How to Convert a FAT Partition to NTFS

Posted in: Quick Tip |

To convert a FAT partition to NTFS, perform the following steps.

Click Start, click Programs, and then click Command Prompt.

In Windows XP, click Start, and then click Run.

At the command prompt, type CONVERT [driveletter]: /FS:NTFS.

Convert.exe will attempt to convert the partition to NTFS.

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111 Responses to “How to Convert a FAT Partition to NTFS”

  1. gamermarc Says:

    [..YouTube..] thanks worked fine for me i needed to do this to download a 4.3 gb file on utorrent

  2. 98nfsmw98 Says:

    [..YouTube..] IT SAYS “the device is not ready” ???

  3. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] Boot in windows safe mode and then try

  4. stereoballs Says:

    [..YouTube..] subtitles please:Pwhere can i compare both sistems before any changes or loose data??also pros & cons of the conversion

  5. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] – you can compare by noting down the total amount of data written on the hard disk. Pros- NTFS is considered to be more stable and secure for running XP. cons – if you are using linux in a dual boot mode, then the data on ntfs partition is difficult to access than on a fat partition.

  6. visnawj Says:

    [..YouTube..] ok… i only got one question then when i setup my computer to use my cable modem, printer, and all other usb devices on fat32 file system do they still show up or work on ntfs when i upgrade to that is my probely on ntfs?

  7. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] I do not think it will affect the peripherals when you convert FAT to NTFS

  8. visnawj Says:

    [..YouTube..] ok then, i try that out and see if it affect’s it or not.

  9. jamestakeshi Says:

    [..YouTube..] are you sure i can convert a hard drive without losing my files??

  10. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] yes

  11. salek991 Says:

    [..YouTube..] after i enter NEW VOLUME it says : “An incorrect volume label was entered for this drive.”Any suggestions on how to fix this?

  12. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] yes, you have to note down the exact name given to the hard disk partition. Open the command prompt and type dir D: and press Enter(type the name of the drive you want to convert) it will list the volume label of the drive along with other info. Note it down.

  13. yunnykitty Says:

    [..YouTube..] I used the command convert d:/fs:ntfs and it didn’t work for meit shows the message “Cannot determine file system of drive D:” insteadand when I check the properties it’s still FAT32 in drive D but when I did in Drive C there’s no problem it’s turn to NTFScould you please help me…

  14. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] boot the computer in safe mode and try again

  15. yunnykitty Says:

    [..YouTube..] thanks for the advicebut it’s still FAT32*sob*T_T

  16. WinVistaUser2 Says:

    [..YouTube..] Can you convert the system drive from NTFS to FAT32? I have physical damage on my Windows Vista HDD, do I need to make my flash drive bootable to convert from NTFS to FAT32, run ScanDisk w/ Surface Scan to check for physical damage?

  17. WinVistaUser2 Says:

    [..YouTube..] Did you try to check for bad sectors/clusters via ChkDsk, ScanDisk (bootable floppy/CD)? There might be physical damage to your second Hard drive.

  18. FilipStankovic Says:

    [..YouTube..] So if i have a file in my NTFS formatted pc which is bigger then 4 gb and i format the hard drive to FAT 32, will it remove the file?

  19. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] No, Microsoft does not provide a way to convert a NTFS drive to FAT32

  20. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] No, it should not remove the file. But Microsoft recommends to backup all your data before conversion

  21. InfoFinder101 Says:

    [..YouTube..] wow thx… i finally changed the thing into ntfs

  22. Lightningeye Says:

    [..YouTube..] Hey is it Possiable for a PSP to Support NTFS? And is there any way i can Change Fat32 into Fat.

  23. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] the answer is no as far as i know

  24. Munchkin301293 Says:

    [..YouTube..] Thank you so much. After 2 days of trying i finally managed to convert my external hardrive!thanks again!!

