NTFS vs FAT

Criteria NTFS5 NTFS FAT32 FAT16

Operting System
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows NT
Windows
2000
Windows XP
Windows 98
Windows ME
Windows 2000
Windows XP
DOS
All versions o
Mi!rosot
Windows

Limitations
M"# $ol%me Si&e 2T' 2T' 2T' 2('
M"# )iles on
$ol%me
Ne"rly *nlimited
Ne"rly
*nlimited
Ne"rly
*nlimited
+,-000
M"# )ile Si&e
.imit Only /y
$ol%me Si&e
.imit Only /y
$ol%me Si&e
0(' 2('
M"# 1l%sters
N%m/er
Ne"rly *nlimited
Ne"rly
*nlimited
2,802-0-, ,--2-
M"# )ile N"me
.engt3
*p to 2-- *p to 2-- *p to 2--
St"nd"rd 4 852
E#tended 4 %p
to 2--

File System Features
*ni!ode )ile
N"mes
*ni!ode
13"r"!ter Set
*ni!ode
13"r"!ter Set
System
13"r"!ter Set
System
13"r"!ter Set
System 6e!ords
Mirror
M)T Mirror )ile
M)T Mirror
)ile
Se!ond 1opy
o )AT
Se!ond 1opy o
)AT
'oot Se!tor
.o!"tion
)irst "nd ."st
Se!tors
)irst "nd ."st
Se!tors
)irst Se!tor )irst Se!tor
)ile Attri/%tes
St"nd"rd "nd
1%stom
St"nd"rd "nd
1%stom
St"nd"rd Set St"nd"rd Set
Altern"te Stre"ms 7es 7es No No
1ompression 7es 7es No No
En!ryption 7es No No No
O/8e!t
Permissions
7es 7es No No
Dis9 :%ot"s 7es No No No
Sp"rse )iles 7es No No No
6ep"rse Points 7es No No No
$ol%me Mo%nt
Points
7es No No No

Overall Performance
'%ilt4;n Se!%rity 7es 7es No No
6e!over"/ility 7es 7es No No
Perorm"n!e
.ow on sm"ll
vol%mes
<ig3 on ."rge
.ow on sm"ll
vol%mes
<ig3 on ."rge
<ig3 on sm"ll
vol%mes
.ow on l"rge
<ig3est on
sm"ll vol%mes
.ow on l"rge
Dis9 Sp"!e
E!onomy
M"# M"# Aver"ge
Minim"l on
l"rge vol%mes
)"%lt Toler"n!e M"# M"# Minim"l Aver"ge




