Everyone who has ever installed an operating system has come across the fact that at the stage of formatting the installation partition of a hard disk, the program offers to choose the type of the FAT or NTFS file system.
And those who happened to format a flash drive or other external storage device had to decide between the three file systems FAT32, NTFS and exFAT. Most often, users choose the default formatting because they don't know what the difference is.
This article is addressed to those who wish to fill this gap in their knowledge.
FAT file structure: principles and purpose
File structure or File system was developed in the 70s of the last century by Microsoft and represented a certain order of organizing space for storing and accessing data on computers and other digital devices.
The purpose of the functionality is to provide the user with convenient management of information stored on a disk or an external gadget. The file system includes files, folders and directories, as well as a set of system tools that interact with them to perform the functions of reading-writing, creating-deleting, copying, naming, etc. In addition, this structure organizes joint access to information between users and provides protection against unauthorized actions by encryption, work in the "read-only" mode, and so on.
Structurally, the entire area of disk space is divided into clusters, like a sheet of paper in a cage. Each cell is a block, the size of which is specified during formatting and must be a multiple of 2. The minimum size can be 512 bytes (for a flash drive), for a hard disk it is 32 KB. One file can occupy several such clusters. Figuratively, you can imagine disk space in the form of a notebook, where a cluster is a letter, a file is a word, and the file structure is a table of contents of a notebook.
When accessing a file, the operating system must find it in several clusters located in different places on the disk, thus forming a chain of clusters. Each cluster has its own label, which defines it as one of three types:
- Free, ready to write data.
- Busy, which stores some of the information and has data in the label about the next cluster in the chain, while the latter is marked with a special label.
- BAD-block - a cluster with errors, which becomes unavailable after formatting.
The size of the label is determined by the type of file structure: for FAT32 it is 32 bytes.
The entire file system consists of the following parts:
- the boot sector, which is located at the beginning of the disk, is activated after the OS boots and stores the partition parameters;
- a file allocation table ("table of contents") storing cluster labels;
- copies of the file allocation table to recover data in case of damage to the file structure;
- root directory;
- data areas;
- cylinder to perform read / write operations.
There are three types of FAT file systems in total: FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32. FAT was replaced by NTFS, and exFAT is an extended version of FAT32 and is used mainly for flash drives.
Advantages and Disadvantages of FAT32, NTFS, and exFAT File Structures
In order to determine the choice of the most optimal file system for formatting, consider the descriptions of all three options, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of each.
FAT32
Of the three file structures under consideration, FAT32 is the oldest. It replaced FAT16 and until recently was the most progressive. The release of FAT32 was timed to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 OSR2 operating system in 1996. The main distinguishing features are: 32-bit cluster addressing and size limitations: a file no more than 4 GB and a volume of 128 GB.
Dignity
Despite some moral backwardness, FAT32 has a number of advantages over other file systems. Its main attraction is compatibility and versatility. FAT32 works with all versions of operating systems, including Windows (comparison of all versions), Linux and MacOS, suitable for any game consoles and other gadgets with a USB port. Today it is used in all external drives (flash drives, CD-cards) by default, since many old devices: PCs, laptops, set-top boxes with USB input can only work with FAT32.
Other important advantages of the file system are: high-speed performance, low demands on the amount of RAM, productive work with files of medium and small size, as well as low wear of the disk due to less head movements. However, it is also prone to fragmentation, and periodic defragmentation will definitely not hurt.
disadvantages
The main disadvantage of this file system is its size limitations. For clusters, it cannot be more than 64 KB, otherwise some applications may incorrectly calculate disk space.
The file size must not exceed 4GB, so the maximum disk size for a 32KB file allocation table cluster would be about 8TB.
When formatting the disk with ScanDisk, which is a 16-bit program, taking into account the FAT tables themselves, and with a maximum cluster size of 32 KB, the volume is limited to 128 GB.
Given the fact that not many computer devices are equipped with a hard drive with a capacity of more than 8 TB, this disadvantage will not be perceptible for most users. However, the fact that FAT32 works with files up to 4 GB in size is a significant disadvantage, since most high-quality video files of modern 4K format today are larger than these 4 GB, which means they are not compatible with this file system.
