Converting HD to NTFS - Okay?

[WishMaker]

I have one 80gig hard drive with no partitions. (I don't know how to make partitions.)

I'm using a Canopus ADVC-100 to transfer analog VHS tapes. I want to edit the over 4 gig limit .avi's, so I need to use the NTFS file system.

I'm such a 'fraidy cat and am wondering has anyone CONVERTED - not reformatted - their hard drive with all their "gotta have" programs etc. on the hard drive they converted.

For those that HAVE done this, did you find your programs still worked, properly, didn't loose or corrupt any files etc.?

I'm using Windows XP Home Edition and will be using the method described here:http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;314097

PS: I know I should back up, but don't know how. The guide
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320820 for WinXP user's confuses the hell out of me.

[b_n83]

Well, I have successfully converted my Hard Drive from FAT32 to NTFS, keeping all programs and data intact. To achieve this, I used a program called Partition Magic. It is a neat application, which enables you to switch file systems, create partitions, etc.
Alternatively, why don't you create a backup DVD-RW with the files you really really don't wanna lose. It is really simple to create a data DVD in Nero. You will find it in some of the guides here, too.
Hope this helps!

[jameshgross]

NEVER do anything like this without backingup your system. If a problem occurs you must have a way to recover.

I suggest using Nortn Ghost, available from many sources. (BestBuy online)

Another thing to do is education. Educate yourself on how your system works. Go to Start -> Help -> Search for "NTFS" and start reading.
Dont use the excuse "I'm such a 'fraidy cat and am wondering has anyone CONVERTED" LEARN HOW. Everything you need to know is in the Windows HELP system.

[fritzi93]

I put an extra HD from my last computer in this one. Did the conversion, no trouble at all. (If my system was seriously unstable I'd fix the problem first). Hey, you got the official word from M$, back up your important stuff and go ahead.

[trossin]

I did the conversion without a problem. It is some DOS command that you do on the command line. Windows will tell you if you do a help on NTFS.

Like everyone else said, don't ever trust a hard disk to store your data. Think of it as temporary storage. Always backup and keep the backup or another copy of the backup in another building or state if possible!

The best thing that can happen to a computer user is for their hard disk to die. From then on they will never trust their machine and always make backups frequently.

[The_Doman]

To make longer captures on a FAT32 drive, juse use a program which can split your captures in seperate AVI files. (WINDV, SCENALYZER)

I have captured hours on a FAT32 drive this way, most programs can handle multiple AVI files.
I even find it easier to edit seperate smaller AVI files then one big file.

Ofcourse the maximum MPG file you can create is still limited to 4Gigabyte then.

[WishMaker]

Thanks everyone!

I feel more at ease after reading your posts.

It will take me a long time to find out how to make a "full" backup of my hard drive, as I don't even know what's backed up when one backs up their hard drive. To me, and what I would like, a "full" backup means every last shred of info that's currently on my hard drive. -- programs, folders, files, updates to programs, all my pics, music -- well, you know what I mean.

I don't even have a full, retail version of Window's XP Home Edition. I just have the WinXP Home Product Recovery CD-Rom, that came with my non-brand computer. In the Readme.txt it says the Automated System Recovery will appear to work, but will not.

It then goes on to say back up to CDRW, but don't target the device directly. Instead, I'm supposed to create sets of back up files, but I don't know what to put in the files. Well, you can see how lost I am. I'll either convert to NTFS without backing up or if I can't find a step-by-step on backing up, I'll work myself into days of Migraines and try again weeks or months later.

This is why you see I've been registered here since 2002, but I've yet to burn a single vcd or dvd. (My old Pioneer 104 was once the new "in thing", now it's old and still a friggin' virgin!)

[jimmalenko]

I did the conversion without a problem. It is some DOS command that you do on the command line. Windows will tell you if you do a help on NTFS.

I seem to remember doing it in DOS also.

convert c: /fs:ntfs

It will attempt to do it then tell you that a OS drive can't be dismounted, and would you like to do it after a reboot. You can then reboot your computer and it will plug away with the conversion. No dramas whatsoever.

[lacywest]

Partition Magic 8 works for me ... been using it for the last few years.

When you convert to NTFS ... think about the cluster size.

A few months ago ... I converted my C Drive ... to NTFS ... I didn't pay attention to the cluster size choices. They were resized to 500 bytes. That is small. I didn't know they could be shrunk that small. I redid them to 1k. Takes along time to convert to a larger size.

