Changed External HD from NTFS to Fat32...can I change it back?

So I changed my 1.5TB external HD from NTFS to FAT32 to hopefully get it to work with my PS3. When I did that, it took the memory on it down to only 32gb?! Whatever happened, it wasn't enough to back up my ps3 which I don't need to do anymore now anyway. So I tried changing it back to NTFS which it did, but still only has 32gb on it. Did I screw it all up? Is that what's supposed to happen? Can I get it back to how it was?

 

FAT32 has a maximum partition size of 32gb. If you want to create a bigger partion you will have to format it in DOS or with an app called swissknife. Click HERE to download. Swissknife will let you format upto 2TB partitions in FAT32.

 

Well I'd rather just put it back to the way it was...NTFS. I don't need it for the ps3 anymore and that was the only reason I wanted it to be fat32. Can I do that with swissknife? I just need all my memory back because as it is now, I can't even fit all the files I originally had on it to begin with.

 

You can convert it back in windows using windows disk management. The instructions may vary slightly depending on what version of windows you have.

Open control panel
double click on administritive tools
double click on computer management
double click on the storage icon
then double click on disk management

This will then display all the disks and all the partitions on each disk. right click on your 32GB FAT32 partition and choose delete. This will remove that partition from the disk

Next right click in the blank space where the partition use to be and choose create partion. Follow the instructions on screen to set the size. Once complete right click on the new partition and choose format. this will open the windows format drive box. make sure it is set to NTFS and click format.

By the way on a small point of clarity to avoid confusion in the future Hard disk space and memory are different things. Memory usually relates to your RAM and your Hard Disk is oftern reffered to as storage. So to say you are running out of memory implies that you need more RAM.

 

Thank you so much!!! I got it all back to normal with your instructions. And sorry for my technical term faux pas. Clearly I am not as computer literate as I think I am.

 

No Worries, glad you got it sorted. A lot of people call hard disk space memory. The main thing is you got it all back to how you want it