Since about a third of my regular readers use a Mac, I thought I would share my experiences in converting my iMac’s Bootcamp partition to an NTFS file system.
When I first set up a Bootcamp partition on my iMac, about a year and a half ago, I set it up to use the FAT32 file system. The advantage of doing so was that it enabled OSX to access files on the Bootcamp partition. I was not aware at the time of any disadvantage of FAT32, at least for my needs.
However, during the past month it seemed to me that Windows just kept getting slower, and I figured it was time to defragment the Bootcamp partition. But, in reading up on this, I learned that many people with the same configuration had run into several problems when defragging their FAT32 Bootcamp partitions, including making their partitions unusable.
Further reading revealed that the way around this is to convert the Windows file system to NTFS. Since both Parallels Desktop and the latest beta of VMware Fusion have tools that allow file sharing both ways (between Windows and OSX), there didn’t seem to me to be any downside to making the conversion. [Although Parallels and VMware Fusion allow you to create separate partitions, instead of using BootCamp, I preferred to have them use BootCamp: I figured "why waste space with another partition?"]
So, I updated a backup of my Windows My Documents folder, and got the nerve to do the conversion. I booted into Bootcamp (holding down the Option key when starting up my iMac), and ran the following command:
CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS
and selected the option to have it run the conversion at next startup. After booting back into Windows, the conversion was done in less than 5 minutes.
NOTE: The conversion is a one-way process. After you convert from FAT32 to NTFS, you cannot convert back to FAT32 (not without loss of data). So you need to ensure this is what you really want to do. It worked fine for me, as described below, and for many others, based on the research I’ve done. But it is permanent.
Then I ran the built-in Windows defrag tool. The tool showed that the partition was horribly fragmented (no surprise to me), so running the defrag was a good idea. After a bit of testing, it was clear to me that the defrag really improved the performance of Windows.
Then I booted back into OSX and attempted to run Windows via my existing VMware Fusion virtual machine. Oops! VMware Fusion would not run the new configuration, so I did some researching and found that I really needed to create a new Bootcamp virtual machine by deleting the %2Fdev%2Fdisk0 virtual machine settings under the /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/Virtual Machines/Bootcamp directory.
Doing so forced VMware Fusion to create a new Bootcamp virtual machine interface, but I had difficulty booting into it. I think this could have resolved if I had stuck with it, but instead I purchased Parallels Desktop, and lucked out by getting it at $20 off (not sure how long the sale lasts). It easily setup a virtual machine for the Bootcamp partition and I am very happy with how responsive Windows is on it. Of course, the first run of Windows (I use XP Pro SP3) required reactivating Windows, but that was painless. Update: I was later able to boot into Windows using VMware Fusion … installing the latest version, 2.0 instead of the 2.0beta I was using, appeared to help. I am pleased with this because I prefer VMware Fusion to Parallels.
Now I am happy with my Windows virtual machine again.
About 8 months after doing the NTFS conversion, I was doing something that messed up my Bootcamp partition. Whether the mess-up was in part attributable to the NTFS formatting, I do not know. But, for those who would like to know more, the details of this are provided here: lessons from a failed Boot Camp partion.
Thanks for the tip. I rebuilt my laptop this weekend and went from using a VM image, to using a bootcamp partition. I too had this exact problem and deleting that %2Fdev%2Fdisk0 directory worked.
Thanks,
Jason
Hello, i can not start my boot camp on my mac book pro!
Hard to give any advice on this Mailam without more specifics. Good luck
I bought an IMAC and when I am trying to install Windows 7 on that, it is saying that the partition should be NTFS, how can I make partition which i reserved for Windows as NTFS. Please advise.
You may want to re-read the above, particularly around the middle, where I say:
“So, I updated a backup of my Windows My Documents folder, and got the nerve to do the conversion. I booted into Bootcamp (holding down the Option key when starting up my iMac), and ran the following command:
CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS
and selected the option to have it run the conversion at next startup. After booting back into Windows, the conversion was done in less than 5 minutes.
NOTE: The conversion is a one-way process. After you convert from FAT32 to NTFS, you cannot convert back to FAT32 (not without loss of data). So you need to ensure this is what you really want to do. It worked fine for me, as described below, and for many others, based on the research I’ve done. But it is permanent.”
