How To Convert a Windows Drive From FAT32 To NTFS

Take advantage of the speed and technical advances

Older Windows operating systems relied heavily on the FAT32 file system for storage. This file system was developed with 32-bit operating systems in mind, limiting the maximum storage capacity of FAT32 drives to 2TB and file sizes to between 2 and 4GB (depending on your operating system). FAT32 is an old file system, however.

NTFS has been the default file system for Windows users since theWindows XPdays, so if you’re still holding on to drives that use FAT32, you’re missing out on the speed and technical advances that the currently-maintained NTFS offers. If you want to convert a Window drive from FAT32 to NTFS, here’s what you’ll need to do.

Using Windows PowerShell To Convert FAT32 To NTFS

There isn’t a graphical option to convert FAT32 drives to NTFS on Windows. However, you can convert a Windows drive from FAT32 to NTFS using theWindows PowerShell, although this won’t work for the drive containing your Windows installation.

The process will take a bit of time to complete. Once the process has completed, and assuming no errors have occurred, the file system on your drive should have converted to NTFS with no additional steps required.

If an error does occur, it may indicate a problem with your drive, so be sure to check your hard drive for errors before trying the process again.

Convert FAT32 Drives To NTFS Using Windows File Explorer

While converting your drive from FAT32 to NTFS without formatting it is the preferred option, you may not be able to do this. If your file system has errors, or you simply want to clear the drive and repurpose it, you may find formatting it is the better option.

This means that your current FAT32 file system will be erased, along with all existing files, and replaced with an empty NTFS drive. You can do this in a few ways, but the quickest method is to use Windows File Explorer.

The formatting speed will vary, depending on the size of the drive and whether you selected to use the quick format option. Once the NTFS formatting process has completed, you’ll be free to use the drive immediately.

Convert FAT32 Drives To NTFS Using Disk Management

You can also use theWindows Disk Managementtool to format a FAT32 drive, converting it to NTFS. Like the method above, this will also wipe your data, so be sure tobackup your filesfirst.

The drive will be formatted at this point. Once the process is complete, your newly formatted drive will appear in Windows File Explorer for you to use.

Using Third-Party Software To Convert FAT32 Drives

Windows includes various built-in methods for formatting or converting drives from FAT32 to NTFS, but there are also third-party options available.

One example of free software capable of performing this task isAOMEI Partition Assistant. While a paid version of this software exists, the free version is able to convert FAT32 drives to NTFS without formatting the drives and losing your data.

Your newly-converted NTFS drive will be ready for you to use immediately once this process has completed.

Alternative File Systems For Windows Drives

FAT32 may be an old file system, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely worth abandoning. You could use an older FAT32 drive as ashared storage drive for dual-boot systems, but you’ll probably find it easier to switch to NTFS or another type of file system like EXT4, the file system used by many Linux distributions.

You might prefer to use FAT32 for a USB drive if you’re working on older PCs, but for the most part, NTFS is thebest file systemfor USB and external storage drives, even if FAT32 is considered themost compatible option. If you have a Mac, however, you may want to give exFAT a try, as both Windows and macOS support it.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing.Read Ben’s Full Bio

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How To Convert a Windows Drive From FAT32 To NTFS#

Using Windows PowerShell To Convert FAT32 To NTFS#

Convert FAT32 Drives To NTFS Using Windows File Explorer#

Convert FAT32 Drives To NTFS Using Disk Management#

Using Third-Party Software To Convert FAT32 Drives#

Alternative File Systems For Windows Drives#