Ubuntu
gparted package

Partition Editor

Asked by GODSMACK

I can't format any partition or USB drive to NTFS throw this programme, the choice of NTFS already exist but you can't choose format to NTFS.

how can i make Partition Editor to allow me to format to NTFS?

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GeorgeVita
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Tom (tom6) said : 		#1

Hi :)

This does seem to be a bug in Ubuntu's partition editors. The same programs in other version of linux (other distros) seems to work fine with no trouble. Please post a bug-report about this.

Note that when doing anything to partitions you really need to backup all your data to an external hard-drive or something.

As a work-around i tend to use a different distro's GPartEd, such as the one in Wolvix Hunter 1.1.0 or sliTaz
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=wolvix
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=slitaz
Wolvix Hunter is a good Cd to have as a LiveCd to fix a variety of problems in Windows or dual-boot machines. Here's a guide to running a LiveCd of Ubuntu but they all work much the same
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

Another work-around is to format the partition as Fat32 and then boot into Windows or use the Windows installer to re-format that into ntfs.

I am often told that using Synaptic Package Manager to install "ntfs-3g" and "ntfsprogs" solves the problem
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SynapticHowto
but i am fairly sure that it doesn't always fix the problem. I find it very strange that Ubuntu doesn't have these already installed on the LiveCd. Definitely worth writing a bug-report about. Please let us know what the number of the bug-report you write is so that someone can link this question to it (see top/middle right-hand side of this thread).

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

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Best GeorgeVita (8-launchpad-mhnyma-com) said : 		#2

Hi GODSMACK,
by default GParted does not include all subprograms needed to fulfill all file systems. But if you run Gparted (System > Administration > GParted) you can be informed which actions can be done and what other programs you need to install to have other options as ntfs.

Try from GParted menus: View > File System Support
and you will see a lot of red X at some options. Last column informs what program missing 9in your case ntfsprogs).

So, to get ntfs option on GParted you need to install ntfsprogs from Synaptic (assume that you know how). Then run again GParted and you can use ntfs (I have already checked this).

Some tips: keep a COPY of your data, unmount drive to be formated, you can 'Refresh Devices' from GParted menu (ctrl+R), always place a text informative Label.

Regards,
George

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GODSMACK (godsmack-dmx) said : 		#3

Thanks GeorgeVita, that solved my question.