How to convert NTFS to FAT32 ?

[HaoDr]

Hi all,

Sometimes I need resize my Windows 2K server partitions, but I don't have SerVer Magic software ( it's very expensive ) so I think if I could convert NTFS file system into FAT32, so I can use Patition Magic to resize these partitions and then I convert them back to NTFS.)

Please tell me how to convert NTFS into FAT32, or if someone knows there is another ways to resize NTFS partitions, or free/trial version softwares which are the same as Server Magic, please tell me the links.

Thanks so much for your help.

Hao Dr

 

[Sithl0rd]

It is not possible to convert NTFS partitions to FAT32.
You will need to delete the partitions and recreate them, and format them with FAT32 to make them FAT32.
If you convert your disks from Basic disks to Dynamic Disks in Disk Management, found under the Computer Management Console, you can resize your NTFS volumes.

 

[jjgraf]

The latest release of Partition Magic can Convert NTFS to FAT16 or Fat32 along with resize

for what the above guy says to do.

but is the help file notes on Dynamic
Disks

Limitations of dynamic disks and dynamic volumes
Dynamic disks are not supported on portable computers. If you are using a portable computer and right-click a disk in the graphical or list view in Disk Management, you will not see the option to upgrade the disk to dynamic.

The limitations of dynamic volumes occur in the following situations:

When installing Windows 2000
If a dynamic volume is created from unallocated space on a dynamic disk, you cannot install Windows 2000 on that volume. You can, however, extend the volume (if it is a simple or spanned volume).

The setup limitation occurs because Windows 2000 Setup only recognizes dynamic volumes that contain partition tables. Partition tables appear in basic volumes and in dynamic volumes that were upgraded from basic to dynamic. If you create a new dynamic volume on a dynamic disk, then that new dynamic volume does not contain the partition table.

When extending a volume
If a basic volume is upgraded to dynamic (by upgrading the basic disk to dynamic), then you can install Windows 2000 on that volume, but you cannot extend the volume.

The limitation on extending volumes occurs because the boot volume, which contains the Windows 2000 files, cannot be part of a spanned volume. If you extend a simple volume that contains a partition table (that is, a volume that was upgraded from basic to dynamic), then Windows 2000 Setup recognizes the spanned volume but cannot install to it because the boot volume cannot be part of a spanned volume. The only dynamic volumes that you can install Windows 2000 on are simple and mirrored volumes, and these volumes must contain the partition table (which means that these volumes must be upgraded from basic to dynamic).