Compressing, converting, formating hard drive

[ap]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Currently my hard drive is on FAT32. I want to compress the HD to save
space, but i cannot do so unless i convert the HD to NTFS. To do so i found
I had to go to my computer, selected my HD, format... My question is if i
change my HD from Fat32 to NFTS will I lose all the data stored on the HD?
and if so how can i compress my HD without having to lose all the data on it?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

here is an article on how to convert.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314097

--
Jon Hildrum
DTS MVP
Jon_Hildrum@msn.com
www.hildrum.com
"AP" <AP@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E76A8116-DE8C-4D3A-82B0-BABE3DF04B5E@microsoft.com...
> Currently my hard drive is on FAT32. I want to compress the HD to save
> space, but i cannot do so unless i convert the HD to NTFS. To do so i
> found
> I had to go to my computer, selected my HD, format... My question is if i
> change my HD from Fat32 to NFTS will I lose all the data stored on the HD?
> and if so how can i compress my HD without having to lose all the data on
> it?

 

[Philo]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

"AP" <AP@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E76A8116-DE8C-4D3A-82B0-BABE3DF04B5E@microsoft.com...
> Currently my hard drive is on FAT32. I want to compress the HD to save
> space, but i cannot do so unless i convert the HD to NTFS. To do so i
found
> I had to go to my computer, selected my HD, format... My question is if i
> change my HD from Fat32 to NFTS will I lose all the data stored on the HD?
> and if so how can i compress my HD without having to lose all the data on
it?


with XP you can use the convert command to convert the drive to NTFS
then after that you may compress it...
both operations are reasonably safe however there is no guarantee ...
so you should backup all your vital data first...

also, be sure ro have your machine on a UPS just in case of a power
glitch!!!