Change file allocation unit size without format

Question

Is it possible to change a hard drive's file allocation unit size without formatting or at least not lose files?

Dennis · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-05 17:23:24Z

up vote 3 down vote accepted

There are several third party partition managers that allow you to change the cluster size without reformatting.

Examples:

GParted is free software. You can download a LiveCD from here.

Be aware that all changes to a partition might corrupt the data. Backing up the important files is always a good idea.

edited Jun 5 '12 at 17:23

answered Jun 5 '12 at 17:17

Dennis
23.2k43471

	Acronis Disk Director only changes cluster size for the free space on the volume: kb.acronis.com/content/14636. – haimg Jun 5 '12 at 17:20
	@haimg: Thanks for the heads up. – Dennis Jun 5 '12 at 17:24
	And MiniTool Partition Wizard can only change the cluster size without formatting of dynamic disks, not basic disks. – Synetech Jun 5 '12 at 17:45

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