How to convert a EXT3 formatted HD to NTFS/FAT

ohjeez · 07-23-2006, 08:52 PM

Hi there,
I have a external USB HD which is formatted as EXT3. I want to convert this to FAT or NTFS - so I can use it with Windows. I don't care if I lose the data on it!

Could someone please help me! Let me know what software I need, what to do etc.

Please someone help! I have googled around but can't seem to find the solution

Many thanks.

konsolebox · 07-23-2006, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohjeez

I don't care if I lose the data on it

use mkdosfs then. or format the drive using the windoze system.

konsolebox · 07-23-2006, 09:11 PM

in linux you can prepare the hd to be detected by windoze by zeroing the whole disks.

do

Code:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/device bs=1M

or if that's a long process you can just zero the ext3 headers

Code:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/device bs=1M count=20

ohjeez · 07-23-2006, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by konsolebox

use mkdosfs then. or format the drive using the windoze system.

How do I format it using Windows?

konsolebox · 07-23-2006, 09:18 PM

zero the file system first in linux. then windoze should detect the drive. a letter should appear too. right click the drive letter. there you should find the format tool.

ohjeez · 07-23-2006, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by konsolebox

zero the file system first in linux. then windoze should detect the drive. a letter should appear too. right click the drive letter. there you should find the format tool.

Ok. The problem is I don't have a system using Linux where I am for the next month or so. I suppose I will just have to wait or use someone elses, unless there is a way to do it entirely in Windows?

michaelk · 07-23-2006, 09:28 PM

You will need to change the partition ID to ntfs or FAT32 using linux fdisk.
You can use the disk management via the computer management tool to create a filesystem. The max FAT32 filesystem that XP can create is 32GB. The XP console tool is diskpart.

ohjeez · 07-23-2006, 09:51 PM

So is there some way to do this without using Linux?

Matir · 07-23-2006, 10:02 PM

Yes, in Windows XP, the Computer Management Tool(accessible from Administrative Tools in the Control Panel) can repartition your drive for you. Just select Storage/Disk Management and use the GUI there to handle the drive.

Electro · 07-23-2006, 10:56 PM

You can use any partition id because niether Windows and Linux uses this id to format partitions. I do not know if Mac OS requires the proper partition id. It could not hurt to set it though.

Windows 2000/Windows XP can not format a partition that is larger than 32 GB with FAT32. The mkdosfs utility in Linux can format larger than 32 GB or find a Windows 98 installation disk(s) to use the format utility. If you do not have a Windows 98 installation disk, someone has ported mkdosfs to Windows to format partitions larger than Windows 2000/Windows XP can do. The mkdosfs for Windows is already compiled and it is ready to run. I do not recommend using NTFS.

mkdosfs for Windows - http://www.mager.org/mkdosfs/