In computing, a file system is used to control how data is stored and retrieved. In this post we will try to answer some of the questions related to system files and learn about the differences between file systems.
What is a file system?
NTFS and FAT file systems are a technique for storing data on the drive. File systems specify different attributes for each file, such as filenames, permissions, and so on.
FAT file system
FAT is a redesign of the File Allocation Table. This filesystem is mainly designed for small disks and simple folder structures. This filesystem is not very widely used at present, and in today's Windows version this file system is not compatible.
FAT32 is the de-facto standard. This standard has some limitations. For example, files larger than 1 GB cannot be assigned at once. Moreover, the FAT32 partition cannot be larger than 1 terabyte. This is why this file system is used for external media. Such USB flash drives are FAT32 supported.
exFAT filesystem
ExFAT is a redesigned 'Extended File Allocation Table'. This is an upgraded version of FAT32 made by Microsoft. It is similar to the FAT32 file system but has no limitation. For example, it can store files larger than 1 GB.
NTFS file system
This filesystem was created to remove the limitation of the FAT filesystem and add some extras. For example, NTFS file systems have the ability to encrypt files so that data security is protected. Moreover, the names of the files in the FAT file system could only be written in the English alphabet, but in NTFS all file types can be named UTF characters.
Differences betweenNTFS, FAT, FAT32 & exFAT file systems
NTFS
* Supports 1 GB to 2 TB.
* Filenames can be given in the alphabet of any language.
* File encryption facility.
* File compression benefits.
* User permissions benefit.
* Cluster size of file is 5 KB.
* Filenames can be given in the alphabet of any language.
* File encryption facility.
* File compression benefits.
* User permissions benefit.
* Cluster size of file is 5 KB.
FAT
* Not compatible with current Windows version.
* Supports drive from 12 MB to 2 terabytes.
* Works faster on drives smaller than 1GB.
* File cluster size is 32 KB.
* Supports drive from 12 MB to 2 terabytes.
* Works faster on drives smaller than 1GB.
* File cluster size is 32 KB.
FAT 32
* Does not support the modern version of Windows.
* Has security issue.
* Has security issue.
exFAT
* The Linux operating system is accessible via software.
* All Windows versions are supported and modern versions of Mac OS are also supported.
* All Windows versions are supported and modern versions of Mac OS are also supported.
Hope this clarifies the matter.