What is FAT32 and NTFS, and what are the differences between them?

FAT32 and NTFS are two different types of file systems used to store data on a hard drive. FAT32 (File Allocation Table) is an older file system developed by Microsoft in the 1980s and is most commonly used in USB flash drives and other portable storage devices. It has a maximum file size of 4GB and a maximum partition size of 2TB. It is also compatible with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. NTFS (New Technology File System) is a newer file system developed by Microsoft in the early 1990s. It has a much larger maximum file size of 16TB and a maximum partition size of 256TB. It also offers more security features than FAT32, such as file encryption and disk quotas. However, it is not as widely compatible with operating systems as FAT32, and is only supported by Windows operating systems.

What are some advantages of using NTFS over FAT32?

NTFS offers better security than FAT32, with features such as file and folder permissions, encryption, and disk quotas. NTFS supports larger hard drive sizes, up to 16 exabytes, compared to FAT32's 2 terabyte limit. NTFS offers better performance than FAT32, with faster read and write speeds. NTFS allows for more efficient disk space usage with its support of disk compression. NTFS supports more advanced features such as the ability to create hard links, mount points, and junction points.

Is it possible to convert a drive from FAT32 to NTFS without losing data?

Yes, it is possible to convert a drive from FAT32 to NTFS without losing data. This can be done by using the convert command in the command prompt. The command is 'convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs', where drive_letter is the letter of the drive you want to convert.

What are the steps to convert a drive from FAT32 to NTFS using the command prompt?

Open Command Prompt with administrative privileges. Type “convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs” (e.g. convert F: /fs:ntfs) Press Enter to start the conversion process. Wait for the process to complete. Type “exit” to close the command prompt window.

What are the steps to convert a drive from FAT32 to NTFS using the Disk Management tool?

Open the Disk Management tool by typing “diskmgmt.msc” into the Run window. Right-click on the drive that you want to convert and select “Format”. In the “File System” drop-down menu, select “NTFS”. Click “OK” to begin the conversion process. Wait for the conversion process to complete. Once the process is complete, the drive will now be formatted with the NTFS file system.

Change File System from FAT32 to NTFS

Author: Vladimir Artiukh
Editor: Oleg Afonin
Updated: 8.05.2024 12:36

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of changing your file system from FAT32 to NTFS with ease. Whether you’re looking to unlock advanced features, support larger file sizes, or enhance data security, transitioning to NTFS is a smart move. From understanding the differences between FAT32 and NTFS to safely converting your file system without losing data, we’ll cover everything you need to know to make the switch seamlessly.

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Converting NTFS, FAT32 or exFAT USB Flash Drive, External Drive Without Losing Data

Contents

Overview of the Problem

First of all let us see what are the reasons to get a new file system, and why would anyone need it. Imagine that you want to download a file larger than 4 GB, for example, a film in high quality or a DVD disk image. You won’t be able to do it, though, because when saving the file to disk you will have an error message that FAT32 file system does not support files larger than 4GB.

Another advantage of NTFS is that it does not require such frequent defragmentation (partially, this feature was mentioned in the article on accelerating Windows), and it works faster, accordingly.

To change the file system, you can use two methods, with the loss of data and without it. Let us study them both.

Changing Your File System

By Mere Formatting Your Hard Disk

This is the easiest thing to do. If there is no data on the disk or you don’t need it, you can just format the disk.

Go to “This PC,” right-click your mouse on the necessary disk and press Format. The only step left to take is to select the format type, e.g. NTFS.

Converting FAT32 File System Into NTFS

This procedure allows you to keep your files. i.e. they will all remain in the disk. You can convert the file system without installing any software but using only Windows tools. To do it, launch the command prompt and type in something like this: convert c: /FS:NTFS

where C is the disk to be converted and FS:NTFS is the file system the disk will be converted to.

Important note! From my own experience, when converting from FAT32 to NTFS all file and folder names turned into unreadable symbols though the files by themselves were intact and could be used.Just they had to be opened and renamed which is quite a tiresome work to do. The process can take up much time (for a disk of 50-100 GB it took about 2 hours).

What is important to know? Whatever procedure you are using for conversion, save all important data. What if there is a failure? A power cut which is quite a frequent thing to happen? Software errors and the like?

Partition Recovery™ 4.9

The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.

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If, for any reason, you failed to save your data before converting your file system or there was a notorious power surge and your data is now lost, don’t get upset – it can still be recovered. Depending on the file system of your data carrier you can use of the special programs for data recovery – Hetman FAT Recovery or Hetman Partition Recovery.

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How to Recover Data After Formatting, Deleting or Creating Partitions in 2020 📁🔥⚕️

You can read about recovery of data lost due to a power surge or power cut in our article Recovering Data After a Blackout