Converting NTFS TO FAT 32

Hi guys, and the computer nerds and whiz kids out there!!

How do I convert NTFS to FAT 32 without 3rd party software and reformatting the drive?

BUT...

Is there any advantage in converting? Is it worth the effort?

You might want to check this out:

www.microsoft.com...

Added comment: In the sidebar in that article, there are instructions for converting TO NTFS. It should probably work for conversions to FAT 32 as well, changing the CMD Line command to something like

Convert D: /FS:FAT_32

Where D: is the drive to be converted.

But I am not sure of the correct syntax to use for the filesystem name. I'm thinking FAT_32 with the underscore in place of the space. But recommend that you get a second, more informed opinion.


from what I understand from that article there is much better security when using NTFS than FAT 32...

edit = typo, and add comment.

[edit on 2/13/2007 by Mechanic 32]

[edit on 2/13/2007 by Mechanic 32]

Thanx Mech, but won't the Cmd line - Convert D: /FS:FAT_32 result in formatting the drive automatically??

I wanna retain all the stuff on the disc, however crappy it may be!! So formatting is out!

Truthfully I don't know, that is why I recommend a second opinion.



If in doubt, don't do it, unless someone canhelp you to do it the right way, without losing your data.

FAT32 to NTFS

NTFS to FAT32

You have to either format the drive or use a 3d party software [i.e. Partition Magic] to convert from NTFS to FAT32, even then the results can prove a bit sketchy.

Your best bet would be to copy the files over to another drive, then format the drive to FAT32 and copy the files back over.

What are you looking to accomplish/achieve by converting [back] to FAT32? Just curious ....

[edit on 13-2-2007 by 12m8keall2c]

Why would you do it?

simpley put, it is a one way upconversion.

What that means is you can go from Fat32 (basic disk) to NTFS (Dynamic disk), but you can not go back-without some special 3rd party software.

Thanx guys. I guess this ain't worth the effort, so it's status quo for me.

Thank the Lord! I can now have my beer in peace!!

Cheers!!

[edit on 14-2-2007 by mikesingh]

Is there any specific reason for converting to FAT32? It's very crappy filesystem compared to ext3, ntfs, reiserfs etc. I think you can do NTFS to FAT32 conversion with Partition magic.

WHY would you do such a thing? nfts filesize is unlimited whereas fat32 format wont allow more than 3.99 gb in one file. switching from nfts to fat32 would be like downgrading.

[edit on 14-8-2008 by Xilvius]

I'm with the wondering also. What caused you to inquire about NT to FAT?

If you heard it from someone, then you need to know to never listen to them again !!! lol

If it's something you read while looking to resolve an issue, maybe there is another way to get you to your goal that it dealt with.

You may want to look into using gparted (gparted.sourceforge.net...). Its free and it shouldn't have any problems doing the job. Partition Magic is also a good option if you have access to it. Another piece of advice would be to defrag the drive or partition you want to convert and of course back up the important stuff. Good Luck

You may want to look into using gparted (gparted.sourceforge.net...). Its free and it shouldn't have any problems doing the job. Partition Magic is also a good option if you have access to it. Another piece of advice would be to defrag the drive or partition you want to convert and of course back up the important stuff. Good Luck

Sorry for the duplicate posts. My ISP has been crapping out on me lately. Is there a way to delete the other one or can a mod do it please?

[edit on 17-8-2008 by Kluge]

I'm curious to get a "why" on that as well. The ONLY reason I use FAT32 these days is so i can read and write from any OS. NTFS can be read by most modern OS's, but none of them have write capabilities yet (at least not reliable.) FAT32 however is pretty well supported across all platforms.

Other than that I can't think of any good reason to use FAT32 over NTFS. If you want specifics on what the differences are, this is a pretty decent article:

faq.arstechnica.com...