  25. seddoneinthecat Says:

    [..YouTube..] I had an Fat32 And It Worked for me Thax For Video :) ( now i have a ntfs as Planed :D )

  26. aclivin Says:

    [..YouTube..] Hey Thanx Bro! I was trying to use partitioning to do this so I wouldnt lose my data.This went off without a hitch.Thanx again

  27. xps3gamerx Says:

    [..YouTube..] thanks, i just didnt know what to do when it asked for the volume label and i found out here. thanks

  28. tviscool1234 Says:

    [..YouTube..] nvm i got it but now it tells me it has errors and i did the chkdsk f:(fix) but then it told me that /(fix) file was not found..

  29. Azer831 Says:

    [..YouTube..] but how because i have a 1TB and i want to format half n half

  30. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] you can’t convert a single partition in two file systems. You need to partition your disk using a disk partitioning software first, and then format the partitions

  31. Azer831 Says:

    [..YouTube..] wat program is good to partition my HDD???thanx dude!

  32. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] i have reviewed a freeware called Easeus partition manager , it is freeware.

  33. Azer831 Says:

    [..YouTube..] ok thanx…..but everything is gonna have 2 erase huh???lol

  34. 365Motivators Says:

    [..YouTube..] i have 2 partitions and was able to successfully convert one of them, but got this message when i tried to convert the other partition:Convert cannot run because the volume is in use by anotherprocess. Convert may run if this volume is dismounted first.ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID.Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (Y/N)what should i do???

  35. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] it is posible that the partition was used as a mapped drive, in that case you may not be able to access the partition after converting. Better to make a copy / backup of the partitions/ hard disk before attempting the conversion

  36. keeta777 Says:

    [..YouTube..] Thanks! I just converted my WD mybook to ntfs with this tutorial. It was easy and did the job, can’t ask for more.

  37. keeta777 Says:

    [..YouTube..] This happened to me too. I clicked yes, then it said it was unable to convert and it must restart the system. After restarting the system, I went through this tutorial and it worked like a charm.

  38. tomuxas5 Says:

    [..YouTube..] When i make FAT 32 To NTFS Files in FAT 32 hard disck be deleted or no?

  39. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] the files in FAT32 partition remain. that’s the whole point of this video. But if you have created mapped drives, then you may not be able to access them after the conversion.

  40. fitzaddr Says:

    [..YouTube..] no no data is lost

  41. fitzaddr Says:

    [..YouTube..] i hit no then it asked to do on next start up and worked fine

  42. SouljaChipmunkMusic Says:

    [..YouTube..] Can you Create an Fat32 Partition out of an HDD External USB Harddrive ?

  43. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] if you are using a USB casing to attach a hard disk to your computer , the disks in it are the same that are inside the computer. Therefore you should be able to format it the same way as would do to an internal hard disk

  44. msteelman Says:

    [..YouTube..] thank you so much!

  45. magicguy09 Says:

    [..YouTube..] hey thanks but if i do that will remove anything from hard

  46. jeroenfifa08 Says:

    [..YouTube..] you will not lose any data, but if you are not so sure just make a backup to your other harddrive

  47. cptkou Says:

    [..YouTube..] after i type in convert f:/fs:ntfs it says”Access Denied as you do not have sufficient privileges. You have to evoke this utility running in elevated mode”how do i get ‘elevated mode’?

  48. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] you need to login in Administrative account for that

  49. TEXANS35 Says:

    [..YouTube..] when i enter l:/ls:ntfs it says “invalid parameter” My Book is in drive(L)…what to do??Thanks in avdance.

  50. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] it should be convert L:/FS:NTFS

  51. TEXANS35 Says:

    [..YouTube..] srajure..yes you are rightfirst i though drive(L) it gona be LS but it have tobe FS filesystem…i have converted it successfully..Thank you Sir!!

  52. kaason2 Says:

    [..YouTube..] When it says ” Enter current volume label for drive P:”(P: Is mine My Book’s USB Harddrive) Then i type there “NEW VOLUME” Then I press enter, but then there comes a massage “An incorrect volume label was entered for this drive” What to do?