Besides size limitations, FAT32 has other disadvantages. It does not support long filenames, which is inconvenient for users who want to logically identify files based on their contents. There are complaints about the security system (an additional anti-virus scanner will not interfere) and the security of files in case of failures (especially hard drives), as well as low speed when working with directories containing many files.
Thus, FAT32 is more suitable for portable devices that are not very capacious and old computers. The latest versions of Windows can no longer be installed on a FAT32 formatted drive, you need to reformat to NTFS.
The main application of the FAT32 file system today is portable flash drives and SD cards (features), which contain few files and are compatible with a variety of digital devices.
NTFS
This file system was developed by Microsoft in 1993 and introduced together with Windows NT 3.1. In the name itself new technology file system which means new technology file system, its progressive essence is laid.
After formatting the disk in NTFS, it is divided into three zones:
- MFT - zone or general file table (Master File Table), where information about files and directories is stored;
- user data;
- metafiles containing service information.
Each of the metafiles is responsible for a specific area. For example, LogFile is a log file in which all operations are written to the log, Boot is the boot sector, Bitmap monitors the free space in the partition, etc. Such a structure reliably protects files from any failures, be it an OS freeze or a power outage.
Dignity
Unlike FAT32, this file structure has practically no restrictions on the size of files and directories. The cluster size can vary from 512 bytes to 64 KB, the optimal size is considered to be 4 KB.
Thanks to many significant improvements to improve security, such as support for file permissions, HPFS quotas, encryption, journaling, access control and auditing, hard links, and more, NTFS is ideal for formatting a disk for the system area. Other partitions of the hard drive can also be formatted in this system, since NTFS allows optimal use of disk space in the presence of many small files.
The advantage of this file organization is fast access to small files, high performance when working with large files, and the ability to use long file names.
disadvantages
The main disadvantage of NTFS is incompatibility with all operating systems below Windows NT, as well as limitations in compatibility with other operating systems. So, Mac OS reads files from NTFS disks, but cannot write them, the same situation with Linux file compatibility. The most popular game consoles Playstation and Xbox 360 do not work with NTFS, only the Xbox One can communicate with it.
Among the disadvantages of NTFS are high RAM requirements, slower speed compared to FAT32, and difficulties in managing medium-sized directories.
Thus, it is more expedient to use the NTFS file structure on hard drives, including SSDs running the latest versions of Windows, starting with NT.
exFAT
This file system is the last to be considered for release. It appeared in 2008 with the next updates to Windows XP and is, in fact, an extended version of FAT32.
The main goal of the developers is to create a productive, convenient and versatile file structure for portable storage devices: flash drives, SD cards and removable hard drives.
Advantages:
- Simple organization without specialized features and restrictions on file and partition sizes.
- Excellent compatibility with all Windows OS as well as Mac OS and Linux. The latter option requires the installation of additional software.
- Support from all modern Apple devices, as well as Xbox One and Playstation 4 game consoles.
The main drawback of the exFAT file organization is Microsoft's licensing policy, which prohibits its free use in the public domain.
The most optimal file structure
After reviewing the descriptions of three popular file systems, the following conclusions can be drawn:
- for computer devices with an operating system higher than Windows NT, it will be more expedient to format the hard disk in the NTFS system;
- for old devices, as well as for compatibility with various modern digital gadgets, the best option would be to choose FAT32;
- for any removable media, the system will be ideal
And the last thing: information about what file structure is implemented on your disks can be found in the "General" tab (right mouse button "Properties").
) through U + 001F () / (slash) \ (backslash) : (colon) * (asterisk) ? (Question mark) "(quote) < (less than) > (greater than) and | (pipe)
Windows XP (including x64) SP2 and later (optional)
Windows Server 2003 SP2 (optional)
Windows Vista SP1 and later
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 10
Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008 R2
Linux (via FUSE or non-mainline kernel driver)
Mac OS X 10.6.5 and later
Some Android OS devices like the Sony Xperia Z (running the latest firmware)
exFAT(from the English. ex tended FAT - "extended FAT"), sometimes called FAT64 is a proprietary file system designed primarily for flash drives. First introduced by Microsoft for embedded devices in Windows Embedded CE 6.0. The default cluster size for exFAT file system ranges from 4KB to 128KB, depending on the size of the volume.
