OT:Any issues using Convert.exe to disk to NTFS ?

will-3 wrote on 6/8/2010, 11:01 AM

Anybody heard of any issues or potential problems that should be considered when using the Windows utility program Convert.exe to convert a hard disk from Fat32 to NTFS ?

I thought I had read of some reason it was better to format the drive from scratch... but that means moving all the data off and back on.

But, I have Googled and been unable to find what I thought I remembered :)

So, I thought I'd ask you guys before I did the deed.

Thanks for any help.

PS

Most of you know but some may not know that NTFS will accommodate file sizes larger than than the 4GB on a Fat32 system... plus NTSF has other advantages... but many external drives... like the Western Digital My Book series come formatted Fat32... probably to make 'em backward compatible with older machines.

Comments

LoTN wrote on 6/8/2010, 11:10 AM

As an IT system engineer, this is exactly the kind of tool I never use. Only a small bug in the utility, any discrepancy in the filesystem structure, a simple power outage and you loose all your data...

You better have to grab some external HDD, backup all your files on it, then format and restore.

Former user wrote on 6/8/2010, 11:13 AM

I agree with lord of the newbies on this. Don't chance it.

They make it FAT32 so they work with Mac or PC out of the box.

Dave T2

John_Cline wrote on 6/8/2010, 11:19 AM

FAT32 uses different cluster sizes depending on the size of the partition. The only downside I know of regarding CONVERT.EXE is that it will use the same cluster size as the FAT32 drive when converting to NTFS. This may not be the optimum cluster size for NTFS and will affect the speed of the drive. If you have the option, always format the drives fresh as NTFS instead of using CONVERT.EXE.

john_dennis wrote on 6/8/2010, 3:37 PM

Backup the data, do a full NTFS format and copy the data back to the drive. My local electric utility operator never calls me to schedule a power outage. Maybe yours is friendlier.

JJKizak wrote on 6/8/2010, 4:20 PM

I have used it a while back without any problems. It must have been 3 or 4 years ago.
JJK

Chienworks wrote on 6/8/2010, 6:53 PM

I've used it on over a dozen drives without any issue at all. Of course, the PCs have been on a UPS to avoid problems, and of course i had always backed up the entire drive first just in case.

john_dennis wrote on 6/8/2010, 7:12 PM

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=714032&Replies=2

LoTN wrote on 6/8/2010, 10:10 PM

musicvid10 wrote on 6/9/2010, 4:54 PM

Since john_dennis referenced a post of mine, I'll throw in my 2c on this topic.

Always back up your partition = Always.
Convert.exe = Not for me.
Paragon = Yes. It has never failed on me (six years) and recovers if something blows up. That's why it's kind of slow.