NTFS back to FAT32

[Rob]

If I decide to switch over the NTFS then at a later date
wish to switch back to FAT32 is it possible by running
fdisk and format at boot up?

 

[larry samuels MS-MVP \(XP Shell/User\)]

Yes--You will need a Win 98 boot disk to use fdisk,but you can do the same
with the Win XP cd by starting setup,then choose to delete the current
partition,then create the new partition and format it as FAT32.
NOTE--Windows XP CANNOT create FAT32 partitions larger than 32gb.

--
Larry Samuels MS-MVP (Windows-Shell/User)
Associate Expert
Unofficial FAQ for Windows Server 2003 at
http://home.earthlink.net/~larrysamuels/WS2003FAQ.htm
Expert Zone -
_____________________________________________

 

[Rotary Phone]

Out-of-the-box, no. FDISK does not format NTFS. However, you can boot from
the WinXP CD-ROM and format a partition. You do not need to repartition.

What makes me wonder though is what you are up to? You can format partitions
other than the boot/system partition(s) from Disk Management while running
WinXP.

I also wondered if you realize that formatting a partition wipes the
partition i.e. all data is lost; perhaps you are thinking about CONVERTING?
That is converting a partition to FAT32 then maybe later converting it back
to NTFS? Out-of-the-box you can convert FAT32 to NTFS with Microsoft Windows
software. To reverse, i.e. go from NTFS to FAT32 you probably can do so with
third party utilites such as Partition Magic 8 - although it is not without
some risk of a frig up. Converting preserves the data already on the
partition [ but I'd advise making a backup beforehand anyway, if the data is
important ].

The easiest and least expensive route - if you can simply move any data you
want to preserve off the partition onto another - is to reformat, then move
the data back. You can go back an forth between NTFS and FAT32 formats
indefinitely doing that. Just be aware you have many options.

Rotary Phone

| If I decide to switch over the NTFS then at a later date
| wish to switch back to FAT32 is it possible by running
| fdisk and format at boot up?

 

[Ken Blake]

If I decide to switch over the NTFS then at a later date
wish to switch back to FAT32 is it possible by running
fdisk and format at boot up?

Yes (but not literally. There is no fdisk in XP; you just boot
from the CD and reformat there.)

You can also switch back to FAT32 non-destructively with a
third-party program like Partition Magic.

 

[Larc]

| If I decide to switch over the NTFS then at a later date
| wish to switch back to FAT32 is it possible by running
| fdisk and format at boot up?

Sure. Just wipe everything clean, format FAT32 and re-install XP.

Partition Magic 7.01 and up can do it without any loss of data, but the process
is a real pain. It can't handle any compressed or encrypted files, and all
those have to be undone before PM can make the conversion.

Larc



§§§ - Please raise temperature of mail to reply by e-mail - §§§

 

[Alex Nichol]

If I decide to switch over the NTFS then at a later date
wish to switch back to FAT32 is it possible by running
fdisk and format at boot up?

Not Fdisk with XP. You do it as part of a reinstall of the system after
booting the XP CD direct. Enter Setup, and after the license agreement
take New Install. When it asks you to confirm where, hit ESC; select
and delete the current partition and make a new RAW one to be formatted
at the next stage. Then choose FAT 32 (and it would have to be not
bigger than 32GB).

Or Partition Magic 8 *may* be able to convert back.

 

[patrick pierson]

I reverted back with Partion Magic 8 with no problems, for what its worth.

If I decide to switch over the NTFS then at a later date
wish to switch back to FAT32 is it possible by running
fdisk and format at boot up?

Not Fdisk with XP. You do it as part of a reinstall of the system after
booting the XP CD direct. Enter Setup, and after the license agreement
take New Install. When it asks you to confirm where, hit ESC; select
and delete the current partition and make a new RAW one to be formatted
at the next stage. Then choose FAT 32 (and it would have to be not
bigger than 32GB).

Or Partition Magic 8 *may* be able to convert back.

 

[Greg P Rozelle]

I did it with system commander 7.5 upgrade from 7.0

However, had some boot problems. But was fix with the repair console
at least on my system.


Greg P Rozelle