How to Solve Convert Is Not Available for Raw Drives [2 Efficient Solutions]

Sherly updated on Jan 11, 2024 | Home >Computer Instruction

If you recently tried to convert your drive's file system using the command prompt, and if it gave out an error message saying the "convert is not available for raw drives." It is because you can only use the command "convert" when converting your file type from FAT32 to NTFS.

This article will show specific ways to help you with the problem of how to fix this error and successfully convert your drive's file system. Continue reading to learn more!

What Does "Convert Is Not Available for Raw Drives" Mean

This command of "convert" is reserved for use only when a user intends to convert the file system from FAT32 to NTFS. If the user uses the same command to change the file system to another file system, the user will see the "convert is not available for raw drives" error.

You can also see the error if the drive is already recognized as raw by Windows. When the drive turns to raw, it becomes inaccessible, and Windows can't access, read, or write content. You need to open "Disk Management" and turn it to FAT32 again before using the "Convert" command.

diskpart convert is not available

No matter what the reason is, if you see the error, we know how to fix it. Check out the following section to learn how to correct the error.

How to Fix the "Convert Is Not Available for Raw Drives" Error

Before you fix the drive and prevent it from showing the error, we urge you to create a backup of your drive. There is a possibility that you can lose your files, so create a backup of the important files on your computer.

Now let me show you how to fix the error. There are actually two ways you can do it. We'll show you both now:

Guide 1: Fix "Convert Is Not Available for Raw Drives" Error - EaseUS Partition Master

If you're trying to convert the file system type from FAT32 to a different file system, or if your drive's format is exFAT or NTFS and you want to change it to a different file system, EaseUS Partition Master Free can change the file system type in a matter of a few clicks without running into any errors.

In fact, if the drive is already raw, you can use EaseUS Partition Master to convert it from raw to a working file system such as NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT.

So, if you see the error "convert is not available for raw drives," don't worry. Download EaseUS Partition Master today and convert the file system types of your drives with just a few clicks.

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Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master.

Right-click on the RAW partition or RAW external hard drive/USB/SD card that you need to format and choose "Format".

Format RAW Drive Partition - Step 1

Step 2. Format RAW Partition and reset the file system.

Assign a new partition label, set the file system to NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT, and cluster size to the selected partition, then click "OK".

Format RAW Drive Partition - Step 2

Step 3. In the Warning window, click "Yes" to continue.

By clicking Yes to allow this program to format the target RAW partition to the selected file system format on your drive.

Format RAW Drive Partition - Step 3

Step 4. Execute the operations.

Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the lower right corner to view all the changes, then click "Apply" to start formatting your RAW partition/USB/SD/external hard drive.

Format RAW Drive Partition - Step 4

EaseUS Partition Master can also do the following:

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Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

Guide 2: Fix "Convert Is Not Available for Raw Drives" Error - Diskpart Commands

Alternatively, you can fix the error using the Diskpart commands in the command prompt. While this is a great option, at times, it can fail, unlike EaseUS Partition Master.

But we'll still show you how you can solve the error using diskpart. Here's how:

Step 1. Click on the "Start" button and then search for "Command Prompt."

Step 2. Open it with administrator privileges by clicking on "Run as administrator."

Step 3. Enter the command "diskpart" and press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.

Step 4. Now, type "list disk" and press the "return" key to execute the command. After that, type and enter the following commands:

  • select disk 2 (The 2 is the raw drive number.)
  • list volume
  • select volume 10 (The 10 is the partition number of the raw drive.)

Step 5. Finally, type and enter "format fs=ntfs quick".

diskpart commands

Step 6. Now close the Command Prompt by clicking on the "X" button, or type "exit" in the command prompt and then press the "Enter" button.

Conclusion

If you see the error "convert is not available for raw drives," don't panic. Download EaseUS Partition Master and convert your drive's file system in just a few clicks. Doing the same with the command prompt can be a success or a failure, but EaseUS Partition Master has a 100% success rate and is packed with even more features for all your disk partition needs.

Free Download 

Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

Convert Is Not Available for Raw Drives FAQs

If you have further questions about why "convert" is not available for raw drives, we address a few of your questions here. Check it out!

1. How do I fix CHKDSK is not available for raw drives?

CHKDSD is not available for raw drives? Here's how to fix that:

  • Right-click the raw USB or SD card in Windows Explorer and choose "Properties."
  • Click on the "Tools" section, and then click on "Check" under "Error checking."
  • Now, click on "Scan drive" to check for errors on your disk and then fix the CHKDSK not available for raw drives error.

2. How can I convert the raw hard drive to NTFS without losing data?

Here's how you can convert your raw hard drive to NTFS:

  • Open "Disk Management" by searching for it.
  • Select your raw hard drive, then right-click on it and select "Format."
  • Expand the "File system" drop-down and then select "NTFS."
  • Select "Perform quick format" and click on "OK" to proceed.

3. Why is my hard drive showing as raw?

Your hard drive can show itself as raw if it is not formatted with a recognizable file system, if it is infected with a virus or malware, or if it is corrupted.

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Updated by Daisy

Daisy is the Senior editor of the writing team for EaseUS. She has been working at EaseUS for over ten years, starting as a technical writer and moving on to being a team leader of the content group. As a professional author for over ten years, she writes a lot to help people overcome their tech troubles.

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Written by Sherly

Sherly joined EaseUS in 2022 and she has always loved writing articles and enjoys the fun they bring. She receives professional training here, focusing on product performance and other relative knowledge. She has written over 200 articles to help people overcome computing issues.

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