How to convert RAW file system to NTFS without losing data

The RAW file system refers to an unformatted or unrecognized file system by the operating system. In a computer, when a disk or storage device is not assigned or its original file system format cannot be identified, it is labeled as RAW. In this state, the operating system is unable to read, organize, or access data within it. A RAW file system typically indicates that the file structure on a disk partition is damaged, lost, or was never properly initialized. As a result, users cannot directly access, open, or view files stored on the RAW partition through the operating system. To recover data from a RAW partition, specialized data recovery tools or software are usually required, and in some cases, the RAW partition might need to be reformatted into a recognizable file system (such as FAT, NTFS, exFAT, etc.). However, this process may lead to the loss of existing data.

A File System (like NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT) governs how data is stored and retrieved. Without a file system, you won't be able to access or open a hard drive, USB flash drive, SD card, and other storage media. RAW file system denotes a state of the hard drive where there is no file system or an unknown file system. A disk or drive with a RAW file system is what we call a RAW disk/drive. When a hard drive or external storage device turns RAW, it could be because:

• The file system of the drive is lost or corrupted
• The RAW drive is not formatted with a file system (like FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 or NTFS/NTFS5)
• The computer fails to recognize the current file system of the storage media

A RAW file system can be caused by various reasons, such as virus attacks, failed formatting, unexpected shutdown of the operating system, power cuts, and more. When your hard drive or external storage device turns RAW, it becomes inaccessible, and you cannot access the files stored on it. Additionally, you might encounter error messages like "You need to format the disk before using it" and "The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not supported for RAW drives" when trying to open the device or run CHKDSK.

How to Fix RAW File System in Drive

There's a video tutorial below on how to convert RAW to NTFS file system and how to recover data from RAW. Watch the guide and follow the detailed steps below to fix your RAW file system drive.

As mentioned above, you might need to format the RAW drive to prepare it for data storage and access. Indeed, formatting the device will assign a file system to it, making it usable. However, this operation will also delete existing files on the drive. Hence, to fix a RAW drive without losing data, you need to:

1. First, perform RAW data recovery. 2. Next, format the RAW to NTFS or another compatible Windows file system.

Step 1: Recover data from RAW drive using Data Recovery Wizard tool

While you cannot access the RAW formatted drive, you can use a data recovery tool like the Hard Drive Recovery Software – Data Recovery Wizard to restore files from the storage media. The Data Recovery Wizard supports deleted file recovery, formatted file recovery, RAW drive recovery, and more. It helps retrieve all existing files from RAW hard drives, USB flash drives, memory cards, and the like.

Recover data from a drive with a RAW file system:

Step 1. Select and Scan the RAW Partition

If the RAW partition has a partition label, you can directly select it from the drive list and click "Scan" to search for lost files. If the RAW partition loses its label, it will be recognized as a "Lost Partition". Just select the "Lost Partition" and click "Scan" to perform a full scan on the RAW drive.

Step 2: Preview the data found in the scanning result

After the scan is finished, all recoverable files from the RAW hard drive will be displayed. Browse through these files and locate the one you want to recover. You can sort the scan results by file type, or simply search for it in the “Search for files or folders” box.

Step 3. Recover Data from RAW Partition

Select all the files and click on “Recover” to retrieve all the data. Choose another internal or external hard drive to save the recovered data and click on “OK” to start RAW drive recovery.

"Data Recovery Wizard tool" is a powerful utility that can help you retrieve all data from RAW disks. After successfully recovering all files from the hard drive, you can format the RAW drive to NTFS, FAT32, or any other file system without hesitation.

Method 2: Convert RAW to NTFS via Formatting

There are typically three ways to format a drive – using File Explorer, Disk Management, or a free formatting tool. We'll show you how to format a RAW drive in File Explorer here.

Step 1: Open “This PC,” right click on your RAW drive or RAW disk and choose “Format.”

Step 2. Choose the file system (NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT) as needed, then click “Start.”

Step 3. Click “OK” in the warning window to start formatting the storage medium.

Recover RAW Drive without Formatting using RAW Recovery Services

If you don't want to format your hard drive, you can try our RAW Recovery service to fix the issue.

RAW Recovery Service Tool

Click here to contact our experts for a free assessment

Consult with our Tool Data Recovery experts one-on-one and get manual RAW recovery service. After a free diagnosis, we can provide the following services:

• Repair damaged RAW drives without formatting
• Recover data from RAW drives, including BitLocker encrypted drives
• Restore RAW partitions, RAW USB, RAW flash drives, RAW external hard drives, and more

Bottom line

As Data Recovery Wizard supports formatted recovery, you can also format the RAW partition before trying to recover data and use the tool to restore files from formatted partition. For a more detailed guide, please refer to the video below:

Frequently Asked Questions about Converting RAW File System to NTFS

Here are some popular topics and questions that most people ask. You can get additional clues from these questions and answers. Keep reading for more help.

1. How to convert RAW to NTFS with Disk Management?

You can convert RAW to NTFS by formatting it.

1. Open "This PC" or "Disk Management." 2. Right-click on the unallocated or RAW partition and select "Format." 3. Set the Volume Label, File System (NTFS), and Allocation Unit Size. The default formatting option is usually "Quick Format." 4. Click "OK" to begin the process.

After formatting, you can access and use the RAW file system partition or drive normally.

2. What does RAW mean?

"RAW data" typically refers to a tabular dataset where each row represents an observation, and each column contains variables describing a particular aspect of that observation. This type of data is also known as tidy data, flat data, raw data, atomic data, or unit-record data. The term "RAW data" is sometimes used to denote data that has not yet been processed or analyzed.

3. How can I change the file system from RAW?

On your Windows 11/10/8/7 PC, launch Disk Management. Right-click on the RAW drive or partition under Disk Management and select "Format." Next, choose your preferred file system, like NTFS or FAT32, and configure other drive settings. When you click "Start," your RAW disk will be converted to the selected format.

4. Can I convert RAW to NTFS without losing data?

Yes, it is possible to convert RAW to NTFS without losing data, but this would require the use of a tool like the Data Recovery Wizard. The Data Recovery Wizard is a hard drive repair utility that scans and recovers all found issues, including those that cause a disk to be read as RAW.