Partition Magic 8 ... Properties info

NTFS Version: 3.1
Bytes per NTFS sector: 512 [512 bytes per physical sector]
Cluster size: 1 K bytes [2 sectors per cluster]
First MFT Cluster: 3,145,728
File Record Size: 1k bytes

For my G Drive ... same info sort of but cluster size is 32k [64 clusters per sector]

For my H Drive ... cluster size is 16k [32 clusters per sector]

These are my Video Capture Drives ... G and H ... the G Drive would be my choice to use for video capture.

Something to remember ... if you decide to resize the clusters to a bigger size ... you will need room to expand ... or as the process begins ... you could end up with errors because the hard drive ran out of room.

And then you will need a program to "look" into your SNAFUed hard drive and try and retrieve the data that can't be accessed.

I have experience with that too .... LOL.

[lacywest]

Hmm ... after reading more of your posts ... you've got one of those computers from the department store down the street.

I keep telling everybody to don't buy one of those... as soon as you become computer savvy ... you will be limited to what you can do with them.

Besides what I posted already ... build your own computer is good advice.

Go to >>

http://www.resellerratings.com/forum/t48412.html
http://www.buildeasypc.com/index.htm
http://www.mysuperpc.com/
http://www.buildyourowncomputer.net/
http://www.windowsreinstall.com

Hopefully your not financially crippled. Spend $400 bucks and you will have a computer that you can expand on for next 5 years with no problems ... all you need is a phillips screwdriver and an empty 6 foot by 6 foot space on the floor that you can use to stuff all the parts into you tower. Takes longer to install the software then building a computer.

I've got 6 harddrives in my tower ... and a DVD Burner and a DVD [DVD-Ram] reader. ATI AIW 7500 video card. 3 Fans. An ADVC capture card and a Firewire card. And a ATA 133 card for connecting my other four Maxtor ATA 133 ... 60 GB Maxtor drives.

I have the other four drives sitting on the bottom of my tower ... I used a AOL tin mailer package and cut the tin to connect the 4 drives with a 1/4-1/2 inch air gap between each drive and this "brick" is sitting next to a fan located in the front panel to keep them cool.

My C drive is a Maxtor 40 GB and my D drive is a older Maxtor ATA 100 60 GB.

I don't have a tall tower ... just a normal size.

Chassis temperature is 107 degrees. CPU temperature is 105 Degrees

[WishMaker]

Hmm ... after reading more of your posts ... you've got one of those computers from the department store down the street.

Me? Not sure you mean me, but I don't have a computer from down the street. I ordered, part-by-part, from an online source. I don't know why they gave me a cd-rom stating it's a WinXP Home Product Recovery disc. The disc does have a full (not retail) install of WinXP Home Edition on it. The cd-rom has the computer builder's Logo on it and it's pressed (not a cd-r.)

Anyway, I'm still trying to find out how to do a full backup. For right now, I've just been sending files and folders to my other computer thru a network.

I'm having trouble finding things I need (saved notepad text documents etc) and I still do not know how to backup the registry?, downloaded updates etc. and other things I've been reading about. At least I won't loose everything, should I crash when converting from fat32 to NTSF (as long as I don't run out of room on my other computer's 40gig HD.

[lacywest]

Send me a PM ... and I will be able to help you with backuping your registry ...

I use two programs

WinRescue XP v1.08.21 ... and .... Registry Clean Expert

both can backup the WinXP registry.

I have used WinRescue already. It helped me when I first installed WinXP.

As for the program for changing to NTFS ... hmmm I will send you a PM message.

I'll send the PM message to ya in few minutes ... need to surf the Internet before I can do this for you.

[housepig]

I seem to remember doing it in DOS also.

convert c: /fs:ntfs

It will attempt to do it then tell you that a OS drive can't be dismounted, and would you like to do it after a reboot. You can then reboot your computer and it will plug away with the conversion. No dramas whatsoever.

so doing this on a non-OS drive should not only work, but be easier?

I have a hdd that is two partitions, F:\ and G:\, 35gb and 5gb. I need to convert it to NTFS, preferably without removing or losing any data.

will it work?

[jimmalenko]

I seem to remember doing it in DOS also.

convert c: /fs:ntfs

It will attempt to do it then tell you that a OS drive can't be dismounted, and would you like to do it after a reboot. You can then reboot your computer and it will plug away with the conversion. No dramas whatsoever.

so doing this on a non-OS drive should not only work, but be easier?

I have a hdd that is two partitions, F:\ and G:\, 35gb and 5gb. I need to convert it to NTFS, preferably without removing or losing any data.

will it work?

Yep. It is pretty quick (depending on size naturally) to do a non-OS drive. No data loss.

Its funny how some DOS programs are still much much quicker than their windows counterparts.