How to partition a 320GB external Drive to FAT32 without formating/erasing the data..

[rapchik4u]

hi,

I have bought a new 320GB Freeagent Ext HDD...and started taking backup of my files. Presently it is in NTFS format which is by default setting.

Now i want to create a partition in that drive (~50 GB) with FAT32 filesystem.

I need FAT32 to make it compatible with my Divx DVD player with USB.
The player doesn't recognize NTFS.

Can it be done WITHOUT removing my existing files in the Ext HDD.

Pls Help !!!

Pls suggest any S/W or methods to achieve...

Thanks in advance.....

[khmadhu]

u can use partition magic or easeus partition manager or gparted

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php

[celldweller1591]

gparted would be the best option to work out !but you cannot directly convert it, you have to format it to fat32. better make a backup of the data somewhere and then format it & get your data back to it.

[pushkar]

Just use Windows Disk Management Tool. Right Click on Computer, select Manage, Go to Disk Management. Now right click on the one volume of the Seagate Drive (it will probably be 298 GB), select Shrink Volume, enter a suitable size, and then create a new partition from the unallocated space which is created after the shrinking of the old volume. Now, you can go to My Computer and format the partition in FAT32.

Note that I have not tried this myself on external hard drives, and I don't remember if FAT32 is an option in the Format wizard anymore. In that case, you will have to use a third party program like Easeus.

[Ponmayilal]

I would strongly suggest that you backup your data elsewhere and then format your drive to FAT 32. All said, I would not risk losing/corrupting any data by a shrink partition procedure.

Windows cannot create FAT 32 partitions larger than 32GB. For creating FAT 32 partitons larger than 32 GB, just see my tutorial here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadget...2-use-ps3.html.

Later you can create an NTFS partition using Windows 7 Disk Management. I used Partition Magic 8 running on Windows XP for the NTFS.

Join date Jan 2007 and you are posting for the first time !!!!!!!!!!!

[rapchik4u]

Thanks guys..... for all your suggestions...

from all the suggestion it seems that, I have to empty the Ext HDD fully and have to format it...to FAT32 and then to NTFS...gr8

But i do not have that space in Int HDD to copy it...all...


will wait for more...suggestions...

[Ponmayilal]

Backing-up the data on the drive to be manipulated is suggested as a matter of abundant caution.

Resizing/Formatting a large drive obviously is going to take some time. If there is a sudden power outage and if your UPS does not have sufficient runtime to complete the operation or there is any other mishap that results in its interruption, all your data will be lost/corrupted.

If you are willing to take the risk, by all means go ahead and resize the NTFS partition using Windows 7 Disk Management and then use my tutorial to format the rest of the drive to FAT32.

No need to download a large-sized partitioning utility. guiformat.exe that can accomplish the FAT 32 formatting in a jiffy, is just a 72 KB file.

OR

Wait for another 'Right off the assembly line' to appear here and 'copy/paste' a tutorial from elsewhere.

[rkneo11]

+1 for Easeus Partition manager...