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NTFS to FAT32 on external drive?

  • 31-03-2007 07:58PM
    #1
    nusername
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭


    Hi All

    I'm switching over to linux & have all my data on an external NTFS hard drive, I need to get all this data off the external hd & convert the hd to FAT32 so it's compatible with linux.

    What's the easiest way to do this?


Comments

  • #2
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    I think Partition Magic can do so (not 100% sure though). There is not really an easy way to convert from NTFS to FAT32 apart from FDISK or formatting the drive (which isn't much use to you since you need to copy the data).


  • #3
    far2gud
    Closed Accounts Posts: 299 ✭✭far2gud


    **edit** Misread post, dont think this can be done without a format


  • #4
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    He is looking for the other way around. :)


  • #5
    nusername
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭nusername


    Cheers lads,

    I'll get a loan of my mates drive & just transfer the data to his while I format it to fat32. Easiest & safest solution methinks!


  • #6
    nusername
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭nusername


    I'm now reading somewhere else "ubuntu" linux can read ntfs drives no problem, can anyone confirm this? I havent used linux in years but intend to make a permanent switch soon.


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  • #7
    Snowbat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,065 ✭✭✭Snowbat


    Linux has had stable NTFS *read* capability via a kernel driver for some time but, until recently, the NTFS *write* support in this driver was considered experimental/unstable/partially_working. One of the driver developers Szabolcs Szakacsits has been working on this and last year released a driver with full write support called NTFS-3G. Following extensive testing and positive feedback, the NTFS-3G code has reached stable status and is being rolled into the main kernel driver. Many distros (including Ubuntu) have packaged NTFS-3G and included it in their latest releases.

    Another project, Captive NTFS (a wrapper for Microsoft's NTFS filesystem driver) has provided stable read/write support for some time.


  • #8
    nusername
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭nusername


    Thanks snowbat, great to hear it's now stable :D


  • #9
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 94,366 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    a messy way if you have loads of time is to delete all the stuff you don't need, defrag, and resize the partition ( in ubuntu it's gparted , kde/knoppix it's qtparted/ntfsresize ) the make a fat32 partition and copy some of the data across and repeat till all the data transferred.


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