Converting NTFS to ext2/ext3

[filterxg]

At some point here I'm going to change another computer to a Linux. However, this is the first time I want to keep a partition. The XP partition is gone, but my files need to stay. I don't want to do a 100% backup on DVD, but that would be my only choice if there isn't a utility that can do the conversion. The most important files are backed up, but the music and divx files aren't, because they don't fit on the new system.

Back to my question, does such a utility exist. I've been searching google for about a half hour, but not much comes up.

 

[Sunner]

Maybe Partition Magic, no idea though, haven't used it in a long time.

 

[TonyRic]

No can do. BUT what you can do (though this is extremely tedious) is to shrink the NTFS partition, create an ext2/3 partition with partition magic or some other such utility. Move some data from ntfs to ext2, rinse and repeat. This is, I repeat, extremely tedious.

Better to back it off to DVD or another disk, format and move it back.

Another option is if the disk is not encrypted in any way (if you never enabled it then it is not), just enable NTFS write in the kernel. But, personally I would only use this as a stop gap measure until you can do one of the previous suggestions.

 

[Googer]

I think linux can read NTFS. Install Linux to a second drive and copy the files over to the linux disk.

 

[Megatomic]

Certain distros read NTFS by default but I know Fedora doesn't, not without having to install extra stuff. Knoppix, Ubuntu, and Kubuntu have all read my NTFS drive after a stock install of the OS.

 

[drag]

The absolutely easiest is just to buy a second harddrive and copy the information over.

If you have a spare harddrive, or something you can format without much trouble then restore it later, you can use that.

I don't expect that you'll find a conversion from ntfs to ext3. The only people that would be very interested in that would be the free software people (which wouldn't be able to do it anyways because Microsoft protects NTFS to make sure that other systems are incompatable with it unless they license the technology) and professionals.

If you find a professional closed source type utility it would probably end up being cheaper just to buy a second drive. Sounds like you need the space anyways.

The next easiest would be to take a disk from another system that you can copy files to, then copy them back once you reformatted everything.

The shrink, copy, shink, copy method should work also.

edit:
Another method would involve setting a file share on a network, copy as much infomration to that to aid you.

that's what I generally do... crowd another system(s)'s disk(s) temporarially to make way for some partition changes. Just have to be carefull that you files you copy are safe and correct after being copied.