History
exFAT was first introduced in 2008 and is the most modern of the file systems discussed in this article, its support has been added to Windows starting with XP through OS updates. The exFAT file system was created and optimized for use on external storage devices such as flash drives, SD cards and external hard drives, and is intended to replace the outdated FAT32 system. It is the lightest and simplest file system due to the absence of various specialized features inherent in NTFS, as well as the almost complete absence of restrictions on the file and partition size that FAT32 has. Also exFAT has better compatibility with various operating systems than NTFS, and devices with it are perfectly readable and rewritable on both Windows and Mac OS, and Linux (provided that some software is installed). Since exFAT is supported by default in Mac OS, it will probably be supported by most other modern devices that Apple devices work with, such as digital cameras. Modern versions of game consoles, such as the Xbox One and Playstation 4, also support devices with the exFAT file system, unlike their previous versions (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3). Some manufacturers of USB flash drives such as Compact Flash (CF) and solid-state drives (SSD) with high storage capacity come with an integrated exFAT file system from the factory. For example, the manufacturer Sandisk with their 256GB models.
Technical features
Backing up files in a cluster
Like NTFS, exFAT can pre-allocate disk space for a file by simply marking an arbitrary disk space as "allocated". For each file, exFAT uses two separate 64-bit fields in the directory: the actual data block length (VDL), which indicates the actual file size, and the physical data length.
A set of catalog files
exFAT and the rest of the FAT family of file systems do not use indexes for filenames, unlike NTFS, which uses B-trees to find files. When accessing a file, the directory must be scanned fragmentarily until a match is found. For filenames shorter than 16 characters, a file name entry is required, but the entire file is represented by three 32 byte directory entries. This is called a catalog fileset, and a 256MB subdirectory can hold up to 2,796,202 filesets. (If the files have longer names, this number will decrease). To help improve sequential directory lookups (including the root), a file hash value is output for each file and stored in a directory entry. When searching for a file, the file name is first converted to uppercase using the Upcase table (file names are case sensitive) and then hashed using a proprietary proprietary algorithm into a 16-bit (2 byte) hash value. Each entry in the directory is looked up by comparing the hash value. When a match is found, the filenames are compared to make sure the correct file was found. This improves performance because only 2 bytes need to be compared for each file. This can significantly reduce CPU cycles, since most filenames are more than 2 characters (bytes) in size, and each comparison is actually only 2 bytes long while the file is not located.
Metadata and checksums
exFAT allows the use of metadata through the use of checksums. There are currently three checksums. Volume Boot Record (VBR) is a 12-sector area that contains boot records, BIOS parameter block (BPB), OEM parameters, and sector checksum. (There are two VBR type regions, main VBR and standby VBR). The checksum sector is the checksum of the previous 11 sectors, excluding the three bytes in the boot sector. This ensures the integrity of the VBR by determining if the VBR has changed. The most common cause could be a virus in the boot sector, but it can also damage the VBR. The second checksum is used for the UPCASE table. It is a static table and should never change. Any corruption in the table will result in a file detection error, as this table is used to convert filenames to uppercase when searching. The third checksum is found in the filesets of the catalog. Multiple directory entries are used to define a single file, and this is called a set of files. This file has a set of metadata, including the file name, timestamps, attributes, the address of the first cluster where the data is located, the file lengths, and the file name. The checksum is taken over the entire set of files, and an error in choosing the desired file can occur if the set of files in a directory has been accidentally or deliberately changed. When the filesystem is mounted and consistency checks are performed, these hashes are checked. Mounting also involves comparing the exFAT filesystem version of the driver to ensure that the driver is compatible with the filesystem it is trying to mount and to ensure that all of the required directory entries are in place (for example, the directory entry for the Upcase table and distribution Bitmaps are required for the filesystem to work). If any of these checks fail, the filesystem is not mounted, although in some cases it may be mounted read-only.
The file system provides extensibility through templates based on metadata definitions using basic layouts and common patterns.
