How to Convert RAW to FAT32 without Losing Data?

How do I change my file system from RAW to FAT32?

When a hard drive or external storage device displays as RAW, it could be related to its file system.

The file system of the drive is missing.

Your Windows OS cannot recognize its file system.

The RAW drive has not been formatted with any file systems.

According to the above case, it’s possible for you to locate your RAW drive and its file system using File Explorer. But a disk in a RAW state does not allow you to access data on it.

Moreover, you’ll receive the following error message after double-clicking it using File Explorer.

At the moment, please don’t format it because disk formatting or disk initialization can erase all the existing data on your RAW drive. After erasing, this partition can be ready for further use by Windows.

If you’re seeking ways to convert RAW to FAT32 without losing data, this post is right for you. Please read on.

Phase 1. Recover data from RAW drives via data recovery software

As mentioned above, the formatting process can cause data loss. If you want to convert RAW to FAT32 without losing, you could begin the conversion process after performing RAW data recovery. Because modifying or changing RAW drives might decrease your RAW data recovery rate.

So how do I recover data from a RAW hard drive? When it comes to this problem, using a powerful third-party tool could be your second-to-none choice because it can prevent the risk of potential data loss and recover deleted & lost files from RAW drives as many as possible.

Deeply engaged in data recovery and supported by AOMEI Tech, powerful MyRecover is such a highly-praised data recovery tool.  

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

Step 2. Filter your needed files 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 (today, yesterday, last 7/30 days, and so on) according to your situation.
• Size: Filter the file size (<128KB, 128KB~1MB, 1MB~ 512MB, etc) based on your needs.

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 the RAW data recovery process.

• After recovery, it’s necessary for you to save these retrieved files in a new location.
• Please consider upgrading MyRecover to the Professional or Technician edition if you need to recover large amounts of deleted or lost files from your local hard drives.

Phase 2. Three ways to convert RAW to FAT32 without losing data

If you’ve salvaged recoverable data from your RAW disk, you’re ready to convert RAW to FAT32 via the following solutions.

Way 1. Convert RAW to FAT32 without losing data via Disk Management

Disk Management is a powerful Windows System utility that can help users to perform advanced storage tasks. This fix also can convert RAW to NTFS without losing data.

Step 1. Press “Win + X” and select “Disk Management” to open this utility.

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

Step 3. Select the FAT32 file system and click “OK” to save these changes.

Way 2. Convert RAW to FAT32 using CMD

Some users are wondering how to convert RAW to FAT32 using CMD. Let’s show how it works. Please note that your RAW partition might still retain its drive letter.

▶Convert RAW drive with a drive letter

Please refer to the following steps if your RAW drive has a drive letter.

Step 1. Type “cmd” in the search bar and click “Run as administrator” to open the command prompt window.

Step 2. Type “format F: /fs:fat32” in the window and hit “Enter” to go on. You can replace the letter F with the real drive letter of your RAW drive.

▶Convert RAW drive without a drive letter

If there’s no drive letter for your RAW drive, you need to convert RAW to FAT32 using Diskpart.

Step 1. Type “Diskpart” in the search bar and hit “Enter” to open the command prompt window.

Step 2. Type the following command lines one by one.

list volume

select volume n (where n is the volume number of the RAW drive)

format fs=fat32 quick

exit

Way 3. Convert RAW to FAT32 without losing data via AOMEI Partition Assistant

Is there an easier way to convert RAW to FAT32 without losing data? It turns out there is. You can use this handy and powerful partition manage software-AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard to convert RAW to FAT32 without paying.   

★Other highlights of AOMEI Partition Assistant:

Recover deleted & missing NTFS, FAT, EX2, EX3, or Ex4 partitions.

Repair corrupted file systems via CHKDSK.exe, deal with improper partition size, partition creation, 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.

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

Step 2. Select the FAT32 file system and click the “OK” button.

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

Related Q&A about raw data recovery & hard drive data recovery

How to convert RAW to FAT32 without losing data? Please refer to the above content to solve your issue. Apart from that, there’re some related data recovery tips for you.