By <back>, I think you mean back to FAT32. I am not sure if XP or even
Partition Magic 7 can make that conversion. Both can make the conversion
from FAT32 to NTFS,  however,  whenever an operating system partition is
involved I have never trusted the result. Of course you will always be able
to reformat the partition with FAT32 and then start over with a  new
install of XP.

If you install NTFS you will have a true networking, secure, very stable,
file system.

NTFS will allow you to do file, folder and disk compression on the fly.

MS says there are performance enhancements to NTFS,  but then  it needs
them, because the extra time it takes to make the security checks hurts
performance. Antidotally , I have always found it to run slower on a NTFS
partition then a FAT32 partition.

You will not be able to use the fast majority of disk maintenance tools on
a NTFS drive.

You will not be able to boot off a floppy and access your hard drive
partition if it is formatted in NTFS. Simple problems can easily turn into
major problems on a NTFS partition.

Bottom line, If you are not running a network that requires file level
security, and user management, then stick with FAT32.

Why not do a trial run, try it for a week, and see how you like it.

Rode
The NOSPIN Group






At 07:09 AM 4/27/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>I am going to be putting windows xp om my 1400 MHZ amd computer and I am
>wondering if I change to ntfs and don't like it what do I have to do to
>change back. I know how to format the harddrive and write zero's to the
>hard drive and all that I just don't want to find out later that you can't
>change back. I would like some information on this and thanks for any help
>you might give me on this issue. Leander Haffner

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