ntfs

  • Thread starter Thread starter gp
  • Start date Start date
G

gp

I have fat32 HD with amd2.8 ,512ram, 80g hd and winxp

q)is there aproblem with converting to ntfs with a converter rather than
reformatting the whole HD from scratch. will it work just as good

q)it is a standalone PC with cable internet connection, so is there much
benefit converting to ntfs since there is no network/accounts to manage?
 
Hi,
q)is there aproblem with converting to ntfs with a converter rather than
reformatting the whole HD from scratch. will it work just as good
Click to expand...

No problems, no "gotcha's", but you should read this first:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.htm
q)it is a standalone PC with cable internet connection, so is there much
benefit converting to ntfs since there is no network/accounts to manage?
Click to expand...

System stability, ntfs has a far better track record of recovering from file
system damage.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
I dont have a floppy drive so how do I create bootable floppy. I have a cd
drive though so how can I make a bootable CD.

Is there a program to run instead of from command line to format ntfs?just
curious
 
Hi,
I dont have a floppy drive so how do I create bootable floppy. I have a cd
drive though so how can I make a bootable CD.
Click to expand...

You can get a USB floppy for around $30US, most laptops support booting from
them. Check your owners manual to be sure. I strongly recommend that you
align the partitions before converting, as you may otherwise you will end up
with 512 byte clusters, and performance may suffer as a result.
Is there a program to run instead of from command line to format ntfs?just
curious
Click to expand...

If you want to spend the money, sure. But the command line is simple and
works just as effectively.
http://www.powerquest.com/partitionmagic/features.html

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
Hi, gp.

To confirm what Rick is telling you...

You don't need a floppy. Just run the convert.exe command from a "DOS"
window. If you are converting the System Partition or Boot Volume
(typically C:), you might need to reboot to let it convert during the
Restart. Click Start | Help and Support, then Search for "convert" for
details. Or, in the "DOS" window, type: convert /?

Note that the command is "convert", not "format". Convert.exe does not wipe
out your files and start over, as Format does. It simply changes the filing
and indexing system without reformatting.

I've not had to use Convert often, but when I did, it worked perfectly - and
very quickly! With NO loss of data. ;<)

RC
 
hi

I am confused.

Do need to run a program...eg dos bootdisk or convert.exe
what to do about disk cluster problems if I dont run the boot floppy of
which I havent got a floppy drive.
I believe you both but I am getting 2 approaches from you

1)run boot floppy to make it easier to convert to ntfs, surely I could make
a boot cd instead with this cant i?

or

2) dont bother with that and run convert.exe

what is it exactlly.......I am confused
 
Hi,

Let's slow down.

There are two different things here. The first is aligning the partition
prior to converting. The first is done (as was described in the link I
initially sent you) by booting from a floppy created by the BootIT NG
program. The purpose of doing this is so that when you run the convert
program, the resulting cluster size will be 4k (which is optimal for
performance). If you do not do this first step (and you don't have to, it's
not essential), you will wind up with a cluster size of 512bytes. This is
not the optimal cluster size, and performance may suffer. Once done, you
will not be able to change this, so you need to consider whether or not you
want to do this carefully.

The second thing is the actual conversion process. This is done from the
command prompt (click start/run and type cmd, then click ok). There is no
fancy graphical user interface, nor is there any need for one. You do NOT
need a bootable floppy or floppy drive for this part of the process. You
simply type in "convert C: /fs:ntfs" (without the quotes) and hit <enter>.
Then follow the prompts to schedule it to be done on a system restart, as
you cannot dismount the drive while Windows is running. Then reboot the
system - it's as simple as that. The process will occur automatically, and
the delay in boot it causes will depend on several factors, but be prepared
for a long wait.

Once the conversion is completed, I would strongly urge you to run a defrag
routine to clean up after it. As with any system changes, it is strongly
suggested that you first backup any important data prior to committing to
the change. If there is an error in the process (it should happen, but
occasionally it does), the only way out may be to start from scratch by
deleting existing partitions and creating new ones (resulting in loss of
data currently on the drive).

Hope this explains it better for you. You may want to enlist the aid of a
computer-savvy friend.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
OK I understand this.

As I said before the problem was I dont have a floppy drive. I wont do this
without going through with the 1st step somehow. Other than buying a floppy
drive....

q)can I create a bootable CD with it on as I have a CDRW.

If I have to buy a floppy , I have to pay for someone to install....$60AU
and I dont think I will bother.

I dont wont to convert the HD without going through the cluster process 1st
else I wont go ahead with this.
 
Back
Top