How to convert FAT32 to NTFS without loosing data?

How do I convert a FAT32 partition to an NTFS partition without loosing any data on it?
I know its possible just dont know how.
I've googled it but I think I trust NBR more.

 

Best practice is to always back up all your important files to CD or another computer. Generally, convert doesn't fail. But it can, and if it does, you're looking at a Windows reinstall.

Completely defrag, and scandisk your machine. Then, open a command prompt (Start->Run, type in "cmd" in the box and hit "Ok"), and then type:

Code:

convert C: /FS:NTFS

Where "C:" is the drive letter that you want to convert. Make SURE your laptop is plugged in, on a stable power source, and do not turn it off, even if it seems locked up. Wait a while (depends how fast your machine is, usually somewhere between 15min->2 hours), and it will ask you to reboot. You should be golden after that.

 

I dont wanna convert my C:
I have a Western Digital Hard Drive 500GB with about 350GB of Data. I wanna convert that.

 

Same thing, just point in to whatever letter drive and make sure you defrag.

 

Change "C:" to the drive letter of your WD MyBook. Should convert it without data loss, although I'd still burn essential data to DVD first.

 

Used to be that if you attempted to convert the drive the OS was booted from it would shut down, restart into a DOS-like window to do the conversion, then reboot into NT or XP or whatever as NTFS.

 

That could be. I barely use Windows any more, and haven't had a FAT32 partition since who knows when... probably 4 or 5 years ago. I'm just goin' off my memory, which is like a steel trap. Rusty and illegal in 47 states

 

I was also paranoid of losing data on my 500 gig external. So I copied the most important things over to my laptop HDD and did the conversion. No loss of data.

 

Hmm more news to me ^^ Last time I did a conversion was when I moved from windows 98. Back then I dont belive there was a way to do it with no data loss. I had to do it thru the windows disk I belive and fdisk. I lost all data.

Im happy about the new ways to change partitions with no loss of data too ^^ made it easy to setup my dual boot machine with xp and vista. I used nortons partition magic. Its not free tho (have heard of some freeware that does it tho, but I didnt trust it) Vista has the abliity to do it aswell. If you have vista installed first, you can shrink the partition its on if its your whole disk straight from the OS, then the new partition you can install XP.

Cant do that with XP installed first like in my case tho.