Re: Converting from Fat32 to NTFS

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Juan I. Cahis (jiclbch_at_SINBASURAattglobal.net)
Date: 09/10/04 

Date: Thu, 09 Sep 2004 20:06:44 -0400

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 <alexn.mvpdts@ntlworld.delete.com> wrote:

><anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>>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.
>
>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

Thanks
Juan I. Cahis
Santiago de Chile (South America)
Note: Please forgive me for my bad English, I am trying to improve it!

Relevant Pages

  • Re: FAT32 to NTFS
    ... Always do a backup first. ... they will not work after conversion. ... converted from one method representing characters to another method". ... >>NTFS within XP Prof. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: mirror simple volume
    ... Some users have reported problems doing the conversion - make sure you have ... a good full backup first. ... >> how do i mirror a simple volumje if the add mirror is ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: converting to NTFS
    ... >>I am keen to do this to my laptop, switch to NTFS. ... >>> Specifies the drive letter, ... >>> displayed during conversion. ... >>> the root directory of the file system to be converted. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: converting to NTFS
    ... >I am keen to do this to my laptop, switch to NTFS. ... >> /NoSecurity Specifies the converted files and directories ... don't do the conversion when the power is flickering ... >> the root directory of the file system to be converted. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • Re: Reformatting a hard drive using convert.exe
    ... I should've changed it to NTFS as soon as I got it, ... outage right in the middle of the conversion? ... The key point here is to make sure you have a backup of all data on the ... steal another USB hard drive and backup to it; ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)