Convert To NTFS

[Tony L]

I Want to convert fat 32 to NTFS. I've read how to convert but my concern is the following below.

"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".


I'm woried to continue just incase i need to reformate my HDD.
How safe is this convetion.

[DefX]

You're worried about converting fat32 to NTFS? That should be pretty safe. I've done it a few times in the past. You can either do it with your default OS converter (i'm assuming youre using windows) or you can do what i did and use a program called Partition Magic which i never had problems with. Either way should be fine.

Also, although i don't normally expect to go anything wrong, I would still suggest to backup important data in your hd that u want to convert just in case.

[Tony L]

Thanks, i'll give it a go and do a backup just to be on the safe side.

[mooxyox]

Converting back to FAT32 will be painful, but I see no reason why u would want to do that unless u wish to install WIN98 or something similar on that partition.

[hesterloli]

Yes NTFS is the file system you should be using. Of course Windows 95\98\ME cannot natively read that file system but really there is no reason to use those DOS based systems anymore unless of course you are using a laptop on which one of those systems came with the machine.Here is the best reason for using NTFS. It has security. Any other file system FAT32 of FAT16 does not have security. Why is that a good thing. In this day and age the Internet is full of malware which can download and install into your system just by visiting a site. If you have NTFS file system and you browse the Net while signed in as a user that has little or no permissions to change anything in the system, those malwares can do nothing to you. The NTFS security system will not allow them to alter anything.Go ahead with the File System conversion. It takes a little while but have patience it will finish without issue.

[Tony L]

To convert to NTFS would i have to close any work that i'm doing.

[yoyogi4]

NTFS is an upgrade that supports fat but fat doesn't suppport NTFS.

[Mori]

first u have to format the partition u wanna convert then convert

but if it is the C partition u will do it from windows setup or dos

[Tony L]

So just convert it as an upgrade as below.


u can use the following command:

convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs

where instead of drive_letter u should use the letter assigned to your hard drive (C, D etc.)

[Virtualbody1234]

To convert to NTFS would i have to close any work that i'm doing.

Definitely close your work.