Convert FAT32 To NTFS
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Welcome to Just Ask Matt! Today, Malcolm writes:
Hi, Matt. After reading your article about NTFS, I decided to do the change from FAT32. My system is XP Home. I followed all the procedures as advised in Windows Help, but then I got the following message:
“Convert cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Convert may run if this volume is dismounted first. All opened handles to this volume would then be invalid. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume?”
At this point I chickened out because I do not understand what it is saying. Please, can you advise me?
Well first off, I am glad you enjoyed the article. As for your problem, you might try following these instructions:
First, back up your data. Pictures, Word files, whatever it may be, save it all to something off of that drive/partition. Also, by doing this, understand that there is always the risk of data loss. So if something goes wrong, you are the responsible party. Also, make sure all applications are closed before doing this.
OK, now get yourself to a command prompt. Just Start, Run, CMD will get you there. Now type
CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS
You will be asked to press Y or N. You will want to say N to unmounting right there and then. You will then be prompted schedule a conversion. Say Y to this. From here, just follow the instructions. Now if memory serves me, you will have to reboot. After the PC has restarted, let it run without you doing ANYTHING. I’d say about five minutes ought to do it. And that should do it for you!
Do you have an IT-related question? Perhaps you are just burnt out on writing on the walls with crayons? Whatever the comments may be, drop me a line, and you too can “Just Ask Matt!”

19 Comments
Ryan
December 29th, 2006
at 5:41am
Hey Matt,
I have been trying to reformat a computer this week and I have gotten to the point where xp pro service pack 1 has just been installed but I am going to upgrade to service pack 2 through boot disk. My problem is when it gets to boot disk #5, it has an error because the file system on the computer is Fat32 and the file system on the computer Im using to make the boot disk is NTFS. Even if that isn’t the problem, how can I change the file system to NTFS even though when I start up the computer it tries to run the windows xp install setup. Could you let me know please, this pc is really becoming a head ache!
Thanks,
Ryan
oya
March 7th, 2007
at 9:27am
im just worried if im doing the right thing:
i got 2 hard disc; the first one is NTFS and the other one is FAT32;the 1st one have 3 partitions and the
last one has 2 partitions.
i want the last one to be converted into NTFS since i’ve got problems in I/O everytime that im copying
some files from NTFS to FAT32.
so as a solution i want to convert that fat32 disc to NTFS, but im worried since that FAT32 disc has 2
partitions is it ok if the other partition is NTFS and the other one is FAT32?
is it ok to do the same thing? like this below?
1. Close all open applications. This process may require a reboot, so be prepared.
2. Click Start, click Run, and then type cmd, and press Enter.
3. In the command windows, type:
convert D: /FS:NTFS
4. Press Enter.
thanks! i’ll wait for your reply. i’m just a student and i dont know if im really doing the right thing.
i dont want to sacrifice my files since its really important to me.
thanks very much!
jaiprakash
March 15th, 2007
at 1:34am
I had installed dual OS in my system(C:WinXP and D:Windows Server 2003), while installing i have formatted in FAT32. Now i need to convert D: Drive into NTFS. So, help me to convert the drive efficiently and properly with out any problem will arise. Tell me the details for accessing from Windows XP. Is there any problem will come while using Dual OS. Send me as soon as possible to my mail id. Thanking You….
palani rajan
April 3rd, 2007
at 3:45pm
D:\Documents and Settings\murali> convert d:/fs:ntfs
The type of the file system is FAT32.
Convert cannot gain exclusive access to the D: drive,
so it cannot convert it now. Would you like to
schedule it to be converted the next time the
system restarts (Y/N)?
Mahesh N
May 20th, 2007
at 10:52pm
Dear sir,
I installed win xp professional in c drive with fat format . Now i want to change the format from fat to ntfs with out os re-installation. so pls tell the steps as soon as possible.I expect your solution.
