# Solved: access denied when chaning volumeid on XP after leaving FAT32 to NTFS



## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

I am having problems changing my volumeid. I recently changed from FAT32 to NTFS on my computer's C drive. I downloaded the volumeid.exe however, when I run it the MSDOS window opens for a split second but doesn't allow me to do anything and then it's gone. I have tried to open a command prompt and type in - volumeid <C:> xxxx-xxxx to no avail. Please help.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

You must run VolumeID from a command prompt(Start -> Run -> type CMD) and not from Run, thats why it disappears on you.

Further the command should be:
volumeid C: xxxx-xxxx 
where the x's are what you want to change it too.

Why do you need to change the volume ID?


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## Goku (May 17, 2007)

Do you want to convert your hard drive to NTFS from FAT32 File System?


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## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

Yes. I have already changed from FAT32 to NTFS. I have downloaded the volumeid.exe and followed the step by step instructions, however, it says "access denied" when I do so. I have also logged in as administrator in safe mode ran the volumeid.exe then typed "volumeid <C:> 172B-12FC" where I still received the same message "access denied". I do not know why this is occuring, however, I want to get my volume id on my c drive back to what it was in order for Microsoft to validate my OS. Do I not need to do this step? Can I simply leave it the way it is? Will my Windows XP Home Ed. be valide nonetheless? Anybody know?


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

You do not need to change the volume id for validation.


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## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

I have been running it from a command prompt and not from Run: I tried what you suggested and it states: 'volumeid' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Perhaps that's because VolumeID.EXE is not a part of Windows? If you'd like to download it, here's the link: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/FileAndDisk/VolumeId.mspx


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## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

So do I need to do anything else? Let me tell you what I have done

- downloaded and ran bootitNG.exe which controlled the partition management and aligned for NTFS

- restarted WinXP and defragmented c drive


- backed up wpa.dbl and wpa.bak

- used convert tool "convert c: /fs:ntfs

- then I was supposed to change back the volume id to what it was but if you're saying it's not necessary then I will just stop there

thanks but do I need to do something else??


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## Goku (May 17, 2007)

I still don't get it.If all you want to do is convert your hard drive to NTFS from FAT32,then do the following:-

To change from FAT 32 to NTFS file system for more stability, security and less fragmentation, open the command prompt and type:

Convert C: /FS:NTFS

"C" being the drive you wish to convert. Make sure there is a space between the C: and the foward slash (/). Once you press enter it will ask you for confirmation and press Y. Then press Y and enter once more to reboot.. This also works for windows XP Home.


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## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

yes I even tried that download with the same problems there must be a reason why there is the message "access denied" can you think of any reason why it would say this?


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## Goku (May 17, 2007)

Are you logged in as Adminstrator?Do you have Adminstrator privileges?


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## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

I have already finished the convert yesterday I am just trying to change back the volume id on my c drive but it is stating "access denied" I am currently at NTFS on my drive but it's a different volumeid it says "DCED-1393" and it was originally "172B-12FC" and I simply want to change it back to what it was originally but I can't since it's stating "access denied" and when I run the volumeid.exe it only comes up for a split second then dissappears. Has anyone tried this volumeid.exe??


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## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

Yes. I do have ad priv however I guess I have to login in safe mode to get there. do you know of any other way to get into ad mode? I have tried running the volumeid.exe in ad mode but get the same results.


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## Goku (May 17, 2007)

Well,you mean you are currently running on an NTFS File System?


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Are you trying to change the "Volume ID", or the "Volume Label"? Do you really know what the "Volume ID" is? Why do you feel the need to change it? I've never had the need on any system I've worked on.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

I've never changed it either and I'm confused as to why you think you need too or why you've done so many steps to convert from FAT32 to NTFS. I think you're trying to fix something that isn't broke but soon might be.


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## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

Well I am not sure, however, on the command prompt I typed: vol c:
and the second line told me that my VSN was 172B-12FC. Now when I type: vol c: it states DCED-1393. What should I do?


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

What do you do? Nothing! That's just a hash that is randomly generated to allow Windows to see if the disk has been dismounted. I have never needed to change it, or even heard of the need to change it. I suspect that maybe in a large organization there must be a reason, since there are several utilities that offer the capability. OTOH, it must be telling to you that none of us have ever done it, and I know I've handled a lot of systems. 

Here's all you ever wanted to know about Volume Serial Numbers: http://www.digital-detective.co.uk/documents/Volume Serial Numbers.pdf


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## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

These are the instructions I followed: 



Converting a partition from FAT32 to NTFS can be done by an inbuilt utility in the Windows XP operating system &#8212; but it is important to realise that it is a one-way process. You cannot convert back, except possibly by use of Partition Magic 7.01, and that is not always successful. Windows XP has no tool for converting from NTFS to FAT32.

There are a couple of things to do in advance if the conversion is to be efficient. If you do not take these preliminary steps, you are liable to end up with only 512 byte clusters, which is not a good idea.

