After formatting your hard drive or pen drive or flash drive with FAT32 file system, you must have found that every time you copy a big file you are getting an error. In simpler words you are not able to copy any large file to your hard drive, pen drive or flash drive. So how would you fix this problem? Solution is pretty simple. Change the file system to NTFS. But now you must be thinking how to do it? We will tell you.
How to Convert a Pen Drive or Hard Drive from FAT32 to NTFS Format
Most of the storage devices are shipped with FAT32 file system and because of this kind of file system they cannot handle files larger than about 4 GB. If you try to copy such large files to a storage device with FAT32 file system, you will get an error saying “file is too large for the destination file system”.
FAT32 file system works on every OS but NTFS is usually read only on Mac OS X and Linux except Windows. By two methods you can easily convert a hard drive or pen drive from FAT32 in to NTFS.
Convert the File System Directly Using Command Prompt
Converting the file system directly through command prompt is preferred when there is loads of data in your hard drive or pen drive or flash drive and there is no free space to move them. In such situation, file system is directly converted from FAT32 to NTFS keeping all the files intact. To do this:
- Go to start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> Right click on command prompt and run it as administrator.
- Type convert/? to get the proper syntax for convert command.
- Since the drive which we are using here has the drive letter “J”, so the command which we will use is:
Convert J: /FS:NTFS
- After entering the command the conversion process will start. Conversion time is dependent over the size of drive which you are using.
So this is the first method in which the files remain intact and you can easily convert FAT32 in to NTFS. Now we will check the second method.
Reformat the Drive
If you don’t have too much of data in your drive then copy it somewhere else and then reformat it. To do this, right click on the drive and then choose format.
When format window appears, select the file system as NTFS and then click Start to format it.
So these are the two methods through which you can convert a pen drive or hard drive from FAT32 to NTFS format.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
thanks !
for your easy tutorial. im refreshing this page 2 times to say thanks.
Man , i was finding this since ages..God bless u
NOT WORKING
IT SAYS
THE CONVERSION FAILED
I: WAS NOT CONVERTED TO NTFS