Converting to the NTFS File System During Setup (103940)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
This article was previously published under Q103940
During the text-based portion of Windows NT Setup, you can choose to convert a hard disk drive partition from FAT to NTFS. This conversion does not take place until after Setup is complete and you restart the system. This is significant for the following reasons:

  • During the first restart occurring after the text portion of Setup, the disk-checking utility, CHKDSK, identifies the partition as FAT even when you choose to convert it to NTFS. This can be confusing.
  • If a system hang or other failure is encountered before completing Setup, the hard disk drive partition should still be accessible from MS-DOS because the conversion has not yet occurred.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. Start the Windows NT Setup program by starting from the Setup Disk for CD-ROM Installation or Disk 1 of the setup disks for floppy disk installation.
  2. Ensure that the FAT volume you choose to install Windows NT to has at least 80 megabytes (MB) of free disk space.
  3. Choose not to install into an existing Windows installation.
  4. When you are given a choice, choose to convert the FAT volume to NTFS.
When the system restarts to the graphical portion of setup, the volume will still be identified as FAT.

The actual conversion to NTFS occurs after the final restart at the end of setup.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/20/2003
Keywords:kbsetup KB103940
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