Advantages
The main advantages of exFAT over previous versions of FAT are:
- Reducing the number of overwrites of the same sector, which is important for flash drives, in which memory cells are irreversibly worn out after a certain number of write operations (this is greatly mitigated by wear leveling built into modern USB drives and SD cards). This was the main reason for the development of exFAT.
- The theoretical file size limit is 64 bytes (16 exabytes).
- The maximum cluster size has been increased to 2 25 bytes (32 megabytes).
- Improving the allocation of free space by introducing a bitmap of free space, which can reduce disk fragmentation.
- Added support for the list of access rights.
- Transaction support (optional, must be supported by the device).
Restrictions
- Older versions of Windows NT, up to Windows Vista without Service Pack 1, do not support exFAT. However, there are official updates from Microsoft that allow exFAT to run on Windows XP SP2 and later.
- Windows Vista is not capable of using exFAT-marked devices under ReadyBoost. Windows 7 has removed this limitation.
- A more complex structure, in comparison with FAT, causes more consumption of computing resources.
- The number of files in subdirectories is limited to 2,796,202 (2 23/3). There is no limitation for the root directory.
Peculiarities
The exFAT file system specifications, features, and requirements include the following:
- The file size limit of 16 EIB is 1 byte (otherwise it is limited to the maximum volume size of 128 PIB - 1 byte), increased from 4 GB - 1 byte in standard FAT32. Thus, for the typical user, full compatibility between the Windows and OS X platforms was ensured for files over 4 GB.
- Scalability to large disk sizes: approx 128 PiB maximum, 512 TiB maximum recommended, raised from the 32-bit value (2 TiB for 512 byte sector size) standard FAT32 partitions.
- Supports up to 2,796,202 files per directory. Microsoft documents limit 65534 files in a subdirectory for their implementation with the FAT32 file system, but other operating systems do not have a special limit on the number of files in a directory with the FAT32 file system, Implementations with the FAT32 file system in other operating systems allow an unlimited number of files up to the number of available clusters (that is, up to 268,304,373 files on volumes without long file names).
- Maximum number of files on volume 2 32 - 11 (compared to approximately 2 28 - 11 in standard FAT32 file system)
- Free space allocation and deletion improved performance by introducing free space in the bitmap.
- Grain mark 10ms for create and modified times (but not as good as 0.1ms for NTFS).
- Grain mark for last access time to double seconds (FAT was date only)
- Additional support for UTC timestamps (starting with Vista SP2).
- Additional support for ACLs (currently not supported on Windows Desktop / Server versions).
- Additional support for TexFAT, a transactional file system standard (optional WinCE activated feature, feature not supported on / Server Windows Desktop versions).
- Offset alignment boundary for FAT table
- Offset alignment boundary for data area
- OEM Wiring Defined options for customizing the file system for specific device characteristics.
- The file length storage disk is correct data (VDL) by using two different field lengths that can be used to preallocate the file.
- Cluster up to 32 MB.
- Metadata integrity with checksums
- Template based on metadata structure
- Removing the physical "." and ".." directory items that appear in subdirectories
- EXFAT does not support short (8.3 format) filenames
- Windows XP requires update KB955704 to install and Windows Vista requires its SP2.
- Windows Vista cannot use EXFAT drives for ReadyBoost. Windows 7 removes this limitation by allowing ReadyBoost to cache more than 4GB.
- The standard EXFAT implementation is not Journaled and uses only one file allocation table and free card space. The FAT file system is used instead of striping tables, as it is allowed to recover the file system if the media was ejected while writing (which is common in practice with removable media). The optional TexFAT component adds support for additional backup tables and maps, but may not be supported.
Comparison with FAT32
Comparison with NTFS
ExFAT can be considered a competitor to NTFS on systems with limited processing power and memory. In addition, the NTFS file system on flash cards is very inconvenient and ineffective to use (the speed of work decreases and the lifespan of flash memory), and it is ExFAT that will be the ideal file system for such devices.
