NTFS formatting

[Macker]

Hey guys... I am trying to format a 4.5 GB uw-SCSI drive
it is FAT32 right now, but i want to change it to NTFS file system.

WinXP says:
Windows cannot format this drive. Quit any disk utilities or other programs that are using this drive and make sure that no window is displaying the contents of the drive. Then try formatting again.

I know there are no disk utilities or programs using the drive. I did a reboot, and tried again.
I disabled he page file on the drive.

how can I get this thing to format?
also, what key do I hold down to boot into safe mode for WinXP?
is it still F8 ??

*edit*
Also, what should the Allocation size be set to? compression ? yes/no?

 

[duragezic]

It probably needs to do it before booting. It doesn't let you like schedule it? Like in Partition Magic 6, I've converted from Fat32 to NTFS and from NTFS to Fat32 without problems. It just sets it up before the OS boots.

 

[Macker]

okay... how do i format the drive before booting into WinXP?

 

[jaeger66]

Why don't you just convert it?

 

[Macker]

if I knew how to convert it, i would. but lets say I have a brand new hard drive, and it's in addition to my OS hard drive...
how do i format it using the NTFS file system?

 

[RazeOrc]

I would HIGHLY HIGLY reccomend Partition Magic 7 with XP support, it is the most painless formatting, reformatting, conversion, copying, imaging, ect ect program ever created, and the best part is it simply does it while your machine is running in your OS (unless you're modifying, editing your OS boot drive) Conversion takes minutes (did a 35GIG partition in FAT32 to NTFS and back again in 8 min round trip, and like I said, painless), merging partitions takes an hour or 2 (better than having to reformat the whole drive and reinstalling), ect.

JUST GET IT!

 

[Mem]

<< if I knew how to convert it, i would >>



Open up command prompt and type,
convert C: /FS:NTFS


make sure you put a space after the c: part

then follow the XP instructions ,if for any reason it can`t do it, it will do it next time the PC is rebooted,did mine lastnight on reboot took 2 minutes for mine to go from FAT32 to NTFS.

 

[IgorTs]

If it's your system drive Windows won't let you format it (fool proof). Use convert as mem said

 

[Macker]

<< if I knew how to convert it, i would. but lets say I have a brand new hard drive, and it's in addition to my OS hard drive...
how do i format it using the NTFS file system? >>