What happens is that FAT32 partitions formatted by most Windows versions except Windows XP itself (and possibly Windows 2000) have an odd multiple of 2 kilobytes in the &#8220;system&#8221; sectors before the data area, where the File Allocation Tables themselves and clustering start. Therefore, clusters 4 KB in size are not aligned on 4 KB boundaries, as NTFS will want. CONVERT.EXE, finding it cannot use 4K clusters, gives up and makes the clusters only 512 bytes (one half KB) instead. (For a table of the varying default cluster sizes used by FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS for partitions of varying sizes, click here.)

It is, therefore, important to realign the partition before conversion, by moving all the data area up to a 4K boundary. (This will absorb odd sectors at the far end which otherwise would not get used). For this, I suggest BootIT NG, from BootitNG.com. This is a shareware program, priced at US$30 but with a 30-day fully functional trial. You may well find it valuable also for its Disk Imaging and Partition Management capabilities.

Download the BOOTITNG.ZIP file to its own folder, extract the contents of the ZIP file, then run BOOTITNG.EXE, which will make a bootable floppy. Boot this floppy. For purposes of Partition Management, there is no need to install the program to hard disk, so click Cancel Install, thus entering Maintenance. Click Partition Work. Highlight the partition you intend to convert. Click Slide, which has an option check box to Align for NTFS only. Click OK. As it has to move almost every sector on the entire partition, this will take a very long time &#8212; schedule it for a meal break, or start it to run overnight. (If it finishes quickly, that probably means that the partition was properly aligned already.)

Then restart the computer, boot Windows XP, being sure to logon as an Administrator, and defragment the disk. This ensures that there is, as far as possible, a contiguous area for the NTFS Master File Table. It is best if there is a fairly substantial amount of free space while you do it.

Now use the Windows XP convert tool: Go to Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt (or, from a Run box, type CMD) and, assuming you intend to convert C:, give the command:

VOL C:

Note the name of the disk in the first line, and the Volume Serial Number (for example, 3F4E-2D1B) in the second. Then type:

CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS

It will ask for that name in confirmation. Then it will ask two further questions. Reply Y each time to set up conversion to happen at the next boot, then restart the machine. (If you are converting a partition other than the operating system&#8217;s partition, you may find that it runs without rebooting.) After returning to Win XP, the hard disk will work for two or three minutes, tidying up. Leave things alone during this time.

Consult the Hints in the Windows Product Activation article (under What About Formatting a Hard Disk?) regarding the resetting of the volume serial number, which will have been changed. The hints given will assure that you do not lose a Windows Product Activation &#8220;life.&#8221;

What about formatting a hard disk?
Two things are recorded for disks: the number of the disk drive itself, and the Volume Serial Number (VSN) of the partition on it.

HINT No. 1: The VSN is part of the data in the partition&#8217;s first sector, so it is changed when you reformat the drive. It is worth getting the freeware utility Volume ID to restore the original VSN. Before you reformat, run VOL from a Command Prompt, note the VSN (e.g., 1F2E-3C4B) in the second line. Then, after the reformat and new Windows XP installation, defer the new activation until you have run Volume ID to restore the old VSN, and rebooted. This is not essential &#8212; but it saves one of the &#8216;Yes votes&#8217; against any future hardware change. (If you don&#8217;t wish to run this utility, the next best way to obtain the same result would be to delete the old Win XP files from the hard drive before reinstalling, rather than actually reformatting.)

HINT No. 2: Another thing that changes the VSN is converting a FAT 32 partition to NTFS. So, if you upgrade a system using FAT 32 to Windows XP and intend to convert to NTFS, do the conversion before activating the system. Remember, you can wait a while: you have 30 days before you need to activate. The machine&#8217;s hardware at the time of the first activation is what counts. Or, if you have already activated, use Volume ID as described in Hint No. 1. If you are doing this after activation, also first back up the WPA.DBL and WPA.BAK files, as described in Hint No. 3 below, and, after completion of the conversion, restore these files and reboot again.

HINT No. 3: It is valuable to back up the two files WPA.DBL and WPA.BAK from the Windows\System32 folder.Then, should they get damaged, or should you do a &#8216;Repair&#8217; reinstallation of Win XP, these files can be copied back to restore the prior activation status. However, this only works in those limited circumstances. The contents of these two files is matched to the specific Windows setup; therefore, contrary to what many journalists and members of the user community have written in recent months, restoring these files will not restore your activation status following a reformat and clean install.

The disk drive and partition recorded will be the ones that the system has found first when doing the initial activation: normally the one from which the system booted. So, if you change that disk and reinstall Windows to a new partition, you have lost two of the Yes votes. If, though, you add a new hard disk, copy the original partition onto it with an imaging program, and retain the original hard drive as a secondary data disk, it will still be found by a later check. This is because it searches for all disks, and the vote will be Yes in both categories if it finds the original one, with the partition not reformatted.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I'll say it for the last time, this is my last post to this thead. You don't have to do anything to the VSN.


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## clearwaterkid (Jun 27, 2007)

okay JohnVill thanks!


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

OK, it's not my last post, this one is. 

*You can mark your own threads solved using the thread tools at the upper right of the screen.©*


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