Stoping a Fat to NTFS conversion

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Can i just double check i understand this right with somebody,

If im using a drive thats either Fat or Fat32 and i want to convert it too NTFS , i use the command CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS

Because the drive is in use it will be converted on the next restart, if however i change my mind once ive set this command i can stop it by stopping the command having rights to the disk on start up by editting the registry,by removing the key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE| SYSTEM | ControlSet001| Control | Session Manager | BootExecute

There for the conversation wont take place?

Is that right?



If though the computer gets turned off and then i for some reason I think ooo didnt want to do that, if i turn the computer back on in safe mode will it start with out the drive being converted and edit the registery then?

 

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

bump )

 

DHughes,

You mentioned "...i change my mind once ive set this command..." Can you tell me at least one reason why you'd change your mind?

 

Conversion guide
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307881
Cancelling guide.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/130913

 

That doesnt matter its for referrence im not really trying to change the file system, but okay lets say I just released i need FAT to allow the other os on a duel boot to operate okay with the file system on this parition,

the point im trying to clarify is you can stop the conversion when restarting by removing the registy key entry be the reboot, but can you if the system has been turned off ? would booting into safe mode still trigger the conversion or can you boot into safe then edit the registry, im assuming you can but dont like just presuming things so thought id check

 

Thanks mate but still didnt really answer the question,Thinking about it Ive got an old computer in the loft, might set it up and run myself a little lab about this when i get a spare hour so just so i know

 

Dhughes,

I'm backing up Raffaz on this one. Your question based on thread title is "Stoping a Fat to NTFS conversion." Raffaz did answer your question with the link to the "Cancellation Guide."

 

In that case, sounds more like a planning error since you knew that the "other os" required a FAT file system.

If convert is like scandisk on the C: which is scheduled for next reboot for operating systems like Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional, the scandisk process occurs even before the operating system boots/loads so it is going to be difficult to enter "safe mode" prior to the scandisk/convert occuring which would be the situation if you turn a computer on after you turned it off.

 

Im sorry i am grateful to Raffaz for posting them up as now i see i have the Registry Key slighty wrong but it doesnt answer the question what if the computer got turned off, does starting it in safe mode stop the conversion? If it does explain this im sorry i must keep overlooking it.

i know my question might seem pointless but you never now one day i might get asked from somebody that likes " to have ago" but not really sure what their doing, they set there system to be converted then as it was powering down for the reboot they realise maybe they shouldnt have done this, they shut of the power before it restarts and so the conversion hasnt taken place yet. Then i ( or a IT Pro ) gets asked how can they turn their computer on without the conversion happening,

Would booting into safe mode work and the system still be FAT or would the conversion of happened before you got to that stage in the boot up?

 

But that doesnt matter its a hyperthetical question, mainly out of interest really lol

Yeah thats what im asking, so in planning error, guy not knowing what he's doing or what ever, once the system powers down thats it set in stone when its rebooted no matter if its in normal or safe mode its going to be NTFS now

 

Ive just found this on another site, so going off this it would seem like you cant stop it after the pc is powered off.

• If you accidentally start an NTFS conversion on the wrong FAT or FAT32 volume, you still have a chance to cancel it before restarting your system. Go into the registry and change the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager and change the BootExecute entry to: autocheck autochk *

 

OK - so you have set your PC to convert the drive the next time it restarts...

If you have not yet shut down, you can do a registry edit to stop the conversion happening, as shown in the link...

If you have already shut down, then you have a more difficult problem to solve. Safe mode won't help you because the conversion happens before the OS loads, so editing the registry is not possible this way. What you need, I think, is BartXP or something similar. Boot into an OS other than the one on the HDD and remote-edit the registry from there.

Does that sound right? Is there another way?

Reasons for doing it: Because stuff happens...

 

cos stuff happens i like it lol,

Thanks Rafflaz and shambles thinkid be happy with those conclusions, strange isnt it when you feel all unsettled mot know something lol

Many thanks !

 

Think id still run my lab wen i got a spare few minutes though be interesting to see it working )

 

Using labs will be one of the most useful resources in your studies. If you haven't checked it out already, take a look at Virtual PC. It's free and allows you to install other operating systems on top of your host (XP Pro only).

Good luck

Boyce