Thank you,
Mahesh.N
MIchiel B
May 24th, 2007
at 10:46am
Dear Matt,
I’f tryed to convert my hard disc from a FAT32 to a NTFS, but when I type “CONVERT G: /FS:NTFS”, It says “Enter current volume label for drive G:” I tryed; “G:”, “G” or other possible volume labels. After that it always comes up with “An incorrect volume label was enterd for this drive”. Do u have any idea how I can solve this?
Thanks,
Michiel B.
Yi
May 27th, 2007
at 8:53pm
To MIchiel B
when you open cmd.exe, try type in “vol X:” (x is the volume that you want to convert) to check the lable of the volume and the result normally come up with “local disk” rather than “X” or in your case “G”
terry lueckgen
August 25th, 2007
at 6:48pm
thanx man you are the shiznit :)
JACK
October 13th, 2007
at 12:24am
hay guyz could YOU plz help me when i type
CONVERT J: /FS:NTFS (to change my external HD from FAT32 to NTFS)
it tells me enter your current volume lable for that drive
i type J
then it tells me an incorrect lable was intered for this drive ????
Faizan
February 22nd, 2008
at 10:06pm
Hey Sup
I Hav a question that how to convert NTFS to FAT32
kshirod
March 9th, 2008
at 11:59pm
sir plz tell me
how to enable regedit , msconfig and task manager
viruses are disable this command
Senpai
March 11th, 2008
at 6:38pm
err hi i’m trying to convert from fat to ntfs but
when i type convert c:/FS:NTFS
it ask me for volume .. well i did as u said “vol c:” and still say an incorrect
what to do @.@
and ya my OS in C and i want to change the C to NTFS
thx for ur help ^^
kemoo
June 7th, 2008
at 5:35pm
man i have the same prob as senpai
wei.jie.sen
June 15th, 2008
at 6:34pm
OK people, you need to right click your drive you want to change, go to properties… now look at the top… if you’ve tagged or named it. sometimes it will be “driver” so in the command prompt, dont type F: or vol F: or anything like that.. just type whatever name it is, like “driver” if that is your tag. ok??? trust me, this works
PLAMEN
July 15th, 2008
at 1:25am
what is the correct answer to
“Enter current volume for label for drive C:
??????????????????????????
abdulsaleem
August 12th, 2008
at 5:14am
how can changes file system fat 32 to ntfs
scott
October 15th, 2008
at 9:22am
hi, great thread, really helpted me out, for me to change my os to ntfs, which i have now got, but a little weird thing has happened and i cant seem to understand what has happend or why? hense my post….
well ive wanted to change my os for a while now, for few diffrent reasons, and decided to wait for my 6mths format before i changed it, i know a lot of diff post state you dont need to format after i make this change, but i decided that i would, main reason, is i found it hard to beleive making a huge change to your computers system like this would have dier consequences, lol..( i get a little paronid sometimes lol.)
anyways after i changed my os, which worked perfectly thanks to your post, i waited a day before i decided to do my format, i use win98 disk to do my format i always have, then bang in my xp, so as always, i stuck in win98 disk, and went into boot menu, did what i always do, in the 6.000.000 formats before this one. only this time, ive come across a little problem, and im thinking it has somet to do with me changing my os??
hears what i do in boot menu?
d:
cd:win98
format c:
simple as that, then usually away it goes, but this time its saying C: is an invalid drive o something? which is extremly weird as this has never happend before, as you can imagine this is turning into a huge problem for me, and cant seem to find out why this is happening,
is this problem happening because i changed my os?
is they any way around this little problem?
as of now i am completly out of ideas, so ive decided to ask the man with all the answers lol..
any help or assistance you can give me on this will be greatly apperchated mate,
thanks..
skimmy
December 13th, 2008
at 4:04pm
wow that was easy.
Everyone with the volume label problem just need to type in the name.
thanks much wei.jie.sen
suhail ismail
June 16th, 2009
at 4:38am
I HAVE A QUESTION THAT HOW TO COVERT NTFS TOFAT32
PLEASE TELL ME SIR SOLUTION, I WILL WAITING FOR YOUR ANSWER,,,