How to Convert an NTFS to FAT32 File System on an External Hard Drive using Swissknife

[NikkiLane93]

when i click creat it just comes up Read/Write error what do i do

[EPICadventures69]

how do you convert it back??

[tvtradedave]

@EPICadventures69 sounds like you have a faulty drive. Tets on another one to confirm, if procedure works on other drive, then chances are, your original drive is goosed.

[DarkVolcom]

wow, this was so easy! awesome, thx!

[FulkingCump]

DO NOT USE SWISSKNIFE! I've formatted two 1tb drives to Fat32 and it only formats approx 400GB, leaving 600GB unformatted and unusable. I'm so angry with this program, there is no way to get it to format the remaining 60% so I've effectively paid a 1tb fee for a 400GB HDD. Please could somebody PM me with instructions on how to recover this lost space.

[55Wozza]

i did this and now my 1TB drive is reduced to 500Mb is this reversible?

[Stal013]

Jebem ti mater ja ! znas!

[Evan1911H]

I completed all this but it still sais my Hard Drive is NTFS Help Please?

[DodgerHatKid]

You need a newer video. There's a much easier way to format using the same program (on xp) wiouth having to delete. When you highlight the drive (before pressing delete) right click on the drive and select "Format"

Then select FAT32 and Quick Format. When finished, the computer wont recognize the changes. Disconnect the hard drive from your computer and reconnect. Give it a minute and it will recognize the entire hard drive as FAT32.

PS3 will recognize the hard drive (used 2TB) try it.

[tvtradedave]

@DodgerHatKid yuo don't have to delete. we just provided a video showing folks how to do it properly. Of course there are quicker ways but it's not a slow process anyway and for a person that hasn't a clue how to do this to begin with, it's best to take them through each step of the process completely. But if people want to try your shortcut, fire away, should work fine altjhough I have to say I'm suprised that it will work on a drive the size of a 2TB.

[neard2000]

@DodgerHatKid IS THERE A VIDEO OF THIS!? I WANT MY WHOLE HARDRIVE FAT32!

[rt9026]

Thanks a lot buddy.. u made my day .. i was struggling since 3 days... thanx a ton.

[TheShaikh1991]

Hi, I formatted my 1TB Lacie HDD to FAT32, but when I did, my HDD was only +/- 500GB ?! What the hell, I formatted back to NTFS but it's still only 500GB ?8 How come?

[aznguymetal]

@TheShaikh1991 FAT32 is cap 500 GB, it cannot go above 500GB. If you need help to convert back to NTFS download EASEUS Partition Master.

[55Wozza]

@aznguymetal so is it possible to bring it back up to 1TB because mine was reduced to 500Mb aswell

[ironbird72]

mate just put in the title that you're using swissknife 

[tvtradedave]

@ironbird72 happty to oblige....

[YeeWhoEnterHere]

@GamesNTutorials I had the same problem as the others had two terra bytes now only have 365 gbs. Tried returning to NTFS but the size has not increased. PLEASE HELP.

[tvtradedave]

@YeeWhoEnterHere you may have to try another program to do this. We have other videos in this series, just search our channel for ntfs or fat32 and see it they work for you. Other than that, you should google the issue, there are loads of apps out there that will help you out of your prediciment.

[BlackScale86]

@YeeWhoEnterHere shit i hv the same problem...helpp!!!

[jared3346]

I don't think it'll work with Vista because I every time I try to open the program, Windows says that there is a problem with SwissKinfe. Are there any FREE programs that work with Vista?

[tvtradedave]

@jared3346 not sure, go to download.com and have a search around there. There is probably something that will work well but I just use this with my old XP PC.

[jared3346]

@tvtradedave Thanks. I was able to find another program.

[genfel44]

worked like a charm...thanks!!!!

[Josippenek]

I have usb which has 8GB and i have film on it ( 6 gb)..... when i open swissknife whole circle is pink and it should be blue with little pink...can you help me?

[GamesNTutorials]

I had a 1 TB HD now it says I have 429 GB PLEASE HELP !!1

[tvtradedave]

@GamesNTutorials Id it has formatted it to FAT32, you can use windows to format it back to NTFS and you should have your 1TB again. If you want to try and format it to fat32 again after, maybe try to partition into 2, each of 500gb and make the both fat32.

[blayx]

@GamesNTutorials SAME HERE PLEASE HELP!