Licensing
The license status was initially undefined. However, Microsoft successfully patented the FAT file system, and in February 2009 sued TomTom for patent infringement. There is also a third-party exFAT implementation for Windows XP / Windows Server 2003, however, it is intended for direct integration into the product distribution kit without the possibility of manual driver installation. This port is based on the Windows Vista driver. In December 2009, Microsoft began licensing the exFAT file system to third-party vendors.
Support
ExFAT support is available on Windows XP with Service Pack 2 and 3 with update KB955704, Windows Vista with Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS X 10.6.5 or higher, and Linux (compilation required Samsung source code). ReadyBoost in Windows Vista is not compatible with exFAT devices. However, Windows 7 removes this limitation.
There is a free exFAT driver as a patch for the Linux kernel that only reads this file system. There is also a driver that works through FUSE, incl. for FreeBSD and OpenBSD OS ( sysutils / fuse-exfat). This driver supports both reading and writing. In addition, in August 2013, Samsung published a GPL-licensed Linux kernel driver. The legality of using all of these implementations is questionable.
Windows 7
The new version of Microsoft Windows 7 fully supports the exFAT file system and all its functions in both 32- and 64-bit versions. In addition, external flash drives formatted in exFAT can be used to work with ReadyBoost technology (and there will be no more 4 GB limit).
Windows Vista
Windows Vista only supports exFAT starting with Service Pack 1. In addition, some features such as access control are also not supported. Unlike Windows 7, exFAT devices in Vista are not supported for ReadyBoost.
Windows XP
ExFAT is not supported in Windows XP, however, the driver can be downloaded from the Microsoft website (link below), but it requires Service Pack 2. For older versions of Windows, there is no official support for exFAT.
Windows Server
ExFAT is fully supported on Windows Server 2008, and by installing the above driver, on Windows Server 2003 as well.
Snow leopard
Mac OS X supports exFAT since version 10.6.4 (June 15, 2010), but only on Macs with an SDXC card reader. Mac mini and iMac are exFAT compatible.
Linux
There is no exFAT support on Linux systems, although there are several solutions, but most of them are paid or inconvenient, in addition, Microsoft, with its proprietary license, puts a spoke in the wheels of independent developers.
exFAT and FAT32
When tested on Windows 7, it showed the same performance as FAT32, but NTFS is still slightly faster. Will exFAT replace FAT32? This is likely to happen only after a massive upgrade to Windows 7 or newer versions of Windows. For consumers, the main benefit of exFAT will be to overcome the FAT32 file limitations (increasing the file size in exFat). We must also remember that the exFAT file system requires a newer OS version (hardware upgrade may be required), as well as the fact that exFAT may simply not be supported on older devices (cameras, mp3-players).
exFAT or NTFS
exFAT can be considered a competitor to NTFS on systems with limited processing power and memory. In addition, the NTFS file system on flash cards is very inconvenient and inefficient to use (the speed of work decreases and the lifespan of flash memory decreases), and it is ExFAT that will be the ideal file system for such devices.
Using exFAT
This file system is great for using on various removable media, the file size on which can exceed 4 GB (external hard drives, large flash drives). If all the devices you work with are modern, you may well ditch FAT32 on removable storage in favor of exFAT.
Summing up, we can draw the following conclusions: NTFS is great for a system hard drive with Windows OS, exFAT is better to use on removable storage media, and FAT32 should be used only if you want to achieve maximum compatibility with all variety of your devices.
Template: P2 contains Microsoft exFAT specification (revision 1.00)Today, on external media, such as flash drives, memory cards or external hard drives, a different file system can be used:
- exFAT;
- FAT32;
- NTFS.
Most often, users do not know which one to choose among these systems, so it is better to initially consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.
FAT32
This file system was created by Microsoft in order to replace the FAT16 system, which at that time was no longer relevant and could not meet the requirements of users. FAT32 is by far the most widely used file system, although exFAT is more modern and often superior in performance.
It should be noted that today the overwhelming majority of flash drives and various memory cards are supplied in this standard. In addition, in the process of formatting a medium in household devices, such as, for example, a camera, it begins to function in this system. This is precisely the main advantage of FAT32, thanks to which the exFAT file system has not yet surpassed it in popularity - it is compatibility. You can use this drive in any home player, printer or other devices and at the same time be confident that you will have access to files and they will be read normally. But this is where the advantages end and the disadvantages begin.
