FAT32 to NFS w/o Losing Data?

[Gooey_GUI]

I just put together a system w/ an NFS formatted drive. My problem is that my son wants his old hard drive to still have access to his stuff. I don't know if his is really FAT32, but it's Windows Me.

What can be done? How do you convert file formats w/o messing it up? :confused:

[Syndicated_Death]

if I'm reading this correctly you will have 2 hard drives in the machine? if so you can still access the info on that drive that is fat32... however I'd suggest pulling everything of that drive then formating it in ntfs if possible.

[The Donut]

I could be wrong, but I believe Partition Magic is capable of converting file systems while keeping the file structure in tact.

[Syndicated_Death]

I could be wrong, but I believe Partition Magic is capable of converting file systems while keeping the file structure in tact.

I thought of that too but I think it will only convert unused space... that and I'm not so sure I trust P.M. but that's due to something long ago so it may have changed since

[unhappy_mage]

I could be wrong, but I believe Partition Magic is capable of converting file systems while keeping the file structure in tact.
Yep, it can - I forget what the option is exactly, but right-click and look through the menus. It does a decent job of it.

I certainly hope you mean nTfs, since nfs is a linux/sun type thing. I read the thread title and thought "oh, a network problem for sure". I'm not a big fan of either nfs or ntfs, but hey they work.
http://www.mentallyretired.com/h3/index.cfm/u_47426 (http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/user_summary.php?u=47426)

[Monkey34]

You dont need 3rd party software......built in Windows commands, and a couple of free utilities are all you need.From my experience it converts without problems, but as always, in all computer things BACKUP - BACKUP - BACKUP(warning given). ;) Here goes:

Converting a partition from FAT32 to NTFS can be done by an inbuilt utility in the Windows XP operating system — but it is important to realize that it is a one-way process. You cannot convert back, except possibly by use of Partition Magic 7.01, and that is not always successful.
There are a couple of things to do in advance if the conversion is to be efficient. If you do not take these preliminary steps, you are liable to end up with only 512 byte clusters, which is not a good idea.
What happens is that FAT32 partitions formatted by most Windows versions except Windows XP itself (and possibly Windows 2000) have an odd multiple of 2 kilobytes in the “system” sectors before the data area, where the File Allocation Tables themselves and clustering start. Therefore, clusters 4 KB in size are not aligned on 4 KB boundaries, as NTFS will want. CONVERT.EXE, finding it cannot use 4K clusters, gives up and makes the clusters only 512 bytes (one half KB) instead. (For a table of the varying default cluster sizes used by FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS for partitions of varying sizes, click here.)
It is, therefore, important to realign the partition before conversion, by moving all the data area up to a 4K boundary. (This will absorb odd sectors at the far end which otherwise would not get used). For this, I suggest BootIT NG, from BootitNG.com. This is a shareware program, priced at US$30 but with a 30-day fully functional trial. You may well find it valuable also for its Disk Imaging and Partition Management capabilities.
Download the BOOTITNG.ZIP file to its own folder, extract the contents of the ZIP file, then run BOOTITNG.EXE, which will make a bootable floppy. Boot this floppy. For purposes of Partition Management, there is no need to install the program to hard disk, so click Cancel Install, thus entering Maintenance. Click Partition Work. Highlight the partition you intend to convert. Click Slide, which has an option check box to Align for NTFS only. Click OK. As it has to move almost every sector on the entire partition, this will take a very long time — schedule it for a meal break, or start it to run overnight. (If it finishes quickly, that probably means that the partition was properly aligned already.)
Then restart the computer, boot Windows XP, being sure to logon as an Administrator, and defragment the disk. This ensures that there is, as far as possible, a contiguous area for the NTFS Master File Table. It is best if there is a fairly substantial amount of free space while you do it.
Now use the Windows XP convert tool: Go to Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt (or, from a Run box, type CMD) and, assuming you intend to convert C:, give the command:
VOL C:
Note the name of the disk in the first line, and the Volume Serial Number (for example, 3F4E-2D1B) in the second. Then type:
CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS
It will ask for that name in confirmation. Then it will ask two further questions. Reply Y each time to set up conversion to happen at the next boot, then restart the machine. (If you are converting a partition other than the operating system’s partition, you may find that it runs without rebooting.) After returning to Win XP, the hard disk will work for two or three minutes, tidying up. Leave things alone during this time.
Here’s something regarding resetting the volume serial number, which will have been changed. The hints given will assure that you do not lose a Windows Product Activation “life.”:
The VSN is part of the data in the partition’s first sector, so it is changed when you convert the drive. It is worth getting the freeware utility Volume ID to restore the original VSN. Before you convert, run VOL from a Command Prompt, note the VSN (e.g., 1F2E-3C4B) in the second line. Then, after the conversion, run Volume ID to restore the old VSN, and reboot. This is not essential — but it saves one of the ‘Yes votes’ against any future hardware change.
This utiltity, VolumeID, allows you to change the ids of FAT and NTFS disks (floppies or hard drives) on both Windows NT/2K/XP and Windows 9x.

Usage: volumeid <driveletter:> xxxx-xxxx

This is a command-line program that you must run from a command-prompt window.

Note that changes on NTFS volumes won't be visible until the next reboot. In addition, you should shut down any applications you have running before changing a volume id. NT may become confused and think that the media (disk) has changed after a FAT volume id has changed and pop up messages indicating that you should reinsert the original disk (!). It may then fail the disk requests of applications using those drives.

[Gooey_GUI]

I'll post my results when I can back-up his HD. Thanks for the scoop.

:)

[Ice Czar]

if I understand the question correctly
you dont need to convert the FAT32 disk\partition to access it from an NTFS install
you can even read NTFS from FAT32 with NTFS Reader (http://diskinternals.com/products/ntfs-reader/), however you cant write with the freeware version and the paidware is very expensive

not that Id discourage anyone from using NTFS its a far superior filesystem to FAT32

Here's all the info, maybe it'll get stickeyed..

it has been stickied (http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=485217) for a few years :p

and generally when you use something verbatim you credit it

http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.php

[Crosshairs]

it has been stickied (http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=485217) for a few years :p

and generally when you use something verbatim you credit it

http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.php


DOH!!!!

[Ice Czar]

LOL

but it is the "correct" answer, one few even know about
but then these days few are converting FAT32 partitions
it will get even less common now that Linux can deal with NTFS

;)

[Monkey34]

it has been stickied for a few years
:rolleyes:
well, thats where it was. Could'nt remember where I got it, or I would have just linked it......so much easier. Although, if more people read the stickies, and used the "search" feature, alot of these threads would get answered before theyre asked.