[tvtradedave]

@blayx maybe try the other application mentioned in the start of the video. It's a link to the new video which uses the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool.

[cod0434]

i have windows 7 and swissknife doesnt work for it, anything else i could use?

[tvtradedave]

@cod0434 Not sure, you'll have to google it, swissknife it the only app I ever used for this and it's why I still love my XP PC!!!

[cod0434]

@tvtradedave ohk thanks anyways :)

[tvtradedave]

@cod0434 you can probably use something acronis or partition magic to do it buy you have to pay for them.

[norlackes]

thanks man nice tutorial . perfect :)

[Stevenurocket]

Thanks man, i needed to do that for my xbox, subbed ! :D

[kunalcrapbag]

can you please send me a link please?/

[kunalcrapbag]

can you do this without losing data on the external hard disk?????please i have a 500gb hard disk and its full and i need to change it to fat32 for ps3?

[tvtradedave]

@kunalcrapbag If you use this method, you will lose everything. If you use a program like partition magic, you can retain your data. You will have to google that.

[hicpuf]

POTATO!

[buddha465]

Hello I followed your instructions and changed my external HDD from NTFS to FAT32, but the thing is with NTFS I had 900 GB free space and with the FAT32 I now have only 430GB free space.

Is it possible to fix the free space problem or do I have to live with it?

I saw in your video that u did not loose any space.

[tvtradedave]

@buddha465 I'm not sure what you have done there. You shouldn't lose much if any space. It sounds like you may have partitioned the drive into 2 parts. Check in my computer and see if you have something like a c: drive and d: drive that are visible and obviusly a HDD parttition. The other thing you may have done is partitioned the drive into 2 parts and only formatted 1 of them and you can't see the other partition at all. It's really hard to say without seeing the drive. Do it again and see.

[puffwahaha]

@tvtradedave

I have exactly the same problem. my drive of 950gb went down to 430gb after fomatted to fat32

I tried to do it again but the drive is already decrease the size to 430gb and I cant find the reason.

[tvtradedave]

@puffwahaha Don't know what is going on there. Might be a bug in the program.  A 1 TB drive should be well within the limits for formatting to FAT32. Maybe google the problem. Type swissknife reduces my 1tb drive to 430 gb after formatting to fat32 into google and the top search result should help you out.

[tvtradedave]

@puffwahaha Don't know what is going on there. Might be a bug in the program. A 1 TB drive should be well within the limits for formatting to FAT32. Maybe google the problem. Type swissknife reduces my 1tb drive to 432 gb after formatting to fat32 into google and the top search result should help you out.

[tvtradedave]

@puffwahaha Don't know what is going on there. Might be a bug in the program. A 1 TB drive should be well within the limits for formatting to FAT32. Maybe google the problem. Type swissknife reduces my 1tb drive to 430 gb after formatting to fat32 into google and the top search result should help you out.

[tvtradedave]

Back up any data first on the drive! I don't inderstand why you only have them options. You must be trying to format in windows. Just follow the video and you will be able to convert to fat32.

[darkxxknight91]

btw, before i even delete my primary partition, my available options in file system are FAT16 and NTFS.....Is it alright for me to go ahead and delete my primary partition?

[tvtradedave]

Show do no prob. Swissknife is a great little program. Just follow the instructions in the video.

[darkxxknight91]

I have 320 GB external Hard drive and i want to convert it to FAT32. Will the swiss knife software help me convert the entire 320GB of my external hard drive to FAT32?

[tvtradedave]

Should work ok for the like of PS3 and Xbox. Not my speciality but I believe a FAT32 formatted drive will work with the games consoles mentioned.

[NuTsY051]

hey, thanks for vid m8, really helpful. Will this method work for backing up files on ps3?

[tric11]

quick easy very helpful video, cheers

[TheDharmakaya]

cheers for putting this on - very helpful!

[ZephProductions]

When i click on create i got the error read/write error?

[tvtradedave]

@ZephProductions Sounds like you have hardware problem either with the hard drive itself(more likely) and/or the usb cable or the usb ports on the laptop/PC. Try it in another machine and see if you get the same error. That will rule out the usb ports on your PC. Then try and replace the usb cable with one you know works. It you still get the same error, then I'm afraid you external hard drive is probably goosed. Sorry. That's why they always say backup backup backup:-(

[jens3737]

thx mate!