The main reason why in some situations it is worth using FAT32 not only on flash drives, but also on stationary computers is that it will be possible to run almost any operating system on the computer, such as Windows 95 and others. To create such a configuration, it will be enough just to install the previous version of the OS on a partition that is formatted for this file system, and then make it the main one. Other partitions accessed from other OS versions must also be formatted for FAT32 without fail. Other operating systems can only access network partitions or NTFS volumes, while the partitions on the local computer will remain inaccessible.
What are the disadvantages?
The most important disadvantage that FAT32 differs from the exFAT file system is that there is a file size limit of 4 GB. It is for this reason that recording large files, such as, for example, a backup of the system disk or some lengthy video, will be impossible in this case, since the system will simply respond with an error in the form of "Not enough disk space" when trying to record. even if in fact there is still enough space.
In addition, do not forget that in the Windows operating system itself there is a limit on the size of the partition, which is 32 GB. Of course, you can try to bypass it by using additional utilities, but with current drives it is often pointless to do this.
If you do not have any need to transfer or record such large files, and also if you use a small media, then you can not hesitate to format it in FAT32 for a long time and calmly, since the file system support exFAT is not required.
NTFS
A more modern file system compared to the previous one, which was able to completely replace it in modern personal computers, as well as laptops. If you still have files and the FAT32 file system, then it is strongly recommended to change it to NTFS as soon as possible. This will greatly expand the capabilities of your computer.
How to do it?
In Windows, exFAT or NTFS is quite easy to make the main file system. At the command line, you will need to enter "convert e: / fs: ntfs", where instead of e: the disk that you will format is installed. Thus, you can replace the file system without any loss of data contained on the drive.
How does it work on USB sticks?
However, on flash drives and other external devices, NTFS may work differently from computers. When trying to copy to such a device, the operating system automatically turns on the caching procedure, when any file is initially copied into special memory, and only then is it moved to the final medium. In stationary drives, this allows you to achieve significant gains in the speed of data copying, as well as smooth out delays.
In mobile devices, it looks something like this: initially, the data processing speed will be quite high and periodically will even reach 100 Mb / s, but after the cache memory runs out, the speed will simply drop incredibly, reaching critically low values. In this case, before starting to copy the next file, the system will have to initially append the existing file from the cache. In this regard, situations often arise when copying simply freezes at 99%, although the hard disk indicator is still lit as active.
If you compare the copying speed with and without a cache, in fact, it turns out that it is almost the same. That is, if the files and the NTFS file system are the main ones, then we almost do not lose anything, except for the maximum copying speed, as well as providing us with information about how long the data will be copied. Although for many people, such "information" can ultimately turn out to be only a waste of precious nerves.
Are there any benefits?
On the other hand, choosing between which file system is better - exFAT or NTFS, it should be noted that the latter is distinguished by good reliability, which allows it to withstand more than one sudden reboot without any damage to the data. This reliability is ensured through the use of logging technology. Thus, the system more often refers to different areas of the drive, and for flash drives or various memory cards, this approach is critical. In other words, they just start to wear out more quickly.
exFAT
Microsoft recently released a new file system, the exFAT format. This system was originally intended for flash drives, and in fact we can say that it is a traditional FAT32, but without any restrictions. The sizes of partitions and files in this case can reach the maximum possible values, and the amount of data in one folder is practically unlimited. It is for this reason that the most common system where exFAT is used is Android and others that are used in modern gadgets.
Are there any downsides?
Of course, the exFAT file system also has its drawbacks. Android almost in all cases supports this system, but, on the other hand, it is not supported by many consumer devices, and at the same time these devices will not be able to see the media on which the operating system Windows XP is used. The only solution to this situation is to download the KB955704 patch, which was recently released by Microsoft and which allows you to use the system in Windows XP. More modern operating systems easily perceive this file system and actively cooperate with it without any additional procedures.
However, if you often use a flash drive on different computers on which XP is installed, then you better find some additional flash drive with drivers. But this option is unlikely to be acceptable to anyone, because in this case the most important feature of such devices is lost - their compactness and ease of transportation.
