Topic: formatting hard drive for longer then 4GB video files...

[timP]

The video recording software I'm using at home says that if my hard drive isn't formatted properly, it will split the file into 4GB/18min files..

Who knows how to format my hard drive?

thanks

[Elvis Hitler]

To avoid the problem you mentioned, you need to re-format the hard drive from NTFS to FAT32.

Check the bottom of this page for some basic instructions on how to re-format your hard drive:

http://www.jakeludington.com/hadware_upgrades/20040909_diy_external_hard_drive.html

Also check this page on Western Digital's site, there are links with instructions on formatting your hard drive in Windows XP or Windows 2000:

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=Fk7yTpAh&p_lva=&p_li=&p_page=1&p_prod_lvl1=&p_prod_lvl2=&p_cat_lvl1=&p_search_text=format+hard+drive++FAT32&p_new_search=1&p_search_type=search_fnl

[treehugger]

first click on your hard drive in 'my computer' if you are running windows. it will tell you what file system you are running.  if its ntfs you don't need to do anything. 

it needs to be ntfs for big video files.  you don't have to reformat, though.  what operating system are you running?  i know a hard drive can be converted to ntfs in xp, but to go back to fat32 i think it has to be reformatted...but why would you want to go back?
check you 'help' file...you should find something there about converting file systems

good luck

[dklein]

To avoid the problem you mentioned, you need to re-format the hard drive from NTFS to FAT32.

I think you meant the other way around - you want NTFS for  large file support.

[timP]

thanks guys ++++
this should get me started at home.. I think it is formatted FAT32

I was wondering how transfering long movie files was done for awhile

I'll most likely be asking more ??

[treehugger]

transferring (capturing) is the easy part.  mixing, encoding, dubbing, adding audio tracks, menus..that's the fun stuff 

[Elvis Hitler]

To avoid the problem you mentioned, you need to re-format the hard drive from NTFS to FAT32.

I think you meant the other way around - you want NTFS for  large file support.

Yup, I had it bass-ackwards, sorry about that.

[hyperplane]

tpoff - what recording software are you using? i know there's a nifty capturing program called Scenalyzer Live that will split the DV .AVI files into 2 GB chunks for you... which is helpful if you don't want to be bothered with converting your hard drive to NTFS. of course, if your final output is going to be putting something on DVD, then it's likely you'd want to have your hard drive set to NTFS anyway, because the mPEG-2 video can get quite large by itself.

at any rate, if you do need to convert to NTFS, then a nice program that can do it for you is Partition Magic. highly recommended. it's also good to make a partition on your hard drive for data only (read: audio and/or video content). doing this helps cut down on the possibility of getting errors in the audio/video transfer due to a fragmented drive.

[timP]

how about the fact that the rest of the data on the drive was placed there when it was/is FAT32?

I have a 120gb xternal drive that has 70gb of stuff already there.. will it kill that?

[hyperplane]

most likely, NO. but it's ALWAYS best to backup data before changing something.

personally, i've used Partition Magic to convert numerous (about 6 or so) hard drives from FAT32 -> NTFS with data and operating system perfectly fine - same as it was before converting the HD to NTFS. *knock on wood*

it's still a good idea to backup the data, if at all possible. if you don't want to spend the dough on blank DVDs - or don't have a DVD burner, or don't want to spend the time burning 70 gigs of stuff, etc. then if you have the space, temporarily transfer the files to another HD... in the same computer (or a different one). if i were in your shoes, i'd just get Partition Magic and skip the data backup part. but that's just me. (most all of the data i ever get is easy enough to get back, and wouldn't take more than a few clicks per day to download again.)

good luck.

[Skydogj]

Q: Is it possible to convert a FAT32 Hard Drive to NTFS without losing all data on the drive? I like to change from FAT32 to NTFS, my operating system is Windows XP PRO, how can I do that? Without the lost of my programs?

A: Standard Windows utility that is called CONVERT serves this purpose

Just go to the Command Prompt and execute the command:

   C:\> CONVERT  C:  /fs:ntfs

Where C: is a name of the drive you want to convert.

After machine re-boot conversion process will start and you'll have your FAT32 converted to NTFS without of data loss.


http://www.ntfs.com/quest3.htm