 50GB of video on the external hard drive
that I have no room to back up anywhere else. Anyway, at least
according to this, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314097/EN-US/ , the
convert.exe tool is pretty save even in the event of a power failure,
and besides, I don't think I have any other choice. Unless you can
conjure up 50GB of storage for me somewhere.

Thanks,
Robert

And thanks for showing me the BootIT NG thing.

 

[Rock]

I use the external hard drive to back up files on my regular hard
drive, but there are about 50GB of video on the external hard drive
that I have no room to back up anywhere else. Anyway, at least
according to this, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314097/EN-US/ , the
convert.exe tool is pretty save even in the event of a power failure,
and besides, I don't think I have any other choice. Unless you can
conjure up 50GB of storage for me somewhere.

Yes it usually goes fine _BUT_ we have had someone post in here that they
lost all the data on the drive during a convert operation. Do you want to
be one of those? But then if you were to loose all the data you could
always take consolation in the thought that you were in the minority.

Of course you have a choice. Burn the data to DVD-RW; buy, beg, borrow or
steal (just kidding) another USB hard drive and backup to it; take your USB
drive to a friend's place who has the extra storage space and create a
temporary backup of the data; upload the data to an online storage place.
Or simply don't do the conversion.

Say you get past the conversion ok, you still haven't done anything for the
long term safety of your data. Never be without a backup.

I don't know what kind of USB drive you're using. If it's a manufactured
unit that comes preassembled, those are more expensive. But hard drive
space is cheap. Buy an external drive housing that connects via USB, and
another hard drive. What is the value to you of your data? Not much I'm
gathering, which is certainly fine. That's your choice.

 

[BlastOButter42]

Yes it usually goes fine _BUT_ we have had someone post in here that they
lost all the data on the drive during a convert operation. Do you want to
be one of those? But then if you were to loose all the data you could
always take consolation in the thought that you were in the minority.

Of course you have a choice. Burn the data to DVD-RW; buy, beg, borrow or
steal (just kidding) another USB hard drive and backup to it; take your USB
drive to a friend's place who has the extra storage space and create a
temporary backup of the data; upload the data to an online storage place.
Or simply don't do the conversion.

Say you get past the conversion ok, you still haven't done anything for the
long term safety of your data. Never be without a backup.

I don't know what kind of USB drive you're using. If it's a manufactured
unit that comes preassembled, those are more expensive. But hard drive
space is cheap. Buy an external drive housing that connects via USB, and
another hard drive. What is the value to you of your data? Not much I'm
gathering, which is certainly fine. That's your choice.

To lose the files there that aren't backed up would be a large
annoyance but not disasterous, but I'll buy a dvd rw tomorrow.

Now when I'm using BootIT NG, and I hope I'm doing this right, how do I
know which drive is the external one I want to convert? It didn't use
the letters or the name.

 

[BlastOButter42]

Rock wrote:

I've got an external hard drive (298GB) that's formatted in FAT32. I
want to convert it to NTFS using the convert.exe utility, and I just
want to make very sure that that will not delete the files on that
drive.

I should've changed it to NTFS as soon as I got it, but now I've got
about 50GB on it that I don't want to delete (and not enough room on my
regular hard drive for it). I could change it to NTFS it by deleting
the existing partition and making a new one but that would delete my
files.

Using convert.exe should retain the data, however, you are changing the
file
system and that means there is a potential that something could go wrong.
Even if that process would otherwise work fine, what if there is a power
outage right in the middle of the conversion? You could loose all the
data.

The key point here is to make sure you have a backup of all data on the
system. This is a basic axiom of computing. Always, always have a
backup
of all important data. Data loss is a matter of if, not when.

I'm gathering you're already taking chances with your data by not having
a
backing, hoping that nothing bad happens during normal day to day
activities. That's risky enough, but now you want to make such a
fundamental change as the type of file system without a backup? If you
do
the conversion without a backup you're flirting with disaster - unless of
course you don't care if the data is lost.

Lastly before doing the conversion, read this if you haven't already done
so,

CONVERTING FAT32 to NTFS in Windows XP
http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.htm

In particular pay attention to the issue about realigning the partition
before conversion to save yourself from ending up with 512 byte clusters.

--
Rock [MVP - User/Shell]

I use the external hard drive to back up files on my regular hard
drive, but there are about 50GB of video on the external hard drive
that I have no room to back up anywhere else. Anyway, at least
according to this, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314097/EN-US/ , the
convert.exe tool is pretty save even in the event of a power failure,
and besides, I don't think I have any other choice. Unless you can
conjure up 50GB of storage for me somewhere.

Yes it usually goes fine _BUT_ we have had someone post in here that they
lost all the data on the drive during a convert operation. Do you want to
be one of those? But then if you were to loose all the data you could
always take consolation in the thought that you were in the minority.

Of course you have a choice. Burn the data to DVD-RW; buy, beg, borrow or
steal (just kidding) another USB hard drive and backup to it; take your USB
drive to a friend's place who has the extra storage space and create a
temporary backup of the data; upload the data to an online storage place.
Or simply don't do the conversion.

Say you get past the conversion ok, you still haven't done anything for the
long term safety of your data. Never be without a backup.

I don't know what kind of USB drive you're using. If it's a manufactured
unit that comes preassembled, those are more expensive. But hard drive
space is cheap. Buy an external drive housing that connects via USB, and
another hard drive. What is the value to you of your data? Not much I'm
gathering, which is certainly fine. That's your choice.

To lose the files there that aren't backed up would be a large
annoyance but not disasterous, but I'll buy a dvd rw tomorrow.

Now when I'm using BootIT NG, and I hope I'm doing this right, how do I
know which drive is the external one I want to convert? It didn't use
the letters or the name.

Never mind, I figured it out. Thanks so much for your help.

Thanks,
Robert

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I've got an external hard drive (298GB) that's formatted in FAT32. I
want to convert it to NTFS using the convert.exe utility, and I just
want to make very sure that that will not delete the files on that
drive.

I should've changed it to NTFS as soon as I got it, but now I've got
about 50GB on it that I don't want to delete (and not enough room on
my regular hard drive for it). I could change it to NTFS it by
deleting the existing partition and making a new one but that would
delete my files.

I have several comments:

1. To convert to NTFS, you use the CONVERT command. But first read
http://www.aumha.org/a/ntfscvt.htm because there's an issue regarding
cluster size that isn't obvious.

2. Conversion is a big step, affecting everything on your drive. When you
take such a big step, no matter how unlikely, it is always possible that
something could go wrong. For that reason, it's prudent to make sure you
have a backup of anything you can't afford to lose before beginning.

3. Your statemnt "I just want to make very sure that that will not delete
the files on that drive" suggests that that is the only copy you have of
those files and they are not backed up anywhere. If that's the case, whether
you convert the drive's file system or not not, you are living dangerously.
If the files are important to you, having only a single copy of them is
foolhardy.

 

[Rock]

Never mind, I figured it out. Thanks so much for your help.

You're welcome.