If you have computers exclusively with Windows 7, or the flash drive will not be used on so many PCs, then the exFAT file system will be ideal for you.
In conclusion, there are some general tips on how to choose the most up-to-date file system.
If you have a flash drive that does not have such a large volume, then you can format it in FAT32 without hesitation. If, on the contrary, we are talking about a flash drive, the volume of which is large enough, then in this case it can be formatted in exFAT, since "speed jumps" on such devices will be especially visible. External drives in the majority of cases are characterized by a fairly large volume and at the same time have a fairly high performance (especially for those devices that use the USB 3.0 interface), and therefore it is best to format them exclusively in NTFS.
When formatting an internal or external drive, flash drive or memory card, Windows offers to choose between NTFS, FAT32 and exFAT, but does not explain the difference between them. We will explain.FAT32 is an old file system now used mainly for flash drives and other external drives. The NTFS file system is used for the Windows system drive and is ideal for the rest of the internal drives. exFAT is a modern alternative to FAT32 (although it is inferior in popularity) and has much broader support than NTFS.
FAT32
FAT32 is the oldest of the three listed file systems. It appeared in the days of Windows 95, replacing the even older FAT16 file system.
The venerable age is both an advantage and a disadvantage of FAT32. On the one hand, over the years this file system has become the de facto standard. Almost all flash drives are formatted for FAT32 by default in order to provide the widest possible compatibility not only with modern computers, but also with other systems - from game consoles to any other devices equipped with USB ports.
On the other hand, age imposes its own limitations. The file size on a FAT32 formatted disk cannot exceed 4 GB. And the FAT32 partition itself should be less than 8 TB - the limitation is already less noticeable, but noticeable in the presence of a modern large-capacity disk.
This file system is suitable for flash drives and other external drives, but not for internal drives. It lacks the differentiation of rights and other security features available in the more modern NTFS file system. Modern versions of Windows do not support installation on disks formatted for FAT32 - only NTFS is suitable for them.
Compatibility: with all versions of Windows, Mac, Linux, game consoles and almost any other device with USB ports.
Restrictions: the maximum file size is 4 GB, the maximum partition size is 8 TB.
Ideal for: external storage, as it provides maximum compatibility with a wide range of devices, provided that you do not need to store files larger than 4 GB.
NTFS
NTFS is a modern file system optimized for Windows. When installing Windows, the system drive is automatically formatted for NTFS. The maximum allowable file size and partition size in NTFS are so large that it is almost impossible to encounter restrictions. In consumer versions of Windows, NTFS began to be used with the release of Windows XP.
The lack of serious restrictions is not the only advantage of NTFS. The file system has many modern features. Among them - access rights management, change log for quick error correction in case of failure, shadow copies for backups, encryption, allocation of quotas on the disk, hard links and many other useful features. Many of them, especially the differentiation of file access rights, are vital for the disk on which the operating system is installed.
The system partition for Windows must be formatted for NTFS. If the computer is equipped with a second hard drive on which the programs are supposed to be installed, it is also better to format it under NTFS.
However, NTFS is less compatible with other operating systems. It is supported in all versions of Windows starting from Windows XP, but it can work with other OS only in a limited mode. So, Mac OS X, by default, can read disks with NTFS, but cannot write to them. Many Linux distributions allow you to enable NTFS write support, but some have read-only filesystems. Sony PlayStation game consoles do not support it at all. Even the Xbox 360, Microsoft's own console, can't read NTFS disks, although the Xbox One can. In other devices, the likelihood of encountering NTFS support is even less.
Compatibility: with all versions of Windows; read-only on Mac with default settings; read-only in some Linux distributions with standard settings; on devices other than Microsoft Xbox One, it is most likely not supported.
Restrictions: imperceptible.
Ideal for: Windows system partition and other internal drives intended to be used only with Windows.
exFAT
The exFAT file system appeared in 2006, and after the release of updates it became supported in Windows XP and Windows Vista. It is optimal for flash drives, since it was originally conceived as a lightweight file operating system of the FAT32 level, but without the limitations and additional functions inherent in NTFS.
