Guide to Convert Raw to NTFS Without Losing Data

How to convert RAW to NTFS without losing data? Get efficient ways to fix this issue and recover data from RAW drives in this article. And you can get practical data loss prevention tips.

Penny

By Penny / Updated on September 13, 2024

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Why is my drive suddenly showing as RAW?

The RAW file system indicates your drive’s state, which has no or unknown file system. A disk or drive with a RAW file system is also known as a RAW disk or drive.

If an external hard drive or hard drive is displayed as RAW, it could be that your drive’s file system is corrupted or missing. Or this RAW drive has not been formatted with any file system. Besides, an unrecognized file system is also responsible for RAW drives.

Can you convert a drive to NTFS without losing data?

Without a doubt, users are not allowed to read or write data to a RAW partition because it is invisible to your Windows operating system.

At the moment, several users are seeking ways to convert RAW to NTFS without losing data. To improve the possibilities of formatted partition recovery, please put these tricks into practice.

  • Please stop using your RAW disks as soon as possible to prevent your existing data from being overwritten by new data. After data erasure, the data saved in your RAW drive could lose.
  • Remember to save recoverable data in another drive instead of the RAW disk.

Beforehand: Recover data from RAW drives via data recovery software

Since the format process can erase all the existing data on your RAW drive, some users are wondering how to convert RAW to NTFS without formatting.

If it happens to be your case, please consider using this professional data recovery tool, MyRecover to recover deleted & missing files from your RAW drive if you desire. After that, you’re ready to convert RAW drive to NTFS without losing data via the following ways.

  • To recover a large number of deleted & missing files from your RAW disk easily, please consider upgrading MyRecover to the Professional or Technician edition.   
Powerful features & friendly design of MyRecover: 
Powerful features: Recover deleted & lost Word, Excel, PPT, folders, compressed files, photos, songs, videos, audio, websites, and other 200+ file types from HDD, SSD, USB, etc.
Easy-to-find: During Quick Scan and Deep Scan, you can quickly locate your desired files by Filename, Path, Date, Size, etc.
Convenient: Retain the original Path, Filename, and Format for the deleted files.   
Excellent compatibility: Support NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS file systems.

Don’t hesitate to install MyRecover on your Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, or Windows Server PC now!

Download Software Windows 11/10/8/7/Server
Secure Download

Step 1. After launching MyRecover on your Windows, hover the mouse over the drive, and click Scan.

Choose the RAW Partition Start Scan

Step 2. Filter your needed data according to Name, Date, Document Type, or Path.

  • Name: Type the filenames of your desired files to narrow the search area.
  • Date modified: Set the date according to your situation (today, yesterday, the last 7/30 days, etc).
  • Size: Filter the file size based on your needs (<128KB, 128KB~1MB, 1MB~ 512MB, etc).

Scanning RAW Drive

Step 3. Go to the Deleted Files/Recycle Bin/Other Missing Files folder and select the files you want. Then click “Recover x files” to begin Windows data recovery.

Choose Files from RAW Partition to Restore

3 ways to convert RAW drive to NTFS without losing data

Let’s perform how to change RAW to NTFS without losing data via three feasible fixes.

1. Convert RAW to NTFS without losing data via File Explorer

One of the easiest methods to format drives is by using File Explorer. And it is the most underutilized way by most users. Let’s show how it works.

Step 1. Press “Win + E” to open Windows File Explorer. Then right-click on your RAW drive and select the “Format” option.

format-in-file-explorer

Step 2. Change the RAW file system to the NTFS file system and click the “Start” button.

2. Convert RAW to NTFS without losing data via Disk Management

Disk Management is a Windows system utility for advanced storage operations. And it can display the details of each drive on your Windows and all partitions for each drive.

Statistics regarding the partitions, such as the amount of space assigned or consumed, are included in the information. So you can take advantage of this tool to convert RAW drives to NTFS drives.

Step 1. Type “Disk Management” in the search bar on your PC and open it.

Step 2. Right-click on your RAW drive and select the “Format” option.

disk-management-format

Step 3. Select the NTFS file system that works with your current Windows OS. Then click “OK” to save these changes.

format

3. Convert RAW to NTFS without losing data via AOMEI Partition Assistant

Is there another way to convert RAW to NTFS without losing data? It turns out there is. This free partition manager software, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard can help you format partitions and alter file systems with ease.   

Other highlights of AOMEI Partition Assistant:✎...   
Recover deleted & missing NTFS, FAT, EX2, EX3, or Ex4 partitions.
Deal with improper partition size, partition creation, partition resize, etc.
Perform disk conversion between MBR and GPT, OS migration, etc.   
Support Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, and XP (32/64-bit) computers.
Download Demo Win 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Step 1. After running this free demo on your Windows PC, right-click on your selected RAW disk and select the “Format Partition” option.

format-partition

Step 2. Select the NTFS file system and click the “OK” button.

formate-partition-option

Please click “Apply” to save these changes and wait patiently.

Wrapping up

Are you wondering how to change RAW to NTS without losing data? Perhaps the above two phases can help you convert RAW to NTFS without losing data.

If there’s deletion, please seek help from MyRecover to recover deleted & missing files from RAW drives.

Undeniably, no one wants to suffer data loss. If you want to protect your data from loss forever, why not give this free AOMEI Backupper a shot? This highly-praised Windows backup tool is designed to easily back up files, folders, partitions, disks, or systems.

Penny
Penny · Editor
Penny works as an editor at AOMEI Technology, while she's a tester and editor for AOMEI Data Recovery Tools. She enjoys helping users with data recovery issues on Windows and iPhones using simple and practical solutions. Outside of work, she has a strong affection for pets, particularly giant pandas.