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Updated on April 19, 2024
FAT32 and NTFS are two file systems that Windows users come across most often. If you frequently use USB flash drives or external drives, for some reasons, you may need to convert between FAT32 and NTFS back and forth many times. To make the conversion job safe and easy, this tutorial will show you how to convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10 without data loss via three methods. Read on for details.
Three Ways to Convert FAT32 to NTFS
How to Free and Safely Convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10
Convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10 Using CMD
Format to Convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10 via Disk Management
How to Convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10 Without Losing Data
Using a free FAT32 converter is the easiest and safest way to convert FAT32 to NTFS, compared to other methods such as using Command Prompt or Disk Management.
AOMEI Partition Assistant Free is a free disk management tool that offers a comprehensive partition converter to change file system from FAT32 to NTFS:
You can download this free converter and follow the steps below to convert FAT32 to NTFS without formatting and losing data.
Step 1. Install and launch Partition Master on your computer.
Step 2: In the Partition Manager, right-click on a FAT32 partition and select Advanced, then Convert to FAT from NTFS.
Step 3: Click "Continue" in the dialog box to proceed.
Step 4: Click on “Apply” to start the conversion process. Wait for it to finish.
Aside from disk partition conversion, Partition Master Free also offers other one-stop disk partitioning features, such as resizing and moving partitions to solve low disk space issues, disk cloning, merging partitions, creating/deleting/formating partitions, wiping data, migrating OS to SSD, and more.
Other conversion functions:
- • Convert disk style from MBR to GPT or GPT to MBR without losing data
• Convert primary partition to logical partition, and vice versa
• Convert dynamic disk to basic disk, or convert basic disk to dynamic disk
"Convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10 using Command Prompt"
If you don't want to use any third-party FAT32 converter to change the FAT32 file system to NTFS, you can refer to the Command Prompt for help.
"Command Prompt" is an integrated command-line interpreter in the Windows operating system. It enables users to manage disk partitions by running various commands, such as creating, formatting, or deleting partitions.
To convert FAT32 to NTFS using the Command Prompt in Windows 10, follow these steps, making sure to format the drive letter accordingly:
Step 2: Type convert drive letter: /fs:ntfs and press "Enter." For example, if you're converting E:, type convert e: /fs:ntfs.
Step 3. On the next screen, you will be prompted to enter the current volume label of the disk (you should type in the disk's existing name, otherwise the conversion will stop).
After you enter the label name, the conversion will start. When it's done, the command prompt will display a message indicating that the conversion is complete.
- Notice:
-
1. You need to manually enter the command line to convert the file system in Command Prompt. If you accidentally enter a wrong command, there is a high risk of data loss. So, be careful.
2. Once you convert a disk to NTFS, you can't convert it back to FAT32. If you attempt to convert NTFS to FAT32, use a partition conversion tool.
Transferring from FAT32 to NTFS on Windows 10 by formatting (using Disk Management).
“Disk Management” is another utility that you can use to convert FAT32 to NTFS on Windows 10. However, it changes the file system by formatting, which results in data loss. Therefore, back up your files beforehand.
Step 1: Press Windows + R to launch “Run.” Type diskmgmt.msc, and click OK. Right-click the partition you want to convert, and select “Format…”
Step 2: Type in a label for the drive and select NTFS. Quick format should be selected by default, then click “OK.”
What is the best way to convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10?
There are three ways to convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10:
1. MiniTool Partition Wizard Free: This partition and disk converter enables you to convert FAT32 to NTFS or NTFS to FAT32 without formatting your hard drive or losing data. It also offers comprehensive disk management features to help organize your hard drive and boost system performance effectively.
2. Command Prompt: You don't need any extra programs to convert FAT32 to NTFS via CMD. However, the biggest drawback of this method is that it can only convert the file system from FAT32 to NTFS, not vice versa.
3. Disk Management: This is a built-in and useful disk management utility in Windows 7/8/10 that can convert FAT32 to NTFS by formatting. However, you might risk data loss if you don't back up your data in advance.
FAT32 vs NTFS in Windows 10
FAT32 is an older file system that can be read and written to on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. However, Windows now recommends using the NTFS file system instead of FAT32, since FAT32 can't handle files larger than 4 GB. NTFS is a popular file system for hard drives on Windows computers, but it's not great for flash drives or external hard drives that need to interact with Macs and Linux, since they can only read from, but not write to, NTFS drives.
That's why, if you have a hard drive or USB flash drive formatted with the FAT32 file system and try to copy over most full-length movies or any really large files, like virtual machines, you'll need to convert the file system from FAT32 to NTFS first. Otherwise, you'll run into errors.
Frequently Asked Questions on Converting FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10 (UTF-8)
Below are some common questions about converting from FAT32 to NTFS. If you have any of these issues, check out the brief answers.
How to format FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10?
Quick steps to convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10 using CMD with UTF-8 encoding: 1. Open Command Prompt: Press Win + X, then choose "Command Prompt (Admin)" or search for "cmd" in the search bar, right-click the result, and select "Run as administrator." 2. Identify the disk number: In the Command Prompt window, type the following command to view a list of all disks: ``` diskpart ``` Press Enter. 3. Select the disk to convert: Under the "diskpart" prompt, type the following command, replacing X with the disk number you want to convert: ``` select disk X ``` Press Enter. 4. Verify the file system: At the "diskpart" prompt, enter the following command to check the current file system of the disk: ``` detail disk ``` If it shows the file system as FAT32, you can proceed with the conversion. 5. Convert the file system: Type the following command to convert the FAT32 disk to NTFS: ``` convert ntfs ``` Press Enter. Note that this process may take some time, depending on the size of the disk. 6. Finish and exit: Once the conversion is complete, type the following command to exit "diskpart": ``` exit ``` Press Enter again, which will close the Command Prompt window. Before executing these steps, make sure to back up important data, as the conversion process could potentially result in data loss. If there's crucial data on the disk, it's recommended to create a backup first.
1. Find the letter assigned to the drive you want to change. Open File Explorer and look in the left pane under "This PC" or "Computer" for the drive.
2. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the "Run" dialog box.
3. Type cmd and press ↵ Enter to open the Command Prompt window.
4. At the command prompt, type convert drive: /fs:ntfs.
Can I convert FAT32 to NTFS?
You can easily convert FAT32 to NTFS in Windows 10 with a free partition management tool:
1. Download and install the free version of Partition Master. Plug in your USB flash drive or SD card if you're formatting that device.
2. Right-click on a FAT32 partition and select “Convert to NTFS.”
3. Click "OK". In the top-left corner, click the "Perform Action" button to see the details of the process. When it's done, click "Apply" and then "Finish."
Which file system does Windows 10 use: FAT32 or NTFS?
Windows 10 primarily uses the NTFS file system. By default, Windows operating systems use the NTFS file system. For removable flash drives and other USB-based storage devices, you can use FAT32. However, for portable storage over 32 GB that you plan on using, we recommend NTFS, though exFAT will work as well – the choice is yours.
FAT32 is perfect for storage devices like flash drives, but you'll need to make sure no single file is larger than 4 GB.