The file system on your device plays an important role. Thanks to it, the processing and storage of data on the medium is carried out. The file system limits the size of the file and the number of characters in its name, as well as the speed of data exchange.
There are many file systems in the world at the moment, but two of them are the most popular:
- exFAT,
- NTFS.
And when organizing a system on a computer, most users have a question "Ntfs or exfat?" Let's consider each system separately, and then we will conduct a comparative analysis.
exFat
The exFat file system was developed by Microsoft and is an upgraded version of the FAT32 system. In the new reproduction, the following restrictions were removed:
- File size,
- Section volume,
- The number of files in one section and folder.
It is most actively used by users on removable media. However, there is one drawback that may seem like a stumbling block, many household appliances don't support her! As far as Windows is concerned, XP does not support exFAT by default. But the user can download an update from the official website that will remove this limitation. Modern versions of operating systems have exFAT support.
NTFS
This file system was also developed by Microsoft ( windows developer) and is used to this day as a modern analogue of FAT32.
If you install it on removable media, then the data transfer rate will be quite slow. This is due to the use of the cache when copying data. It works like this:
1. First, the information is stored in the cache, while the speed can reach 100 mb per second!
2. But since the cache is small on removable media, it quickly fills up and the speed decreases dramatically.
In the situation with computers and laptops, this feature works great, because the cache size is larger, and this allows you to smooth the transfer curve and increase speed.
Comparison of the exFAT file system with NTFS
exFAT does not have most of the nice features that NTFS has, such as file data streams, which increases the speed of information exchange. But the advantages of exFAT include the use of less system memory, besides, it is capable of storing files larger than 4 GB. Only NTFS was capable of this before.
Which system to use depends on the medium, its volume and the user's choice! If you do not want to tempt your fate and run into the pitfalls of incompatibility, then the NTFS system is recommended.
Choosing a file system for regular user becomes relevant when formatting hard disk, flash drive or other storage medium. The system offers several options: FAT16, exFAT,. Almost nothing is known about the advantages and disadvantages of each, so they often choose what is heard - as a rule, this. For the sake of fairness, it is worth clarifying that FAT16 today is more of a memory, and formatting of a medium into it is performed only as an experiment. The exFAT system, due to its still insignificant distribution, can also be considered, if not exclusive, then not universal solution - not all operating systems support it. So the choice is between two abbreviations - FAT32 and.
File system based on FAT16. Essentially, this file system is spreadsheet file allocation using 32-bit records. By the way, the acronym stands for File Allocation Table.
A file system, which is a certain structure: at the beginning of the disk, a summary table (or directory) of all files, then the actual data. The abbreviation stands for New Technology File System.
In practice, today the FAT32 file system is more often used on small removable media, NTFS - on system drives and for storing files big size... FAT32 clusters are larger, hence disk space when storing a large number of small files, it is used irrationally. A large number of programs that require the presence, for example, many libraries, font files and others, in the FAT32 system will respond to slow operation. NTFS provides fast access to a small file or part of a file.
In general, NTFS is noticeably slower than FAT32, but NTFS is more efficient when accessing large files. Fragmentation does not affect NTFS in any way, while FAT32 will noticeably decrease performance (especially when working with medium-sized directories).
When it comes to hardware work hard drives, then FAT32 will provide a gentle mode for them: when reading, the head makes fewer movements, respectively, the degree of mechanical wear will be less. However, the relevance of this property is lost in light of the minor use of the FAT32 file system on hard drives in systems. The design of flash drives and memory cards does not imply mechanical wear.
To work with the NTFS file system requires a significant amount random access memory, so weak systems with less than 64 MB of RAM are not designed for it. Although at present, such assemblies can be found only in museums or created for the sake of experiments. However, remember that the FAT32 system does not impose requirements on the amount of RAM - it's worth it, especially if you take into account the option of expanding the standard memory mobile devices... The phone simply will not be able to work with a memory card formatted in NTFS, even if it can be accessed from the operating system.
