Converting from FAT32 to NTFS file system

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Gwill:
OK, nice to know.
I haven't ever tried converting file systems, one way or the other, but I seem to remember some terrible trouble when I tired merging or splitting exsisting partisions on a hard drive with some kind of external problem.  After that I've always sworn to the safe way of formatting and re-installing.

jsalemi:
Changing partitions is a different story -- there are all kinds of hazards with that if you don't do it right. But the file system is contained within a partition, so there's no ill effects in changing it (usually).

ZephyrZodiac:
My Sony Vaio laptop came with no Windows CD, but with full instructions (plus continuous reminders) for creating one, plus another for all the rest of the stuff, plus the Vaio stuff etc.  Once the CDs had been made, I was able to get rid of the files on the laptop, and gain disk space. 

If you searched for hidden files and folders, it could be that you'll turn up a copy of all those files, which you could then make copies of on CD/DVD, and it may be that the files themselves contain everything necessary to reformat your hard drive and restore using NTFL instead of FAT32.  The recovery CD would presumably contain your registration information.

jsalemi:
Don't they usually put the Windows registration information on a sticker on the PC/laptop?  That's what Dell does.

ZephyrZodiac:
Yes, they do, but it has to be somewhere else as well - somewhere hidden away in Windoze, so when you type the registration key numbers/letters in when asked for them, it has some way of matching them up to see you haven't just made a number up off the top of your head.  In order to restore Windoze, you'd need both the sticker and the registration information (which is not the same as the key, the key only unlocks the information, which in turn allows the program to run.)

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