Why Setup Reboots Three Times When Converting to NTFS (103058)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
This article was previously published under Q103058

SUMMARY

The Autoconvert program converts file systems to NTFS. During Windows NT Setup, Autoconvert reboots your system three times. This is because it needs to unmount and remount partitions several times while handling open files. The following sequence of events occurs:

  1. From Setup or Disk Administrator, file system conversion is initiated. Before any changes can be made to the target volume, the system must be rebooted.
  2. NTFS requires that a particular sector (n/2) be free to store a backup copy of the boot sector. Autoconvert begins by noting that sector n/2 is not free. Autoconvert then shuffles file-system structures until this sector is free. To prevent any possibility of disk corruption due to incomplete conversion, it reboots the system so that the file system will remount the volume and recognize the changes just made.
  3. Autoconvert now recognizes that sector n/2 is free. It converts the volume to NTFS. Once finished, it writes the new sectors, zero and n/2, and then, to force the file system to remount the volume as NTFS, reboots.
  4. Autoconvert recognizes that the volume is now NTFS, displays the "Volume is already NTFS" message, takes itself out of the Registry, and lets the system continue.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/29/2003
Keywords:kbsetup KB103058
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