The Windows CMD command convert is a command line utility used to convert a volume from FAT or FAT32 file system to NTFS. It is a powerful tool that allows users to change the file system of a hard drive or partition without losing any data. This command can also be used to convert a disk from basic to dynamic, or vice versa. In this article, we will discuss the syntax, options, and user examples of the convert command.
Syntax of the Convert Command
The syntax of the convert command is as follows:
convert [drive:] [/fs:ntfs | fat | fat32] [/v] [/x] [/cvtarea:filename] [/nosecurity] [/nosnapshot] [/noeject]
The following table explains the syntax of the convert command:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
[drive:] |
Specifies the drive to be converted. |
/fs:ntfs | fat | fat32 |
Specifies the file system to be used. |
/v |
Verifies the converted file system. |
/x |
Forces the volume to dismount first if necessary. |
/cvtarea:filename |
Specifies the name of the file to be used to store the converted data. |
/nosecurity |
Specifies that the security settings of the volume are not to be preserved. |
/nosnapshot |
Specifies that the volume snapshot is not to be taken. |
/noeject |
Specifies that the volume is not to be ejected after conversion. |
Options of the Convert Command
The convert command has the following options:
/fs:ntfs– Specifies that the file system should be converted to NTFS./fs:fat– Specifies that the file system should be converted to FAT./fs:fat32– Specifies that the file system should be converted to FAT32./v– Verifies the converted file system./x– Forces the volume to dismount first if necessary./cvtarea:filename– Specifies the name of the file to be used to store the converted data./nosecurity– Specifies that the security settings of the volume are not to be preserved./nosnapshot– Specifies that the volume snapshot is not to be taken./noeject– Specifies that the volume is not to be ejected after conversion.
User Examples of the Convert Command
The following are some examples of how to use the convert command:
- To convert a volume from FAT to NTFS, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /fs:ntfs - To convert a volume from FAT32 to NTFS, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /fs:ntfs - To convert a volume from NTFS to FAT32, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /fs:fat32 - To convert a volume from NTFS to FAT, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /fs:fat - To convert a disk from basic to dynamic, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /fs:ntfs /v - To convert a disk from dynamic to basic, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /fs:fat32 /v - To force the volume to dismount first if necessary, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /x - To specify the name of the file to be used to store the converted data, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /cvtarea:filename - To specify that the security settings of the volume are not to be preserved, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /nosecurity - To specify that the volume snapshot is not to be taken, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /nosnapshot - To specify that the volume is not to be ejected after conversion, use the following command:
convert [drive:] /noeject
Conclusion
The Windows CMD command convert is a powerful tool that allows users to change the file system of a hard drive or partition without losing any data. This command can also be used to convert a disk from basic to dynamic, or vice versa. In this article, we discussed the syntax, options, and user examples of the convert command.