The maximum file size in FAT32 is 4 GB. NTFS theoretically supports files of about 16 TB. The theoretical maximum disk size for FAT32 is 8 TB, while for NTFS it is about 16 exabytes. True, the technology has not yet reached the use of these properties in practice.
Another undoubted plus for NTFS is the ability to compress a file at the file system level. You can also talk about more high level reliability of the system, and, in addition, the ability to preserve the file structure in NTFS in case of failure.
NTFS uses disk space more efficiently.
FAT32 is faster.
NTFS provides high performance when working with large files.
FAT32 supports files up to 4 GB in size.
FAT32 does not require a lot of RAM.
NTFS provides high system reliability.
Everyone who has ever installed an operating system has come across the fact that at the stage of formatting the installation partition hard disk, the program offers to choose the type of file system FAT or NTFS.
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 control information stored on a disk or 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 read-write, create-delete, copy, naming, etc. Besides, this structure organizes sharing to information between users and provides protection against unauthorized actions by encryption, read-only operation, and so on.
Structurally, the entire area of \u200b\u200bdisk space is divided into clusters, like a sheet of paper in a cell. 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 the cluster is a letter, a file is a word, and file structure - the table of contents of the 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, who 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") that stores cluster labels;
- copies of the file allocation table to recover data if the file structure is damaged;
- root directory;
- data areas;
- cylinder to perform read / write operations.
There are three types of FAT file system 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.
Pros and cons of FAT32, NTFS and exFAT file structures
In order to determine the choice of the most optimal file system for formatting, we will 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 was the most progressive until recently. The release of FAT32 was timed to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 OSR2 operating system in 1996. The main distinctive features: 32-bit cluster addressing and size limitations: file no more than 4 GB and volumes of 128 GB.
Advantages
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 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, undemanding amount of RAM, efficient 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 4 GB, so the maximum disk size for a 32 KB file allocation table cluster would be about 8 TB.
When formatting a 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 noticeable 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 the 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 file names, which is inconvenient for users who want to logically identify files based on their contents. There are complaints about the security system (an additional antivirus 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, not very capacious devices 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 use 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 systemwhich means file system new technology , its progressive essence is laid.
After formatting a 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.
Advantages
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.
With 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, as well as 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. Most Popular game consoles Playstation and Xbox 360 do not work with NTFS, only Xbox One can communicate with it.
Among the disadvantages of NTFS are the high requirements for the amount of RAM, lower speed compared to FAT32 and the difficulty of managing medium-sized directories.
Thus, it is more expedient to use the NTFS file structure on hard drives, including SSDs running the latter. windows versionsstarting 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 game consoles Xbox One and Playstation 4.
The main disadvantage 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 would be more expedient to format the hard disk in NTFS;
- 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").
Most computer users equate the process of formatting flash drives only with deleting data from digital media. In fact, this is not the only purpose of this operation.
Formatting a flash card is similar to formatting hard disk. The same formatting options are available. Which people often don't pay much attention to. But right choice and setting these parameters during formatting may further affect the performance of your flash card. The instructions and information in this article will help you format your USB stick correctly.
Formatting is nothing more than the process of processing a digital storage device. The main task of this process is to work with the structure of the drive, its ordering or complete change. All digital media can be formatted:
- Winchesters;
- USB flash cards;
- SD memory card.
Before starting the formatting process, remember that after this action all data on the drive will be erased. Recovering lost data will be problematic and not always possible. But this process also has positive aspects, the system can detect and repair damaged parts of the structure during formatting.
How to format a flash card in Windows 7/8/10
The Windows operating system developers have made the formatting function standard. You can find it in the explorer, when you click right click mouse on the device display icon. In the menu that appears, select "Format".
