Is there any way to switch from NTFS to FAT32?

Question

Im not familiar at all with how filesystems work. My computer is currently running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition but I want to install Ubuntu Linux and set up a dual-boot system. I was wondering if I will be able to select the filesystem of my choice when I partition the hardrive for the new operating system. If not, is there a way I can use FAT32 instead of NTFS?
Thanks.

Answer 1

You don't need to switch anything. Linux doesn't use either FAT or NTFS as it's native file system (although it can read and write to them both)

Download the LiveCD from Ubuntu's site and burn it (as an image) to a CD. Boot to the CD and during the install it give you the option to resize your existing Windows partition and will set up a new partition for Ubuntu. It will automatically setup a boot loader for you too, so that you can choose which operating system to boot to at startup.

See this guide here, with installation screenshots, on how to setup the perfect Ubuntu desktop.
http://www.howtoforge.com/the_perfect_desktop_ubuntu7.04

Answer 2

I was messing around mindlessly on an old 2003 compaq presario, i think, of mine, and i had just downloaded the ubuntu cd and put it on the disk, and all i did was do a normal install, it was only a 40gb hard drive, and the windows partiton was thankfully only 20gb for some reason, and the ubuntu partiton i made is 20gb. I installed ubuntu and restarted it and i was able to select which OS i wanted to use, only gave me 30 seconds or it would boot in XP, i did no switching of NTFS or FAT32, i just simply installed and i was fine, but im not sure if you can do it, im not aware of your computer specs, so just make backup disk for the files on windows xp and you should be alright,

i hope this helps some, im just getting into computing stuff, so im not entirely sure how to do everything, but good luck =)

Answer 3

Yes, you can format the drive anyway you like. If you want to do dual boot offa single hard disk, partition the disk.

Answer 4

First, you need to boot from your CD. Just plug in the Leopard disc that came with your Mac and reboot. From there open up "Disc Utility" from the CD. Look under your hard drive and find the part named "BOOTCAMP". Click it and then click "Erase" but make sure you have it erasing as an MS-DOS. Then, continue boot up as normal, reboot from the Vista CD and vahla!