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Quickest Way to Convert RAW to NTFS Without Formatting

You can use Disk Management tool to convert RAW to NTFS

6 min. read

Updated onAugust 13, 2024

updated onAugust 13, 2024

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Key notes

When you boot up your PC and you come across a RAW partition, then you should understand that all the files inside are corrupt, or the system fails to recognize it.

This RAW drive or RAW files present inside a particular drive letter can be fixed if you convert the RAW to NTFS. In this guide, we will show you exactly how you can convert RAW to NTFS without losing data and without formatting.

What is the Raw File System?

You might haveheard about the NTFS, exFAT, FAT32, RAW, etc., file systems. File systems basically mean how the system manages or handles the files, basically how it stores and retrieves them.

If your drive letter, partition, or external drive isn’t formatted to any of the file systems, then you won’t be able to access the storage device.

Such a selected disk isknown as a RAW driveor RAW drives, depending on the number of drives you have. The storage device could be anything, likea USB flash drive, memory card, or others.

In case the partition becomes RAW, you will come across issues such as bad sectors, file system errors, or you won’t be able to perform RAW partition recovery.

Why should I convert from Raw drive to NTFS file system?

The RAW drives or RAW disk can get bad sectors because of the below reasons:

In such a case, it becomes necessary to convert the RAW drive to the NTFS file system. Below, we have shown different methods to format the RAW drive to NTFS without losing data and also convert RAW to NTFS without formatting.

How to convert a Raw disk to NTFS without formatting & without losing data?

Before you go ahead and convert a RAW drive toNTFS file format, we would strongly advise you to create a backup of your data or recover the data using data recovery software.

For your convenience, we have a guide that lists some of thebest backup toolsthat you can use to create a backup of the RAW format drive.

Moreover, you can also check out our guide which gives you alist of the best partition recovery toolsyou can use.

Let us now check out the steps to convert the RAW disk to NTFS.

1. Use Disk Management

Using the Disk Management tool, you do not have to rely on any third-party software to perform a quick format of your RAW drive to NTFS without losing data. Of course, this is unless your drive suffered physical damages that led to permanent loss of data.

In case you are having issues with the Disk Management where theDisk Management isn’t loading, then you should read our guide and apply the solutions to resolve the problem.

Also, we would suggest you check out our guide that will help you resolve the problem in caseall options are greyed out in Disk Management. Now, let us check out another method to convert RAW drive to NTFS without formatting.

2. Use Command Prompt

Usually, when you convert the RAW drive to NTFS using the command prompt, it will fix the RAW partition without formatting. However, at times, this method is known to fail. In that case, learn the other method below.

We have a guide that explains in detail,what is CMD or Command Prompt. You will get all information you need to know about CMD along with some important functions.

3. Use File Explorer

You can also make use of File Explorer to convert the RAW to NTFS without losing data. This method is easy to use and works faster.

Are there any risks when converting RAW to NTFS?

Notably, yes, there are some risks when converting RAW to NTFS, especially when you are converting a RAW disk to NTFS without formatting.

Data loss is a possibility. If you format the disk without backing up the data, then there are high chances of the drive getting corrupt or wiping the internal data to accept the new file system during the conversion.

What precautions should I take when converting RAW to NTFS?

Some of the most important precautions that we would suggest before you go ahead and convert your RAW disk to an NTFS file system are listed below:

That is it from us in this guide. We would suggest you check out some of thebest disk management toolsthat you can use on your Windows PC.

Feel free to let us know in the comments below, which one of the above solutions you used to convert RAW to NTFS without losing data or without formatting.

Quickest Way to Convert RAW to NTFS Without Formatting#

What is the Raw File System?#

Why should I convert from Raw drive to NTFS file system?#

How to convert a Raw disk to NTFS without formatting & without losing data?#

1. Use Disk Management#

2. Use Command Prompt#

3. Use File Explorer#

Are there any risks when converting RAW to NTFS?#

What precautions should I take when converting RAW to NTFS?#