Format a drive with NTFS
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format x: /fs:ntfs /a:size - where size=512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8102, 16k, 32k, 64k
or
in Windows Explorer, right-click on the drive and select Format - but it only gives you the NTFS cluster sizes up to 4096 (4 k clusters)
Converting a FAT32 Drive to NTFS
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Considerations before you decide to convert :
- Dual-Boot Machines (one WinXP partition and one Win98 partiton) - if you boot from a Fat32 partition, you cannot read the NTFS partition - if you boot from an NTFS partition, you can read FAT32 partitions. Now, what if you convert WinXP to NTFS, and then have a problem - you cannot boot, so you need to access the drive. If you boot into Win98 (FAT32) you cannot access the drive !!! Therefore it may be best to leave both drives as FAT32.
NOTE: But what about the 4 GB limit with FAT32 ?? I do a lot of video work and sometimes have files that exceed 4 GB. In that case, leave your two operating system partitions as FAT32, and convert your Video capture drive to NTFS.
- you cannot convert back to FAT32 once you convert the NTFS !!!
- the "cluster size" is automatically set to 512 bytes, which is very small. If you're a gamer or have applications that need to write or read to and from the hard disk often, you might see some performance degradation.
- FAT32 machines can read NTFS partitions through a LAN.
1) open a DOS box (Start/Run . . . cmd.exe )
2) cd \windows\system32
3) convert.exe drive_letter: /fs:ntfs
NOTE: when you run the convert c: /FS: NTFS command, you might be asked to either restart the computer or allow the utility to "dismount" the partition. If asked to dismount, make sure all your files are closed first, and then allow the utility to dismount.
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