Converting from FAT32 to NTFS

[deltacharlie]

Sometime ago I installed a 60Gb drive and installed on C drive Win ME. Using the PCMech tutorial I then intalled WinXP on D as a dual OS system. Fine so far.
Since then I have installed Partition Magic 8.0 and resized various partitions. I now have 5Gb on the primary active partition with ME, and on the remaining 1ry. extended partition I have 15Gb on D for XP, 5Gb for Data and 33Gb for Video, all on Logical partitions. These are all on the FAT32 system.
Now I would like to ditch the ME (as I don't use it, ever), make the C drive the XP, keep the remaining partitions intact but convert everything to NTFS. Is this possible (Partition Magic would suggest it is) or am I building up problems for myself? If I do throw out ME how do I revert to a single OS or will I continue to be given the option to boot into a second OS which now doesn't exist? Will the XP which is currently on D, but bootable, automatically take over as C when the present C is formatted?
Sorry for all the questions but I have been playing around with PCs for long enough to know that usually all my problems are of my own making!!

[Statica]

Originally Posted by deltacharlie Now I would like to ditch the ME (as I don't use it, ever), make the C drive the XP, keep the remaining partitions intact but convert everything to NTFS. Is this possible (Partition Magic would suggest it is) or am I building up problems for myself?

It is very possible, and extremely painless. In fact you dont need Partition Magic at all; WinXP will do it for you. Open a cmd prompt (START > RUN > cmd) and you can use the convert command. For best results first use

PHP Code:

convert /? 


or go to Windows Help and search for convert. For example, if you used convert E: /fs:ntfs /v; it would convert E drive to NTFS .. as simple as that. A note before you use convert ... if possible, run a chksdsk and defrag for the drives.
In fact, it's a virtual cinch that using NTFS instead of FATx will improve your overall stability.

Originally Posted by you If I do throw out ME how do I revert to a single OS or will I continue to be given the option to boot into a second OS which now doesn't exist? Will the XP which is currently on D, but bootable, automatically take over as C when the present C is formatted?

It's pretty easy to "remove" the second operating system (ME), however; your XP will still be on drive D. A disk for all its shape is, for all intents and purposes, linear. When you partition the drive, you define the first little section as the C drive, the next little section as D drive etc (like dividing a chocolate bar for example. When you format the partition, you are simply clearing off the information within that partition; the computer still knows where you divided off the partitions. Hence there will be no promotion of partitions. I might be mistaken but you might be able to use Partition Magic to change this scenario, but it's not worth the trouble.

Removing ME is really simple;
1) boot to XP.
2) Go to control panel > system > advanced tab > In the startup and recovery section > click the Settings
3) You should see an EDIT button for system startup .. click it
4) You should now see something like this (yours may be different):

PHP Code:

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows Millenium" 
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /FASTDETECT /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN 


5) Delete the entire line that contains ME
6) Save the file and close it
7) In the startup and recovery section, make sure that your default operating system is Windows XP. Click ok and go through the prompts
8) Reboot, make sure that you now, dont have a choice for OS during boot
9) All you need to do now is format C: drive, XP, for all intents and purposes doesnt even know that you dont have another OS.

Originally Posted by you Sorry for all the questions but I have been playing around with PCs for long enough to know that usually all my problems are of my own making!!

That's the only way to learn.
HTH

[Statica]

I really forgot to mention this .. but here's a way out as well for you in case you cannot boot to XP after formatting your C drive .. Boot with the XP CD. and press R for the recovery console! Now type bootcfg This should clean out any errors of not seeing the XP installation.
HTH

[deltacharlie]

Thank you for that. I will print off your instructions and work my way through it all. Just one last point - I understand that by using NFTS some of my drives will be invisible to me whilst I am in XP. Is this so or have I got the wrong end of the stick? It is quite important to me that I am able to access my other drives at all times.

[Statica]

No if you use NTFS, and you are the admin or have admin rights you will see every partition. You're probably thinking of this happening in ME.