My friend is having the same problem and the problem is that he can not install Windows in the first place. He doesn’t have the Windows My Documents folder, so that doesnt apply to him…
Please respond.
incase you lack some details there its the same prob as the original poster you replied to.
It gives him the message that it needs to be NTFS format, but when he created the partition he wasnt given a choice between FAT and NTFS.
I have no idea what you are talking about. What gives him the message that it needs to be NTFS format? What program is being ran that says that. I have no idea from reading your comments how far along your friend went in installing Windows, whether he/she is using VMware or Fusion or something else … in short, there is too little info provided in your comments for me to even guess what might be wrong.
I certainly do not claim to be an expert at that sort of thing anyway, just someone who shared experience on (1) how to convert a FAT partition to NTFS and then (in the link at the end of the post) (2) a caution on converting in the first place.
He used bootcamp. He partitioned the drive, then he proceeded to install with his windows 7 disk. when trying to install windows 7 it gave him the message that it cant be installed because the format is FAT and it should be NTFS.
He thought he had it figured out now but then he tried it again and got the same error.
Sorry I’m not there with him so this is all the info I can provide.
hey this is crazy late yet if you format the drive via the advance button it works. I just did it trying to get windows 7 on in the beginning, without a prior windows on my mac. hope this helps cheers
Devin
I see, Sam.
I haven’t switched to Windows 7, yet, so I have no direct experience with it, but I am really surprised that it does not give your friend the option to convert the disk format to NTFS. I know that at least one of the previous versions of Windows allowed me to do that, and I would have assumed it would be built into their setup programs.
What I recommend at this point is to search for convert.exe on the web. I am not suggesting that you (or your friend) obtain a “bootleg” copy of it; rather, I suspect that it would be available for download somewhere from one of Microsoft’s sites. Your friend could then use convert.exe to convert the partition to NTFS, which is probably the only format on which Windows 7 will run.
Other than that, I wouldn’t really know where to turn, and it’s bedtime for this old fella. If I think of something else in the morning, I’ll post another comment, but for right now I think the best thing to do is to get convert.exe and put it to work.
Good luck.
BTW, Sam, I still use Windows XP for my VMware partition, and it works on FAT32. I plan to switch to Windows 7 on my laptop, which currently runs Vista, but I will keep XP on my Mac’s VMware partition.
I figured out how to convert it to NTFS. When you run bootcamp with the windows 7 disc it comes up loading windows and then asks you to pick a drive but it says that it needs to be in the NTFS format. All you have to so is go back to the menu and there should be an option called “repair”. When you click on that go to the command menu and then type in the convert c: /fs……. And it will prompt you as to which drive to format, type in “bootcamp” it will then format and restart. It should be smooth sailing from there
Thank you, Andrew!
I appreciate you describing how to deal with the Windows 7 issue … I’m sure a lot of people are having to deal with it.
I was confused by this same issue (using boot camp to partition a drive, running Windows 7 installer, and having the installer tell me “Windows cannot be installed to Disk 0 Partition 3…”.
Instead of clicking the ‘repair’ button, try the following:
1) Follow the installation prompts until you see a list of your drive partitions
2) Click the appropriate boot camp partition (this will give you the “Windows cannot be installed…” message)
3) Click the link that says “Drive options (advanced)”
4) Click “Format”
Done!
Thanks, Gilman. Thank you for sharing the tip!
actually gilman, im having the same problem with installing windows vista on my mac.
It makes you click advance, then it has a list of the partitions. When i click on bootcamp partition, it says it cant use it because its not NTFS and theres no option after that to convert it.
Bruce Keener help!!!! this is so stressful because i cant find any solutions on the web. google just looks at the keywords and bases the search results on that so i always get some forum talking about something different than what i need!
Hi Sheldon,
If you want to install Win 7 to your Bootcamp Partition, you will first have to boot into the Bootcamp partition (which is FAT32 by default) and run
CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS
at the appropriate point (after you are convinced you are really ready to do so). Just follow the directions in the post and you should be okay, but please pay heed to any cautions I mention along the way (and that others mention in the comments).
