Converting FAT32 -> NTFS?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joel
  • Start date Start date
J

Joel

I just found out that my external 500GB USB hard drive is FAT32 which has
max size limited to 4GB, and I am dealing with lot of >4.xGB. I have 2
external 500GB SATA one I bought hard drive and enclosure separately and I
formatted it NTFS, the new one is WD 500GB USB2 which formatted as FAT32

Here is the information I have.

1. I have Partition Magic v8.x but I read it only support up to 300GB

2. I am using Win XP and I just found out it has a util called CONVERT.EXE
to convert FAT32 to NTFS using the command below

convert O: /fs:ntfs <=- O is the drive letter of the external

*But* I run into the same old problem (I just spent 1/2 hr Googling
around) but just can't be able to find the answer. Or just about all the
answers I found are for either regular internal IDE drive ir less than
300GB, when my is external 500GB USB2 drive

ERROR -"Convert cannot run because the volume is in use by another process"

First I played SAFE by answering "N" (to abort) after several different
combinations I answer "Y" to all questions like: Dismount, Schedule to
convert on the next reboot etc.. but none works.

I read there is a shareware program called "BootIt Next Generation" which
supports uo to 2TG, but it doesn't mention anything about external USB
drive, or doesn't say much about converting. I downloaded the BootItNG, to
see it has bunch of small files inside a ZIP file (haven't tried to run
yet).

Hmmm I may check with Weesten Digital site see if they have any util to
convert their external HD to NTFS????

And because shed me some light how to convert FAT32->NTFS on external
500GB. Thanks
 
And because shed me some light how to convert FAT32->NTFS on external
500GB. Thanks
Click to expand...

Something has files open on your drive, whethere it's a program or driver
installed on that drive, or something else scanning files on that drive.

Have you tried safe mode?
 
Joel said:
I just found out that my external 500GB USB hard drive is FAT32 which has
max size limited to 4GB, and I am dealing with lot of >4.xGB. I have 2
external 500GB SATA one I bought hard drive and enclosure separately and I
formatted it NTFS, the new one is WD 500GB USB2 which formatted as FAT32

Here is the information I have.

1. I have Partition Magic v8.x but I read it only support up to 300GB
Click to expand...

Is that true that PM only supports 300 GB ? This could explain why my PM was
suddenly hanging (without error message) when trying to partition a 500 GB
disc. Is there a better alternative?
 
Calab said:
Something has files open on your drive, whethere it's a program or driver
installed on that drive, or something else scanning files on that drive.

Have you tried safe mode?
Click to expand...

That's what the error report says, and I guess it's nothing more than the
USB driver. And even I told it to continue *after* reboot but it still
won't work, so I guess because Windows loads the USB driver first before the
drive can come alive.

I checked with Western Digital and as usual they offer no help, or they
give 2 options.

1. Using the CONVERT command which doesn't work. They should know better
than that before sending the customers to MicroSoft to read the exact same
information for the regular hard drive.

2. The 2nd option which they think it's the best option is to re-FDisk the
hard drive to NTFS which isn't the option I want to hear.

I may try Safe-Mode but it may not work because it still require USB
driver to work (?).
 
Joel said:
That's what the error report says, and I guess it's nothing more than the
USB driver. And even I told it to continue *after* reboot but it still
won't work, so I guess because Windows loads the USB driver first before the
drive can come alive.

I checked with Western Digital and as usual they offer no help, or they
give 2 options.

1. Using the CONVERT command which doesn't work. They should know better
than that before sending the customers to MicroSoft to read the exact same
information for the regular hard drive.

2. The 2nd option which they think it's the best option is to re-FDisk the
hard drive to NTFS which isn't the option I want to hear.

I may try Safe-Mode but it may not work because it still require USB
driver to work (?).
Click to expand...

Got it finally! and thanks to all who try to help.

And I have no idea why it allows me to convert this time but not other
times (I tried 1/2 dozen times before). And this is the whole story.

- My system got locked up for some reason so I have to reboot the system.
And I did reboot the system 3 times to try the converting before but no go.

