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Format external usb ext3 drive to ntfs?

Last response: in Storage
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i have an external usb simpletech hard drive 750gb currently formatted to ext3 file system. this was used to plug into my media player.

i would like to remove this drive from its enclosure, and use it in my pc as regular storage. i need to reformat the drive as ntfs, and to do this, i presume that windows 7 pc needs to recognize the drive? i plugged it in as usb and it was not detected, however i could take it out of the enclosure, and plug it in using sata and power ports...any advice on whether windows will see it and reformat?

bonus question: i have a ton of media files on it which i am currently transferring over at 3mb per second. if the drive would be recognized by the pc using the sata ports, then perhaps i could copy the files over much much quicker?

kind of a newb with file systems, drives etc.

any suggestions appreciated

More about : format external usb ext3 drive ntfs

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Storage Expert

"Not recognizing the drive" is a little vague. It should show up in Disk Manager no matter what file system it has, and from there you can format it.

Yes, you are very right that sata would vastly speed up your transfer. You obviously need to do this before the format, i.e. read the files from ext3 before removing the filesystem. I have been told that you can get drivers to read ext3 in windows, but I haven't looked into the matter, so you will have to google it yourself. As far as formatting the drive, there should be nothing to it. I am not a windows 7 user and cannot give you a step-by-step, but there should be no difference between formatting an ext3 drive and a blank one, so have at that also.

if i'm connecting it by usb, it does not appear in disk manager

if i remove it from the enclosure, and connect it with the sata port, do you think it will be recognized?
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There's no harm in trying :) 
However, I seem to remember some threads which were solved because someone was tripped up by a scrolling area of device manager. Have you made sure that you have looked at all areas and scroll bars?
Storage Expert

Bear in mind that "ext3" is not a file system recognized by Windows so Windows won't assign a drive letter to it. But it should still show as a device in the lower portion of Disk Manager's right pane.

I don't remember the thread, but when I said that once someone told me that there was some software that would allow windows to use ext file systems. I never looked into it, but it might be out there. Moral? Never say never.

thanks for the advice on never say never! got it in now, and using a prog called ext2fsd which allowed me to assign a drive letter. bottom line, transfering at 55mb/sec vs 3 mb/sec!

quite a difference!

thanks to all who advised
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