  53. elevadon Says:

    [..YouTube..] after you type in”vol P:”,it should say something like this:”Volume in drive P is MyBookVolume Serial Numer is BlaBlaBla”you should type in “mybook”, or wathever its called, instead of new volume;)

  54. na9wr Says:

    [..YouTube..] Thanks srajure.!

  55. imty012 Says:

    [..YouTube..] i thot i was the only one!!!

  56. asdwe Says:

    Thank you very much
    I red the convertion prosess in many websites
    but I didn’t understand until I saw your video.
    ^_^

  57. elevadon Says:

    [..YouTube..] did it work?

  58. kaason2 Says:

    [..YouTube..] I have made it by format way

  59. 2724601 Says:

    [..YouTube..] thanks alot it worked

  60. Amfilguy Says:

    [..YouTube..] mine says “this drive is dirty and cannot be converted. you will need to clear the dirty bit on this drive by running CHKDSK /F or allowing AUTOCHK to run on it the next time you reboot” what does that mean??

  61. mewanafly Says:

    [..YouTube..] i was playing games when the system changed it self from fat32 to ntfs(somehow, both C nad D drive have been changed), now i have no idea how to change it back to fat32. and now everytime i click C or D drive it say AUTO instead of OPEN, everything works normally but i still want fat32. so plz help me. i heard that i must format my drive to change back, is there any way that i can change back without formating? pease help me

  62. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] according to microsoft , you can convert a FAT32 partition to NTFS without having to format but not vice versa

  63. 9820860091 Says:

    [..YouTube..] This is great stuff…….Thank You.

  64. firetruckracer Says:

    [..YouTube..] Nothing happens when I type in CMD to the Run. and nothing happens when I go to Accessories and Command.

  65. kankan226 Says:

    [..YouTube..] what are you open in start?

  66. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] you need to open the command window. It can also be found in All programs > Accessories > Comand Prompt

  67. 2672543 Says:

    [..YouTube..] does it work with an external hard drive pls ?

  68. 2672543 Says:

    [..YouTube..] ohh thx ^^

  69. amasat71 Says:

    [..YouTube..] THX MAN

  70. Nik2170 Says:

    [..YouTube..] Thanks, this works without removing or damaging any file on my external hard drive.I put 220GB at stake, but it turns out fine, nothings gone.

  71. iykist Says:

    [..YouTube..] Thank you for that, I bought a western Digital external hard drive and followed your video step by step and it worked, but how do i confirm that the format is now NTFS, it would be good to know.

  72. iykist Says:

    [..YouTube..] Thank you for that, I bought a western Digital external hard drive and followed your video step by step and it worked, but how do i confirm that the format is now NTFS, it would be good to know.

  73. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] open “my computer”, right click on the drive name and select properties, that will show you the filesystem of the drive

  74. iykist Says:

    [..YouTube..] Thanks a lot, I have just done that and the format is NTFS

  75. revosse Says:

    [..YouTube..] thanks a lot it was really helpful

  76. pgn77 Says:

    [..YouTube..] thank you it worked on my 1TB WD external drive , put 300GB at risk but did work, now I can add 5gb files

  77. ROBDOMINICANKING Says:

    [..YouTube..] what is better fat32 oe ntfs?

  78. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] NTFS is considered to be more secure than FAT32

  79. ROBDOMINICANKING Says:

    [..YouTube..] thank you for the reply

  80. yacovkb Says:

    [..YouTube..] thank you

  81. LanyardB Says:

    [..YouTube..] Thank you, I found your video easier to follow than the others on youtube.

  82. sarafanwarrior Says:

    [..YouTube..] Do you lose data?

  83. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] no you do not loose data when you convert a FAT32 partition to NTFS

  84. nonaboyskill Says:

    [..YouTube..] isn’t fat32 faster but ntfs is more secure. secure as in less volume errors or sumtin?

  85. limyuhui Says:

    [..YouTube..] The volume may have incosistencies while i was trying the change my file system any idea ?

