File System

Issue

If you are running the File Allocation Table (FAT) file system, which is not a secured file system, you should consider converting to the NTFS file system.

Secured file systems, such as NTFS, are a key component of security because they restrict user access to data. By using file system security, you can you can tell your computer which users are allowed to access individual files and what type of access they are allowed (for example, read or modify). NTFS protects your data by preventing unwanted user access to it.

Note: You need to manually secure your files by using Access Control Lists (ACLs). To do this, right click the file or folder to which you want to control, click Properties, click the Security tab, and then specify the appropriate access restrictions for the file.

Solution

Convert your system from FAT to NTFS. For more information, see the instructions below.

Caution: Do not convert from FAT to NTFS if your system dual boots to Windows 95 or Windows 98 or any other operating system. Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows NT support both systems, but no other operating systems support NTFS. If you convert to NTFS, you will be unable to read your files when you use other operating systems.

Note: The following limitations should be recognized before converting a FAT partition to NTFS:

The conversion is a one-way process. After a partition has been converted to NTFS, it is not possible to convert the partition back to FAT. Instead, you would need to reformat the partition as FAT (which would erase all data from the partition), and then restore data from a backup.
The system partition of a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-based computer cannot be changed to NTFS. The ARC specification requires that the system partition be FAT. It is possible to create a small (1 MB) FAT partition for the system partition and install Windows NT on an NTFS partition (the boot partition).
The NTFS convert.exe program requires that a certain amount of free space be present on the drive in order to convert the file system. For a detailed description of the amount of free space required for a conversion, please see Q156560, "Free Space Required to Convert FAT to NTFS," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
If the computer is used to boot to other operating systems, NTFS partitions will not be accessible to the other operating systems. Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows NT are the only operating systems that can read and write to NTFS partitions.
The chance of corruption or data loss during the conversion from FAT to NTFS is minimal. However, prior to executing the convert command, it is recommended that you perform a full backup of the data on the drive that is to be converted, and verify the integrity of the backup before proceeding. For Windows XP and Windows 2000, run NTbackup. For Windows NT 4.0, run RDISK and update the emergency repair disk (ERD).

Instructions

Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.
At the command prompt, type:
CONVERT [driveletter]: /FS:NTFS
(For example, CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS)

CONVERT might present the following error:

Convert cannot gain exclusive access to the [driveletter]:, so it cannot convert it now. Would you like to schedule it to be converted the next time the system restarts (Y/N)?

This error occurs if any of the following three conditions exist:

You run the CONVERT command while the current directory is on the drive that is to be converted (for example, if you type CONVERT F: /FS:NTFS at the F:\ prompt). To resolve this problem, either type Yes when you are prompted to restart the system, or change to a directory on another drive and retype the command.
An application has a file open on the drive that is to be converted. To resolve this problem, either type Yes when prompted to restart the system and the drive will be converted the next time you restart the computer, or close any applications that might be using files on the drive that you want to convert. Remember that this also applies to users who are accessing files on the drive over the network. This also includes a page file that resides on the drive.
You attempt to convert the partition from which the operating system is running. It is not possible to convert the boot partition while the operating system is running. To convert the boot partition, it is always necessary to issue the CONVERT command, type Yes when prompted to restart the system, and then restart the computer. The partition will be converted the next time you restart the computer. As an alternative, it is possible to boot the computer to an installation of Windows NT on a different partition and convert the partition from that installation of Windows NT.

Additional Information

Understanding NTFS File Compression