Re: usb external drive question?

Are you using Windows XP or Windows Vista? They each have slightly varying processes. If you are trying to convert from NTFS to FAT32 – without the use of 3rd party programs – I don't think it can be done unless you reformat the hard drive and then partition it. This will erase all data so be sure to back up anything valuable beforehand. Also keep in mind FAT32 has size limitations. Each FAT32 partition can only be a max of 32GB, and you cannot store any file larger than 4GB.

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If once you have formatted the drive to FAT32 (or FAT16) you would like to format it back to NTFS for more secure use on your PC this is what you would do via Windows XP:

1. Open a command prompt.

Here are 2 ways to do this:

– Start > Run > type in “cmd”

– Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt

2. In the command prompt type the following (drive letter is the drive that you want to convert):

convert drive letter: /fs:ntfs

for example: convert g: /fs:ntfs

3. You will then receive a message like this:

” The type of file system is FAT.

Enter the current volume label for drive drive letter  “

You then need to type in the volume label for the drive and press Enter.

4. Once the conversion is complete you will receive a message saying:

“Conversion Complete”

At that point you know you have successfully converted your drive from FAT32/FAT16 to NTFS and can now close the command prompt.