Converting fat32 -> NTFS w/ 4k clusters

[CyberDrgn]

Is there any way to convert fat32 to NTFS with 4096 clusters? Convert.exe makes 512 byte clusters, which is just useless for me, and partition magic cannot resize NTFS clusters. If anyone knows a way or some type of work around let me know, thanks.

Also using pm7 to convert makes tiny clusters as well. My only idea is a clean install and I really don't want to do that.

CyberDrgn

 

[mastertech01]

CLean install is the only way I know of definitely.

 

[c0rv1d43]

Are you using Win2K or WinXP? The WinXP convert process tries to create 4,096 byte clusters -- unlike the NT4 and Win2K versions. This is not to say that it will succeed, but it did succeed on a couple of machines on which I performed a test conversion. If worse comes to works, go ahead and prepare for a full re-install but try the convert process before actually resorting to the clean install. I may work for you.

- Collin

 

[CyberDrgn]

I'm running Win2K. If i got the convert.exe file from XP and used it on my machine could that work? My guess is its a bad idea, but i could always try and then restore what i had if it doesn't work.

Thanks for the replies,

CyberDrgn

 

[c0rv1d43]

I most certainly would not recommend trying to use the WinXP CONVERT utility with a Win2K installation. Win2K uses a slightly different version of NTFS. I'm pretty certain that the WinXP conversion process makes use of support inherent in WinXP and NTFS 5.1 that are not available in Win2K / NTFS 5.0.

I could be wrong. I guess you could check the Microsoft newsgroups to see if anyone has mentioned the possibility of this working out for you, but I wouldn't just accept hearsay. If the convert process goes bad, you will have to do a full system restore because the file system will be farkled. CONVERT failures are rare, but they do happen -- especially if you are unlucky enough to suffer a lockup or power failure during the conversion. Above all else, protect your data.

- Collin

 

[CQuinn]

I had to go thru the same pain just last week, trying to convert an
extra partition I had from FAT32 to NTFS under XP.

As has been pointed out, Partition Magic (7.x) will convert, but not
resize the clusters from 512 bytes. Actually, all it did was call the
convert.exe utility to run as a secondary process. And that took me from
FAT32 4K clusters to NTFS 512 byte clusters anyway.

Since this was not my primary (boot) partition, the best solution I found
was to back up the data to another drive, then format it using XP's drive
manager. There you can set the cluster size you want as it formats.
But I realize that won't help if you are trying to convert your main drive.

 

[Abzstrak]

If I might ask a question,

what is it thats so wrong with 512byte clusters?

I know that you can get a slight, albeit negligible, speed increase from larger clusters, but it also increases your average seek time, so......

Anyways, if someone could enlighten me?

 

[c0rv1d43]

It's unlikely that I can qualify for the job of "enlightening" you, since that would probably require me to become enlightened myself. However, I can attest to the fact that Microsoft has published a lot of theoretical information and some empirical data about the optimization of file allocation unit sizes. It's fairly obvious that they at least believe their own data since they did try to enable the new CONVERT utility in WinXP to produce 4,096 byte clusters whenever possible. (It's not always possible because the demarcation between partitions may not occur on the requisite multiple of 512 byte hard drive sectors.) As it happens, 4K is a number of considerable significance to other parts of NT-based operating systems than the file systems. It is the optimal (or only) size for chunks of data used by any number of entities in the OS. It also is supposed to be the optimum balance between tendency toward file system fragmentation (which is made worse as cluster size decreases) and file system slack (which is made worse as cluster size increases). I presume that these considerations have something to do with the choice of 4,096 bytes as the point above which encryption and compression cease to be available in NTFS as well.

I haven't read the FAQs on choosing between the FAT32 and NTFS file systems here, so I'm not sure they address this particular issue, but they were written by some people who seem to be pretty sharp traders -- so I imagine they might be worth a look-see. And, of course, there's always the MSKB, MSDN and other arms of the mighty Microsoft online presence -- when you have a little time.

I hope this is a little bit helpful. You'll have to consult more authoritative sources if blinding light is what you seek! In any event, I think that a partition using 512 byte clusters would probably not prove to be a terrible stumbling block to most of us -- unless the partition happened to be exceptionally large and / or was allowed to become very badly fragmented.

- Collin