NTFS

[Jeannine]

When I upgraded from ME to XP, it did not change my file system to NTFS.
Isn't that odd? Anyway, should I run convert? Or will that cause a problem
now?
Thanks, Jeannine

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Jeannine

Windows ME does not recognise NTFS partitions, so the conversion at the
point of upgrade is no surprise..

While it is not absolutely necessary to convert to NTFS, it is the native
file system of NT based operating systems, and there are advantages to
employing NTFS.. take a look at the table on this website..

http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs_vs_fat.htm

If you ever want to revert back to ME, leaving the partition as FAT32 is a
must, although quite why anybody would ever want to revert back is another
thing altogether..

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

When I upgraded from ME to XP, it did not change my file system to
NTFS. Isn't that odd?

No, it's not odd at all. It never does.

Anyway, should I run convert? Or will that
cause a problem now?

Yes, you can convert it now. To convert to NTFS, you use the CONVERT
command. But first read http://www.aumha.org/a/ntfscvt.htm because there's
an issue regarding cluster size that isn't obvious.

Also note that conversion is a big step, affecting everything on your drive.
When you take such a big step, no matter how unlikely, it is always possible
that something could go wrong. For that reason, it's prudent to make sure
you have a backup of anything you can't afford to lose before beginning.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

When I upgraded from ME to XP, it did not change my file system to NTFS.
Isn't that odd?

Not at all, no. The only time during an install that NTFS is mentioned is
when you are at the "formatting" screen for a full, not upgrade or repair,
install.

Since you did an upgrade, you would not be asked anything about changing
filesystems.

Anyway, should I run convert?

Should you? That depends. What benefits are you seeking?

Can you? Yes.

Should you back up first? Definitely.

Or will that cause a problem
now?

It can go very smoothly, but it's best to assume the worst and back up
first.

HTH
-pk

 

[Jeannine]

Thanks, all, for your help. I LOVE newsgroups. Jeannine