Running standard tool formatting media
In this simple way, you can run standard program formatting. It consists of a single window that contains the settings for the procedure. Here you can change the file system type, cluster size, volume label, and formatting method. To start the formatting procedure, click the "Start" button. The system will ask you for confirmation to perform this action, after which the process will begin.
Windows Standard Formatter Window
For normal use, changing the parameters is not essential, but for everyone it will be useful to know what each of the parameters is responsible for:
- The "File system" parameter is responsible for how information will be stored. There are several types of different file systems: NTFS, FAT, FAT32, exFAT. These file systems were created by Microsoft and are widely used in Windows.
- The Cluster Size is the minimum amount of memory that can be allocated to store the file. The default for NTFS is 4 kb, for FAT - 64 kb, for FAT32 - 16 kb, for exFAT - 32.
- The "Volume Label" parameter is the name of the storage medium that will be displayed on computers.
In what format to format the USB flash drive correctly for android
As it was written above, in Windows OS, when formatting, there are 4 options for file system formats: NTFS, FAT, FAT32 and exFAT. So what is the best format for storing information on flash drives? To answer this question, consider the pros and cons of each format.
FAT32 or NTFS? Still NTFS.
Which file system is better: FAT32 or NTFS?
The fat32 file system is most commonly used on low-memory devices, and ntfs on high-volume media. It makes sense.
- Files larger than 4 GB can be written to memory cards with ntfs format, while writing files to a USB flash drive with fat32 format will not be possible.
- Fat32 is generally faster than ntfs, but not as efficient when dealing with large files.
- The ntfs format is demanding on RAM, while fat32, on the contrary, does not impose any requirements on the amount of RAM.
- Fat32 is compatible with all operating systems and the ntfs system ensures stability and reliability.
Based on the differences, fat32 is most suitable for storage media with a smaller volume, in this case there is no need to work with files larger than 4 GB. That is why flash drives for android are best formatted in fat32 format. And for hard drives and usb drives it is preferable to use the ntfs file system, since it has more advantages, and its disadvantages in modern conditions are leveled.
What is the maximum cluster size to choose in fat32 for installing windows 7, 8, 10
The memory of the hard drive is divided into clusters that correspond to the minimum size of memory that can be allocated to store a file. Each cluster is marked as busy by the system, even if it is not completely filled with information.
For this reason, a file system with a large cluster size will waste disk space. On the other hand, the smaller the cluster size, the slower the system will run. After all, the files will be split into many small parts. Based on the above, for windows installations it is best to use a cluster of 4 KB or less.
The exfat file system - what it is and its features
The exFAT file system is a development of Microsoft corporation that combines the best qualities NTFS and FAT32
The exFAT file system format is also developed by Microsoft Corporation. It is primarily intended for use on removable media. This file system has some features that distinguish it from older formats.
- The maximum possible cluster size is 32 MB;
- The maximum file size allowed is 16 exabytes;
- The number of files and folders is not limited;
- More efficient use of space;
- Lack of logging.
This file system combines the features of two formats: NTFS (work with large files) and FAT32 (speed).
ExFAT is considered a compatibility issue. It is supported without installing additional software only in operating systems Windows 7 and newer. In previous versions, this file system may be used after installing updates, and in all cases the file system will not work to its fullest. As for devices that are capable of working with this FS, everything is much worse. Manufacturers refuse to pay for this format. For this reason, it is too early to talk about replacing the old types with the new exFAT file system.
When formatting a flash drive, you can choose the file system: NTFS or FAT32. File System (FS) is a way to write and store data on external storage... It depends on her choice how the media will work, how much will fit on it, what devices can read and write information. But the main difference is the maximum size of the stored file. These FSs have different characteristics and different purposes. You need to decide in advance what the drive will be used for. Understand how to format a USB flash drive in NTFS or FAT32, what advantages each file system gives, and in what conditions it will be useful. Even if you don't have a specific set of tasks for a USB drive, it makes sense to learn more about the File System.