  86. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] that means there is some problem with the hard disk, and the conversion may not be successful

  87. vman Says:

    how do you fix limyuhui’s erroe i got the same thing so i ran the /f thingy and it said to convert lost chains to files .im lost now O_o

  88. Ryura88 Says:

    [..YouTube..] Thank you so much!you helped me a lot!

  89. pauloman16 Says:

    [..YouTube..] Great toturial one that makes sence =)Though I am trying to do this for my external hard drive since that is running on FAT32. but it gives an error saying it cannot be converted due damage…Is it because I need 15% or so of free space or could it be something else that is causing this problemThanks!

  90. pauloman16 Says:

    [..YouTube..] I have the same problem pleas help…

  91. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] If you can not complete the process than you need to delete all partitions and then repartition and then try to format it . (But this process wipes out all the data on the disks)

  92. pauloman16 Says:

    [..YouTube..] Darn… well then I’ll have to find some other way :pThanks for your quick responce =) and I already wish you a happy new year

  93. waqasriaz76 Says:

    [..YouTube..] after entering the volume label it saysthis drive is dirty and cannot be converted

  94. jorosrq Says:

    [..YouTube..] Awesome! Thanks!

  95. WieldThyGuitar Says:

    [..YouTube..] I’m doing that as I type. I hope all goes well. :)

  96. WieldThyGuitar Says:

    [..YouTube..] Oh no!I got an error:”Data error (cyclic redundancy check).”What should I do?

  97. WieldThyGuitar Says:

    [..YouTube..] Everything still seems to work perfectly and I can add 5 gb files to my hard drive. (it still converted to NTFS)FYI: Nice video, helped a lot!

  98. SirHypax Says:

    [..YouTube..] thank you, works perfect !! XD

  99. glasforex Says:

    [..YouTube..] thank you !

  100. PhoPhucLai02 Says:

    [..YouTube..] I little hard to hear but your demonstration was perfect.I’m having a problem, I just tried to run the conversion but it says> “Found problems with file system. >Run CHKDSK with /F to correct these???Whats wrong now/

  101. deathisdark101 Says:

    [..YouTube..] thankk u soo much u explaned it clearlyy and i got it donee ^^

  102. miatapony16 Says:

    [..YouTube..] mine didn’t work it said “the system cannot find path specified” =( please hellpppp!

  103. umam Says:

    [..YouTube..] thank you very much it worked..i like all your oyher videos too…anyway thanks for submiting this useful video

  104. DieTenkaichiMeister Says:

    [..YouTube..] Help me! When I am at the step with giving Drive F: a name it saysIt has entered an invalid volume name for this driveHOw can I solve this?

  105. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] open the command window, and type dir F, press enter, that will show you the volume label given to that drive, then you can use that name instead of just F

  106. DieTenkaichiMeister Says:

    [..YouTube..] Hello!I did as you said and it worked.But it says it found 2 failures (sorry for my english I’m german) but it converts along. As it reaches 100% it saysOn the Volume are maybe Inconsistencies. Run CHKDSK.The conversion failedF: wasn’t convertedWhat do I have to do now?

  107. srajure Says:

    [..YouTube..] that can happen if there are some bad spaces on the hard disk. In my opinion, you need to copy all that is important to you on another hard disk if possible, or on cds/ dvds etc, and then unpartition, repartition and format the hard disk, during formatting you can convert it to NTFS. And most probably the bad spaces could be taken care of this way

  108. Trissification Says:

    [..YouTube..] cause your drive that your trying to convert is named F ?

  109. luismvilaca10 Says:

    [..YouTube..] you have to put the word of your driver. it can be f k i…. but when you put yout pen it says there

  110. Anaps3 Says:

    [..YouTube..] maybe its not F disk in your pc

  111. DieTenkaichiMeister Says:

    [..YouTube..] @Anaps3 it is, but it’s allright. It has an Error on it and I can’t convert it to NTFS. It’s not THAT important for me

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