As with NTFS, exFAT has very large file and partition sizes. This allows you to store files larger than 4 GB each on a flash drive or memory card. exFAT is significantly better than FAT32 and is ideal for external drives that require a lightweight file system without the limitations of FAT32.
In addition, exFAT has broader cross-device compatibility than NTFS. For example, Mac OS X can only read NTFS, but it supports writing to exFAT. In Linux, exFAT disks are also supported after installing special software.
But while exFAT is compatible with Macs and many non-NTFS devices (such as digital cameras), there are still limitations. For example, Microsoft Xbox 360 doesn't support it (but Xbox One does). The PlayStation 3 doesn't support either, although the PlayStation 4 is rumored to work with exFAT. And many older devices only support FAT32.
Compatibility: with all versions of Windows and modern versions of Mac OS X; Linux requires special software to be installed; supported by a wider range of devices than NTFS, but some older devices can only work with FAT32.
Restrictions: imperceptible.
Ideal for: flash drives and other external drives, especially if you intend to store files larger than 4 GB each. If all available devices support exFAT, this file system should be used instead of FAT32.
The FAT32 and exFAT file formats are among the most common in the world. What are their similarities and differences?
FAT32 facts
FAT32- a file system developed by the world's largest software provider - Microsoft. It is one of the basic ones for Windows OS. It is considered as a further development of the FAT file system. Assumes the use of 32-bit addressing of file clusters. The maximum disk size that a FAT32 system can support is 8 terabytes. The maximum file size is 4 GB.
The FAT32 system is quite versatile. Now it is supported not only by Windows, but also by many open platforms such as Linux. Can be used as a file system for hard drives, flash drives, SD cards.
ExFAT facts
The exFAT file system, like FAT32, is the development of Microsoft. Considered as optimally adapted for flash drives, in particular those that carry files in mobile devices. The exFAT system supports huge file sizes - up to 16 exabytes, or 16 million terabytes.
The suitability of the exFAT system for flash drives is primarily due to the fact that it manages files with a low intensity of sector rewriting operations - accordingly, the wear of flash memory cells is reduced. Another notable feature of the exFAT system is the presence of improved algorithms for allocating free disk space and reducing media fragmentation.
Comparison
So, the main difference between FAT32 and exFAT is that the first system has a significantly lower limit on the supported file size - 4 GB. It is not so difficult to find a suitable object that would exceed the marked figure - this could be, for example, a movie in HD quality. In turn, it is extremely difficult to imagine a file that would exceed the exFAT limit of 16 million terabytes.
A certain difference between the systems under consideration can be traced in the aspect of their universality. FAT32 is currently fully supported on a large number of platforms. As we noted above, Linux users are able to work seamlessly with files on disks that are formatted in FAT32. However, using the exFAT system via Linux is generally possible only if additional drivers are installed.
As for the Mac OS platform, only in version 10.6.5 and later of this OS is compatibility with exFAT implemented.
Old Windows support for exFAT also has limitations. The new file system is recognized by Windows OS starting from Vista with Service Pack 1 installed.
Another aspect of the differences between FAT32 and exFAT is the performance of systems based on them. The fact is that the exFAT file system, due to its high manufacturability and complexity of algorithms for working with files, involves the use of a larger amount of computing resources than FAT32. Therefore, if we compare two PCs with the same characteristics in terms of the power of hardware components (while equipped with disks formatted in different file systems) - FAT32 and exFAT, the one on which the first technology is used will work faster.
table
So, what is the difference between FAT32 and exFAT, we now know. Let's display the main criteria that predetermine the differences between the considered file systems in the form of a table.
| FAT32 | exFAT |
| What file systems have in common | |
| One developer is Microsoft. | |
| One target platform - Windows | |
| What are the differences between file systems | |
| Maximum file size - 4 GB | Maximum file size - 16 million TB |
| The file system is fully supported by most versions of Windows, third-party platforms | The file system is fully supported in Windows OS starting from Vista Service Pack 1, in Mac OS - starting from release 10.6.5, in Linux - provided that the necessary drivers are installed |
| Requires less performance of PC hardware resources due to the simplicity of the technology | Requires higher performance of PC hardware resources due to complex algorithms for working with files |