One of the characteristics of FS is cluster size. This is a kind of "sector" on a flash drive. Imagine seeing a field divided into cells. If you put data in one of them, nothing else will be written there. Even if they haven't completely filled the sector.
To choose NTFS or FAT32 for a flash drive, you need to understand specific example... Let's say the cluster size is 16 Kilobytes. If you copy a file that weighs 8 Kilobytes to the media, it will take up the entire "cell". And the next data will be written to other sectors. If you move the document 18 kilobytes, it gets two clusters. And nothing can be added to them. And 14 KB will be wasted free space... Accordingly, the smaller the cell, the more data will fit on the drive.
Before formatting a USB flash drive to FAT32 or NTFS, see what is the minimum cluster size in them. It depends not only on the file system, but also on the characteristics of the drive. This value can be manually selected during cleaning.
In most cases, there is little difference between sectors in FS. But in FAT32, changing the cluster has a significant impact on performance. This File System works much more efficiently with large "cells". For NTFS, the optimal sector size is 4KB. For FAT32 - 8 or 16 KB. But you can choose other options.
FAT32 can be easily launched on computers with little RAM. This FS is suitable for you if you want to move small files and folders to the drive. With a low percentage of fragmentation, the file system is fast. It is compatible with many devices: cameras, TVs, set-top boxes, players, printers. The data from the media will be available on any gadget.
If you are wondering how to format a USB flash drive to FAT32, it makes sense to learn about the limitations. Files larger than 4 Gigabytes will simply not be written there. A message will appear stating that the disk is full. If you plan on storing high quality movies on it, this FS is not the best way... If you are carrying photographs or documents on it, choose FAT32.
There are no such "obstacles" in NTFS. Maximum size files are limited only by the storage capacity. In this File System, memory is rationally allocated. Work with multilevel catalogs with a lot of data is efficiently organized.
Formatting
To format a flash drive in FAT32 or NTFS to be successful, you need to optimize it.
- Insert the drive into the USB slot.
- Wait while the system detects the presence of a new device and finds a driver for it.
- Open "My Computer". It should be on your desktop or in the start menu.
- There will be a list of disks and connected devices.
- Right-click on the media.
- Item "Properties".
- Hardware tab.
- Highlight the media.
- Properties button.
Click on Properties
- Section "Politics".
- Select "Optimize for execution". If not there desired optiontherefore no optimization is required.
- Confirm the action.
After that, you can figure out how to format the USB flash drive in FAT32 and NTFS.
- Open "My Computer".
- Right-click on the drive you want to clean.
- To see which File System is on it, open Properties. The "General" tab will contain the information you need.
- Right-click on the flash drive again.
- Item "Format".
Click format
- Select NTFS or FAT32 from the File System drop-down list. There may be other FSs: "FAT" (no numbers), "exFAT".
- In the "Cluster size" section, specify the desired cluster size accordingly. The minimum value differs on different File Systems.
- You can uncheck the "Quick" checkbox to ensure deep cleaning volumes.
- Click Get Started.
- The process will take some time. Do not interrupt it or turn off your PC.
Through settings
- Right-click on the My Computer icon.
- Item "Management".
- Expand the list of "Storage Devices". He's on the left.
- Sub-item "Disk Management".
Disk management
- In the menu that appears, right-click on the drive.
- Item "Format".
- Further steps are the same as in the previous chapter.
Do not touch anything else while operating your computer. If you accidentally change the primary drive or volume letter, problems will arise.
Programs
Formatting a flash drive in NTFS or FAT32 using utilities is practically no different from cleaning the built-in ones windows tools... But third party applications you need to search, download and install yourself. Here are some of them:
- HDD LOW Level Format Tool.
If you need quick copy small files, figure out how to format a USB flash drive to FAT32. This file system is suitable for small drives. If you plan to store objects that weigh 4 GB or more on media, you need NTFS.
