Reformatting Windows Partition Question

[TimJim]

I want to reformat my windows drive from NTFS to FAT (btw is NTFS better than FAT?) and i was going to use Superduper or Carbon Copy Cloner to do it, but they didn't see the partition cause it's NTFS.

So...If i do a copy/paste of my Windows XP drive onto an external drive, then reformat and repartition the drive, then copy/paste the Windows XP folder (that i copied onto the external earlier), would i be able to boot up just as i did before?

 

[4JNA]

the skinny on FAT

nope. sorry.

and if you use something like ghost to create an image, it will be of the current NTFS partition, and will restore as a NTFS partition. easy to go from FAT to NTFS, but no easy way to go back.

that being said... i've seen lots of recommendations to use 'Partition Magic' to do the conversion. i've tried with no success, but YMMV. from the help screen on PM8;

Conditions of conversion

NTFS is a more advanced file system than FAT and FAT32. Therefore, depending on the NTFS features used on the partition, the type of data, and partition size, you will either be allowed to complete the conversion or not.
If you receive an error message and the conversion stops, one or more of the following usually causes it:

· The file system for conversion is not allowed for the current partition size. The FAT32 partition must be greater than 256 MB and the FAT partition must be less than 2 GB.

· The Windows 2000/XP NTFS partition has compressed files, sparse files, reparse points, or encrypted files. In such cases, you can uncompress and/or move (or delete) the files or points, then repeat the conversion.

· The NTFS partition has data in memory that has not yet been written to the hard disk.

· The file system has errors, such as lost clusters and cross-linked files. You can fix these problems, then try the conversion again.

· There is not enough temporary space in the partition to do the conversion. The conversion will require the NTFS system and the FAT32 system files until the last step of the conversion. Also, there is data in NTFS FRS's that must be moved to external clusters and saved.

If you can complete the conversion, you may receive a warning about the quality of data and feature loss, depending on the features used on the partition, the type of data, and the partition size.

Copyright © 1994-2002 PowerQuest Corporation. All rights reserved.

best of luck.

 

[bellrinder]

I had to download a wipe drive program (found it through google) and completely wipe my drive through my windows laptop. Only after that was my Mac willing to erase and reformat. Even when i deleted the partition with windows computer management, Mac saw it as NTFS.

Partition Magic saw it as a "Bad" drive because I had already partitioned and formatted one part with Mac for backup, (then formatted the other with NTFS). After wiping it, PM listed it as healthy, but I didn't try formatting to Fat because I wanted to dedicate both partitions for the Mac only.

So if you wipe it maybe PM will then format to Fat 32. Windows Disk management will only format it to NTFS because of the size (300 gb).

 

[crashlander]

I want to reformat my windows drive from NTFS to FAT (btw is NTFS better than FAT?) and i was going to use Superduper or Carbon Copy Cloner to do it, but they didn't see the partition cause it's NTFS.

So...If i do a copy/paste of my Windows XP drive onto an external drive, then reformat and repartition the drive, then copy/paste the Windows XP folder (that i copied onto the external earlier), would i be able to boot up just as i did before?

Can only answer part of your question ... the difference between NTFS & Fat32.

Fat32 enables both Mac and Windows to read and write it. NTFS can only be read (not written) by Mac OS. However, Fat32, being ancient limits the size of a file. I think it's max 2GB? NTFS doesn't have any constraints. Fat32 also might have more restrictions on the naming convention compared to the Mac OS or NTFS. Have heard of some file names not transferring in whole.

 

[TimJim]

So even if i copy/paste the exact Windows XP Partition onto an external drive then reload that on another partition it wouldnt work?