How to Convert NTFS to FAT

The NTFS file system is great under most circumstances. It provides advanced security and compression features not available in the FAT file system. There are however, occasions when you need a drive with a simpler file system. While the process of converting from NTFS to FAT is not as simple as converting from FAT to NTFS, it is possible.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Windows Install CD

1. Make a complete backup. Windows does not provide a way for you to convert from NTFS back to FAT without losing data. For this reason, you will need to make copies any important files before your convert your NTFS drive to FAT.

2. Boot from your Windows CD. To perform the actual conversion you will need your original Windows setup CD. With this CD inserted, re-boot your computer. You may be prompted to "press any key to boot from CD."

3. Enter the recovery console. In order to convert to FAT, you will need to use the recovery console. Once you are past the initial welcome screen, you will be presented with several options. Depending on the exact version of Windows you are using, you will need to press “F10” or “R” to access this tool. Read the on screen prompts to determine which is correct for your version of Windows.

4. Identify the drive to convert. The recovery tool is a command line tool, which means you will need to do a little typing. Depending on the version of Windows you are using, you may be prompted for the administrative user name and password before proceeding. Once you are at the console, type "map" and press Enter to see what drives are on your computer. The driver letters shown at in the console may differ from what you normally see in Windows.

5. Convert the drive and apply the actual conversion command:format ?: /fs:fat32Replace the question mark with the drive letter for the drive you will be formatting. Press Enter and wait till formatting is complete.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you not to skip the backup step. The process of converting from NTFS to FAT will destroy all information on the target drive or partition.