I know the following recommendation involves an additional expense, but you may want to consider using a virtual machine manager like VMware or Parallels Fusion (I prefer VMware), as they will create new NTFS partition for you and not tie you to the use of Bootcamp.
Either way, best wishes on it.
Hello Bruce,
I’m wondering very simply where the command prompt is when you boot into windows partition without windows installed yet. I suppose I could try but don’t know much about this and would hate to get stuck in the middle. Will it actually boot the partition without windows installed?
Bruce, to add more information, I just tried booting into the bootcamp partiion without any windows products installed and it is not a choice. I only get the macintosh hard drive as an option. I guess I have to do the “repair” option described above by Andrewdoyle. Or the other option described by Gilman, but it sounds like sheldon was having trouble with it. Unfortunalte your followup information to Sheldon does not help in my particular situation because I cannot boot into the partition since nothing is installed. PS, I have 64 gigs allocated to the partition, so it probably is not FAT32 to begin with…but I still get the message that it has to be NTFC to install Windows 7. Let me know you thoughts
Hi George,
Sorry for your trouble, and it’s been over three years now since my first boot into bootcamp, so my memory is probably not the best on it at this point.
I do recall, though, that I had a prompt in the bootcamp partition, and that I inserted my WIndows XP installation CD and let it do its thing, resulting in the installation of Windows XP on my bootcamp partition. I was a total Mac noob and it was still dick simple.
However, that was a 32GB partition, which I think is the limit for FAT32 (not sure, but I know it has a smaller limit than NTFS). So, with you having a 64GB partition I am not real sure what you’ve got.
I think what Bootcamp does is install a rudimentary dos to give you the prompt, in which case you might be able to run chkdsk to see what sort of file system you have.
Bottom line, though, Windows 7 is not going to install on FAT32, because it considers FAT32 to be too unsecure. So, you will need to make the partition into NTFS, or else forget about using bootcamp and use a third party VM solution, like VMware or Parallels Fusion (I think there are also some free options for a virtual machine manager, too). Even going that route though will require the allocation of a partition, and the partition will have to be NTFS for Windows 7 to install on it.
Hope that is helpful.
Andrew Doyle or Bruce keener (incase the age of this post prohibits andrew form responding)
When you say “should be an option called “repair”. When you click on that go to the command menu and then type in the convert c: /fs……. ” I assume the convert c /fs….. is referring to bruce keeners command…..CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS
Please confirm…this install is getting scary.
George,
I imagine Andrew is long gone, but this post, even though dated, still gets about 30 to 50 hits a day, so hopefully a fellow Windows 7 owner will see your comment and help soon.
I should add that, although I ultimately got rid of my bootcamp partition, I have been using a VMware partition for Windows XP for about a year now, and it is formatted NTFS, and I have had no issues with it at all. So, I would say to not expect any issues in going to NTFS … whatever caused the issues I ultimately had with my bootcamp partition must have related to something else.
Good luck. Sorry that I haven’t had experience with Windows 7, but I just haven’t had any need to go to it. XP is fine on my Mac and my laptop has Vista, but I use it so infrequently that Vista’s little annoyance’s do not get to me.
Take care.
Very simple solution–posted above by Gilman–
When you get to the screen to select the disk for installation, select the label with the Bootcamp partition
Then under the menu, there is a selection for advanced options. Select this.
In this menu, select “Format”.
Once it finishes formatting–mine only took a few seconds–you come back to the menu with the different drives.
Select the Bootcamp partition once again, then select Install, and you’re up and going.
I was a little concerned too when I started reading all of this stuff about typing something in at a DOS prompt–forget that mess. I grew up on DOS, and quite honestly, it scared me that I was going to have to go that deep into my system just to get this done. I missed the Advanced Options the first time around, but once I got there, it’s gone smoothly so far.
Why not get at better NTFS drivers from Tuxera NTFS for Mac.
http://www.tuxera.com/products/tuxera-ntfs-for-mac/key-features/
Thanks for the link Wade. I haven’t tried Tuxera, and won’t as I have no need to, but looks like could be helpful to others.