NTFS on both partitions?

[kisrum]

I know there have been several previous threads about NTFS but I wanna make sure it's as easy as it sounds.

For some reason the guy who built my clone partitioned my 200G HD into two FAT32 partitions and then installed XP Home. A year later he sounds a little surprised that he did that himself.

It seems everyone here agrees that at least my video storage and editing partition should be NTFS, so I'm ready to convert it.

Questions:
1.The XP home support site says "If you do not need to keep your files intact and you have a FAT or FAT32 partition, it is recommended that you format the partition with NTFS rather than convert from FAT or FAT32."
Is this really important? I've got a few captured movies I want to burn but would like to keep them on the drive while I do the conversion so I can get around the 4GB problem.

2.If I convert to ntfs, defrag, burn the movies, then delete them, will that be just as or almost as good in terms of future file storage?

3.Other than maybe old software that can't run on ntfs partions, is there any reason to keep my OS partition FAT 32?

Thanks for your patience.

[bugster]

In my limited experience:...

I have converted a few partitions from FAT32 to NTFS. On thos occasions, all data files were fine but some applications would no longer run and had to be re-einstalled from the original media. If that original media was a file on the HD (a downloaded app as many are these days), that worked fine too.

I would still reccomend backing up any important data tho, just in case !

[tmlim]

Some programs work better with NTFS, some FAT32. I have my primary on FAT32 (20GB) and my secondary on NTFS (80GB). Seems to work perfect for me.

[ViRaL1]

Given a choice I'd always run NTFS if I didn't have any need to access files from an older OS like DOS or W9X. NTFS doesn't have the 4GB file limit that FAT32 does. NTFS also supports compression and encryption.

[Capmaster]

Given a choice I'd always run NTFS if I didn't have any need to access files from an older OS like DOS or W9X. NTFS doesn't have the 4GB file limit that FAT32 does. NTFS also supports compression and encryption.

It also supports file security

[jimmalenko]

Never had a problem here, even doing it from a FAT32 drive.

The quickest/simplest way IMO is to go to a command prompt, and type convert c: /fs:ntfs, where c: is the drive you want to convert (naturally). If you run this on the drive your OS is running on, it won't do anything until you reboot, then on startup, it will convert. Doesn't take long, and as I said, never had any issues doing it this way from either NTFS of FAT32 systems.

[Soopafresh]

With ANY major file system conversion, back up the files you REALLY, REALLY need. REALLY.

[BJ_M]

how do you create 2 partitions FAT32 on a 200gig drive with windows and use the whole drive ??

[ViRaL1]

Don't have a spare 200GB drive to test on. Will Window$ not let you create 2 partitions? Once they're created I'd assume there should be no trouble formatting them FAT32. What is it that you need FAT32 for?

[BJ_M]

windows only allows up to 32GB for a partition for FAT32 , you have to format a drive with something else if you want larger (like the win98 boot disk) ...

and the max is 120GB

[gmatov]

BJ_M,

I have 4 160 gigs partitioned/formatted with fdisk (5/18/2000 version).

There is not a 120, nor 137 GB barrier with the updated fdisk.

Hell, even the guy with the prob with the 80 was doing something wrong.

Cheers,

George

[BJ_M]

ok -- i am behind the times ... but in windows 2k and xp you are still limited to 32GB FAT32 in disk manager (ms did this to force people to use ntfs - which is a good thing)

[Tool Man]

Even now, some computer companies are still doing this.
I bought an Acer laptop a few months ago, it has XP home and a 60Gb drive which Acer split into 2 FAT32 partitions. Why?

[AlinaVastag84]

You could try PARTITION MAGIC 8. It works in windows, no need to go in doss mode and you can convert anything in anything very easy and fast. About the 32G limit I don`t believe this. I have 2X120 Gb drives, both FAT32 and working well. I made one once in NTFS but I was unsatisfied by the loss of space ( taken by NTFS for files fast use, few hundreds mega) so I made 2 partitions on it : one 10Gb NTFS for windoze and one 100Gb FAT32 for music storage( it`s full now). Everything with PARTITION MAGIC 8 directly in windoze, without loosing anything, mp3`s or movies. Bye !

[BJ_M]

as i stated more than once -- the 32GB limit is when you use the format command in disk manager and is a limit placed by microsoft to get you to use ntfs ... this info is freely readable on the ms web site