CONVERT.exe – Windows CMD Command

Convert a FAT16 or a FAT32 DISK volume to NTFS.

Syntax
      convert [Volume] /fs:ntfs [/v] [/cvtarea:FileName] [/nosecurity] [/x]

Key
   Volume   The drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point,
            or volume name to convert to NTFS.

   /fs:ntfs Convert the volume to NTFS. Required.

   /v       Run convert in verbose mode, which displays all messages
            during the conversion process.

   /cvtarea:FileName
            Specifies that the Master File Table (MFT) and other NTFS metadata
            files are written to an existing, contiguous placeholder file.
            This file must be in the root directory of the file system to be converted.
            Use of the /cvtarea parameter can result in a less fragmented
            file system after conversion. For best results, the size of
            this file should be 1 KB multiplied by the number of files and
            directories in the file system, although the convert utility
            accepts files of any size. 
            Important You must create the placeholder file by using the
            fsutil file createnew command prior to running convert.
            Convert does not create this file for you. Convert overwrites
            this file with NTFS metadata. After conversion, any unused
            space in this file is freed.

   /nosecurity
            The security settings on the converted files and directories allow
            access by all users.

   /x       Dismount the volume, if necessary, before it is converted.
            Any open handles to the volume will no longer be valid. 

   /?       Displays help at the command prompt.

If convert cannot lock the drive (for example, the drive is the system volume or the current drive), you are given the option to convert the drive the next time you restart the computer. If you cannot restart the computer immediately to complete the conversion, plan a time to restart the computer and allow extra time for the conversion process to complete.

For volumes converted from FAT or FAT32 to NTFS:
Due to existing disk usage, the MFT is created in a different location than on a volume originally formatted with NTFS, so volume performance might not be as good as on volumes originally formatted with NTFS. For optimal performance, consider recreating these volumes and formatting them with the NTFS file system. Volume conversion from FAT or FAT32 to NTFS leaves the files intact, but the volume might lack some performance benefits compared to volumes initially formatted with NTFS. For example, the MFT might become fragmented on converted volumes. In addition, on converted boot volumes, convert applies the same default security that is applied during Windows Setup.

Example

Convert the volume on drive E: to NTFS and display all messages during the conversion process:

C:\> convert e: /fs:ntfs /v