External Drive File Storage

HaroldC wrote on 4/8/2006, 2:14 PM
I'm having trouble rendering a mepg2 movie longer than 1 and 1/2 hours to my external hard drive. I suspect that it has to do with the file size limitations of Windows XP. Any advice on correcting the problem would be appreciated. I'm able to create a larger file on the second internal hard drive. So it isn't VMS.

Thanks

Comments

ritsmer wrote on 4/8/2006, 2:17 PM
Is the external drive formatted with NTFS-file system? it allows far larger files as FAT32.
HaroldC wrote on 4/8/2006, 2:33 PM
No, it is FAT32. How do I go about changing it to the NTFS file system? Also would changing the file system over affect any of the files that I currently have on that drive?

Thanks
Tim L wrote on 4/8/2006, 2:44 PM
Check out this thread, especially the post from Chienworks.

http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=12&MessageID=413753

You should be able to convert (assuming you are running XP) without any loss of data. Be aware, however, that after the conversion you would not be able to access that drive from any other computer unless it handles NTFS. (For example, if you also use that external drive with a laptop running Windows98, the external drive would no longer be accessible from your laptop.)

Tim L
HaroldC wrote on 4/8/2006, 2:56 PM
Thanks Tim, I'll try that tonight. It is a pretty large hard drive and is about 40% full. I'll back up the most important files.
HaroldC wrote on 4/8/2006, 7:21 PM
Is there any other method to change the file system? That command resulted in the system saying that 'h:/fs:ntfs is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable command or batch file.' I also tried under the format function when right clicking on my external drive, but there was a warning that all information would be erased. That is not the sort of formating that I want.
Tim L wrote on 4/8/2006, 8:09 PM
Did you forget to type the "convert" command?

I've never done this myself, but according to Chien's post (slightly edited and re-arranged here):

1. Open command prompt: click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.

2. In the command prompt window, type
"convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs"

In your case, type:
"convert h: /fs:ntfs" (without the quotes, of course)

Good Luck,
Tim L
HaroldC wrote on 4/9/2006, 7:13 AM
I added the 'convert' buth then it said 'enter current volumn label for drive H'.
Ptero wrote on 4/9/2006, 8:59 AM
You should be able to find the existing volume label by Start->My Computer, right click on the H: drive and click Properties.

However unless you really need the label to be the same, just type in a name for the drive when it asks. I think you can even leave it blank if you don't want a label. It's just a name.
HaroldC wrote on 4/9/2006, 7:59 PM
Done. Everything seems to work fine. The files I tried played. I was able to move some larger mpeg2 files from an internal drive to my external drive. Windows explorer shows H drive as ntfs file system.

Thanks. The conversion did not take that long.