- For some reason this time Win XP telling me that the USB devices should be
faster *if* they are connected to USB2 port. I have never seen this type of
message before (???).

- While I have nothing else to do but asking for trouble, so I TRY again
even it failed so many time before. And this time

a. It didn't pop up the message saying "..convert cannot because..." or it
ran just like the instruction

b. It took around 2-3 minutes to finish. I didn't read the whole report
and guessed everything was fine. I did "properties" and it still say
FAT32

- I ran CONVERT command again, and carefully read the report and it says
that because the HD is dirty (problem with some file) and suggested to run
CHKDSK /F (this is the command I didn't use for many years).

I ran DSKCHK O: /F and it reports no error found, or everything looks fine

- I ran CONVERT again and it works great this time.

That's it! and now I learn a new command.
 
ElJerid said:
Is that true that PM only supports 300 GB ? This could explain why my PM was
suddenly hanging (without error message) when trying to partition a 500 GB
disc. Is there a better alternative?
Click to expand...

I just found out today. Or usually before start having some fun I often
GOOGLE around for a peace of mind and I found out the 300GB limitation of
Partition Magic.
 
I just found out that my external 500GB USB hard drive is FAT32
which has
max size limited to 4GB, and I am dealing with lot of >4.xGB. I have
2 external 500GB SATA one I bought hard drive and enclosure separately
and I formatted it NTFS, the new one is WD 500GB USB2 which formatted
as FAT32

Here is the information I have.

1. I have Partition Magic v8.x but I read it only support up to 300GB

2. I am using Win XP and I just found out it has a util called
CONVERT.EXE to convert FAT32 to NTFS using the command below

convert O: /fs:ntfs <=- O is the drive letter of the external

*But* I run into the same old problem (I just spent 1/2 hr
Googling
around) but just can't be able to find the answer. Or just about all
the answers I found are for either regular internal IDE drive ir less
than 300GB, when my is external 500GB USB2 drive

ERROR -"Convert cannot run because the volume is in use by another
process"

First I played SAFE by answering "N" (to abort) after several
different
combinations I answer "Y" to all questions like: Dismount, Schedule to
convert on the next reboot etc.. but none works.

I read there is a shareware program called "BootIt Next
Generation" which
supports uo to 2TG, but it doesn't mention anything about external USB
drive, or doesn't say much about converting. I downloaded the
BootItNG, to see it has bunch of small files inside a ZIP file
(haven't tried to run yet).

Hmmm I may check with Weesten Digital site see if they have any
util to
convert their external HD to NTFS????

And because shed me some light how to convert FAT32->NTFS on
external
500GB. Thanks
Click to expand...

I am pretty sure you can repartition your disk using windows or the WD
utilities and make it NTFS. You have to repartition and reformat though,
which means it's a good idea to do that when you buy the disk.
 
Rookie said:
I am pretty sure you can repartition your disk using windows or the WD
utilities and make it NTFS. You have to repartition and reformat though,
which means it's a good idea to do that when you buy the disk.
Click to expand...

I checked with WD web site and they don't have any converter to offer, but
they have some advice to offer.

1. Using the CONVERT.EXE come with Windows and they advice not to use it as
they hear it's high rate of data loss. And it worked after 1/2 dozen tries
which I already reported but it sounds like the message didn't make it
through.

2. WD's 2nd option is to backup the hard drive then re-FDISK to NTFS which I
don't want to do, even didn't have lot of data at the moment (now I have
around 100GB) cuz I wanna take my chance to learn new thing that I have
never tried in over 3 decades of computing.

BTW, I have finally be able to get the CONVERT command to work later on
the same day (after system crashed and had to reboot).
 
There is a shareware utility called DFSEE (www.dfsee.com) that might be
able to do what you need. The author participates in a Yahoo group
helping registered users, but her might have been a question about your
issue you can find.


Alan
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information, and I guess my updated message didn't make it
out (I had little problem with my reader for almost 2 days).

BTW, I have the FAT32 converted to NTFS later on the same day, and I
already posted the message with all small detail.
 
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