Which File System To Use
Windows XP supports two primary files systems : FAT and NTFS. The following sections introduce the two file systems
and then you discover some guidelines for making your choice.
→ The FAT File System
FAT is acronym for file allocation table.FAT is supported by all versions of windows. Two variants exist: FAT ( or FAT 16)
and FAT 32. FAT 32 was introduced with windows 95 ( SR2 ) and is still supported by windows XP. The difference
between the two is in how they allocate space for internally tracking files and the size of the hard drive partitions they can
access.
FAT 16 can access drive partitions up to 2GB and can store only up to 512 entries in the root directory. FAT 32 can
access drive partitions up to 32GB in size and has no limit on the number of files that can be stored in the root directory.
If you choose to format a drive using FAT, Windows XP automatically uses the FAT 32 standard. In addition, any floppy
disks formatted by Windows XP automatically use the FAT system.
→ The NTFS file System
NTFS is an acronym for new-technology file system. The file system was introduced with Windows NT.
Windows NT systems were designed to be used in a networked environment — something never intended for FAT
systems. (A networked environment is one in which multiple computers are connected in some sort of network.) Wider
information accessibility meant greater concern for security and a potentially greater number of people accessing the data.
FAT systems just weren’t robust enough for such an environment.
NTFS can now access drive partitions up to 2TB in size. (That’s two terabytes, or 62.5 times larger than the largest
partition accessible by FAT 32.)
→ Making your choice
The default file system for hard drives in a Windows XP system is always NTFS. In most situations, this will work just
fine for you, and you should accept this default when formatting. Some other nuggets are worth considering :
→ If your system must be accessed by multiple operating systems (for instance, you have a dual-boot capability on your
system), then you should use a FAT 32 operating system.
→ If your hard drive partition is very small (256MB or less), then FAT 32 is a fast and efficient choice.
→ If the hard drive partition is small and you want its data to be accessible if you boot to a floppy, use FAT 32.
→ If you need to store very large files on your system (such as big databases or multimedia files), then you should prefer
NTFS.
→ If you need increased file security or you share your data with others over a network, use NTFS.
--Kuldeep Kumavat.
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