Fat32 vs NTFS

IceDigger

IceDigger

[H]F Junkie
2FA
Joined
Feb 22, 2001
Messages
12,366
Question for you guys. Is it ok to put a fat32 filesystem for windows XP? Advantages/Disadvantages.
 
i know you can run a secondary partitioni that iis formated in fat32. as far as the advantages cant think of any, ntfs is supposed to be a better drive format but i dont really know. i would go ntfs.
 
NTFS will generally be the better call. FAT32 can be read an written to by other OSes, so if you're dual booting or might need to swap the disk into another computer, then FAT32 might be a better choice.
 
NTFS will give you file-level security and is arguably much better in terms of file corruption. Unless you're going to be reading from the drive in Linux or Win9x, definitely use NTFS. In fact, if you are going to be reading with Linux or Win9x, I'd recommend making a separate FAT32 partition for storage and keeping the OS partition NTFS.
 
I really recommend the NTFS file system for Windows XP. The slight downside is a slight loss of speed compared to FAT32, but you get a much more robust file system with many more features (like the file security mentioned).

And like everyone else mentioned, if you need FAT32 for some reason (like running Linux and you want a shared partition), just create a separate FAT32 partition.

It's fine to run Windows XP on a FAT32 file system, I do on one of my comps, but I wish I had used NTFS instead.
 
Not that I'm really adding anything new...

FAT32 is great if you're dualing booting to Win95/98, but NTFS was built and optimized for 2k and XP. You can run FAT32 on an exsisting XP set-up, I did this with a external USB2 hardrive, but it's better to employ the native format for the OS that you're using.
 
Not much difference. NTFS gives you more space and also fat32 does not support files past 4gb. So if you are into Video Editing, or Video Ripping, then NTFS is the way to go.
 
Originally posted by BillLeeLee
It's fine to run Windows XP on a FAT32 file system, I do on one of my comps, but I wish I had used NTFS instead.
Click to expand...
Your wish has come true :) Open up the command prompt in WinXP (Start Menu/Run..type CMD...) and enter this command in: CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS

Change the "C" to the drive you want to convert. This is only a one way ticket. There is no way back without a third party program such as Partition Magic.
 
There's a program that lets you read and write (I think) to NTFS partitions from Linux, don't remember the name off the top of head though.
 
@Met-AL, thanks for the heads up, time to do some drive imaging and then convert the old boot drive.

And Linux can read from NTFS partitions (newer kernels can be compiled with the options to do this). But last I heard (pre-2.6 kernel) writing to NTFS was still experimental and risky (since the NTFS specs are secret).
 
Originally posted by Met-AL
Your wish has come true :) Open up the command prompt in WinXP (Start Menu/Run..type CMD...) and enter this command in: CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS

Change the "C" to the drive you want to convert. This is only a one way ticket. There is no way back without a third party program such as Partition Magic.
Click to expand...
IIRC you take a little performance hit by using the conversion method, if you have the time to do a fresh install it's the better path.
 
also, don't use ntfs soley for security, try booting into linux and mounting the ntfs partition... security goes away to nothing..

and currently, linux can read ntfs just fine... writing to it isn't there yet... they've gotten as far as being able to edit sutff so that it's the exact same size once you get done with it, but anything else you're taking a BIG risk with
 
Converting Fat 32 to NTFS in XP

Excerpt

"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 “system” 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."
 
FAT32 (File Allocation Table) is an old file system; it is simple and readable to work on a large number of operating systems. But, recently, it is understood that the usage of FAT 32 always been replaced by NTFS—the superior partition format.
NTFS (New Technology File System) is the standard file system of Windows NT, including its later versions Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. NTFS supersedes the FAT file system as the preferred file system for Microsoft’s Windows operating systems.
Considering the superiority the NTFS gives, people would like to convert FAT32 to NTFS.
I just know that operation is simple to realize, but if revert NTFS back to FAT32, it will be a complex operation.
Luckily I have just heard that there is new released software named NTFS to FAT32 Converter. It can easily convert NTFS to FAT32 without data losing. Mentioned here, help you all deal with this problem in case.
 
dude u just brought back a 6 yo thread :eek:

onyou said:
FAT32 (File Allocation Table) is an old file system; it is simple and readable to work on a large number of operating systems. But, recently, it is understood that the usage of FAT 32 always been replaced by NTFS—the superior partition format.
NTFS (New Technology File System) is the standard file system of Windows NT, including its later versions Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. NTFS supersedes the FAT file system as the preferred file system for Microsoft’s Windows operating systems.
Considering the superiority the NTFS gives, people would like to convert FAT32 to NTFS.
I just know that operation is simple to realize, but if revert NTFS back to FAT32, it will be a complex operation.
Luckily I have just heard that there is new released software named NTFS to FAT32 Converter. It can easily convert NTFS to FAT32 without data losing. Mentioned here, help you all deal with this problem in case.
Click to expand...
 
NTFS read are supported in the linux kernel now-a-days. :D

Edit: oops, never read that entry fully. No kernel NTFS write for you, kids.
 
Last edited:
Read support is in the kernel. Full write support is not. Full write support is via the ntfs-3g fuse module. This module is not part of the kernel itself.
 
Just an observation, but this must be a mistake in the number of years on this forum guys... Post number 15 if for some reason this photo is 404 again. 40.8 years is longer than this forum has been up not to mention that computers were only in the hands of the very rich back in 1970





Mistake.PNG
 
Last edited:
Working now ???

OK, something is wrong with dropbox. It works some of the time and other times is gets the old 404.

Figured it out finally. Had Spyblaster installed that took away some of the flash stuff
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top