Converting FAT disks to NTFS can be done using Convert.exe utility; this is needed to be done when Volume Shadow Copy Service is wanted to be used for open files management.

Converting to NTFS Using Convert.exe

A partition can be converted to NTFS by using the Convert.exe utility. The Setup program makes conversion easy, whether your partitions used FAT, FAT32, or the older version of NTFS. This kind of conversion keeps your files intact (unlike formatting a partition).

To convert a volume to NTFS from the command prompt:

  1. Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard in order to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type cmd and press Enter to open a regular Command Prompt. Type cmd and then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to open an administrator Command Prompt.
  3. In the command prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:
    convert DriveLetter: /fs:ntfs

    Where DriveLetter is the letter that is associated with the drive.

    For example, typing: convert D: /fs:ntfs would format drive D: with the NTFS format.