To NT)S or not to NT)S=t3"t is t3e >%estion5 '%t %nli9e t3e deeper >%estions o lie? t3is
one isn@t re"lly "ll t3"t 3"rd to "nswer5 )or most %sers r%nning Windows XP? NT)S is t3e
o/vio%s !3oi!e5 ;t@s more power%l "nd oers se!%rity "dv"nt"ges not o%nd in t3e ot3er
ile systems5 '%t let@s go over t3e dieren!es "mong t3e iles systems so we@re "ll !le"r
"/o%t t3e !3oi!e5 T3ere "re essenti"lly t3ree dierent ile systems "v"il"/le in Windows
XPA )ATB,? s3ort or )ile Allo!"tion T"/le? )AT22? "nd NT)S? s3ort or NT )ile System5
FAT16
T3e )ATB, ile system w"s introd%!ed w"y /"!9 wit3 MSCDOS in B98B? "nd it@s s3owing
its "ge5 ;t w"s designed origin"lly to 3"ndle iles on " loppy drive? "nd 3"s 3"d minor
modii!"tions over t3e ye"rs so it !"n 3"ndle 3"rd dis9s? "nd even ile n"mes longer t3"n
t3e origin"l limit"tion o 852 !3"r"!ters? /%t it@s still t3e lowest !ommon denomin"tor5 T3e
/iggest "dv"nt"ge o )ATB, is t3"t it is !omp"ti/le "!ross " wide v"riety o oper"ting
systems? in!l%ding Windows 9-D98DMe? OSD2? .in%#? "nd some versions o *N;X5 T3e
/iggest pro/lem o )ATB, is t3"t it 3"s " i#ed m"#im%m n%m/er o !l%sters per p"rtition?
so "s 3"rd dis9s get /igger "nd /igger? t3e si&e o e"!3 !l%ster 3"s to get l"rger5 ;n " 2C
(' p"rtition? e"!3 !l%ster is 22 9ilo/ytes? me"ning t3"t even t3e sm"llest ile on t3e
p"rtition will t"9e %p 22 E' o sp"!e5 )ATB, "lso doesn@t s%pport !ompression?
en!ryption? or "dv"n!ed se!%rity %sing "!!ess !ontrol lists5
FAT32
T3e )AT22 ile system? origin"lly introd%!ed in Windows 9- Servi!e P"!9 2? is re"lly 8%st
"n e#tension o t3e origin"l )ATB, ile system t3"t provides or " m%!3 l"rger n%m/er o
!l%sters per p"rtition5 As s%!3? it gre"tly improves t3e over"ll dis9 %tili&"tion w3en
!omp"red to " )ATB, ile system5 <owever? )AT22 s3"res "ll o t3e ot3er limit"tions o
)ATB,? "nd "dds "n import"nt "ddition"l limit"tion=m"ny oper"ting systems t3"t !"n
re!ogni&e )ATB, will not wor9 wit3 )AT22=most not"/ly Windows NT? /%t "lso .in%# "nd
*N;X "s well5 Now t3is isn@t " pro/lem i yo%@re r%nning )AT22 on " Windows XP !omp%ter
"nd s3"ring yo%r drive o%t to ot3er !omp%ters on yo%r networ9=t3ey don@t need to 9now
F"nd gener"lly don@t re"lly !"reG w3"t yo%r %nderlying ile system is5
The Avanta!es of NTFS
T3e NT)S ile system? introd%!ed wit3 irst version o Windows NT? is " !ompletely
dierent ile system rom )AT5 ;t provides or gre"tly in!re"sed se!%rity? ileC/yCile
!ompression? >%ot"s? "nd even en!ryption5 ;t is t3e de"%lt ile system or new
inst"ll"tions o Windows XP? "nd i yo%@re doing "n %pgr"de rom " previo%s version o
Windows? yo%@ll /e "s9ed i yo% w"nt to !onvert yo%r e#isting ile systems to NT)S5 Don@t
worry5 ; yo%@ve "lre"dy %pgr"ded to Windows XP "nd didn@t do t3e !onversion t3en? it@s
not " pro/lem5 7o% !"n !onvert )ATB, or )AT22 vol%mes to NT)S "t "ny point5 H%st
remem/er t3"t yo% !"n@t e"sily go /"!9 to )AT or )AT22 Fwit3o%t reorm"tting t3e drive
or p"rtitionG? not t3"t ; t3in9 yo%@ll w"nt to5
T3e NT)S ile system is gener"lly not !omp"ti/le wit3 ot3er oper"ting systems inst"lled
on t3e same computer? nor is it "v"il"/le w3en yo%@ve /ooted " !omp%ter rom " loppy
dis95 )or t3is re"son? m"ny system "dministr"tors? mysel in!l%ded? %sed to re!ommend
t3"t %sers orm"t "t le"st " sm"ll p"rtition "t t3e /eginning o t3eir m"in 3"rd dis9 "s
)AT5 T3is p"rtition provided " pl"!e to store emergen!y re!overy tools or spe!i"l drivers
needed or reinst"ll"tion? "nd w"s " me!3"nism or digging yo%rsel o%t o t3e 3ole yo%@d
8%st d%g into5 '%t wit3 t3e en3"n!ed re!overy "/ilities /%ilt into Windows XP Fmore on
t3"t in " %t%re !ol%mnG? ; don@t t3in9 it@s ne!ess"ry or desir"/le to !re"te t3"t initi"l )AT
p"rtition5
"hen to #se FAT or FAT32
; yo%@re r%nning more t3"n one oper"ting system on " single !omp%ter Fsee my e"rlier
!ol%mn M%lti/ooting M"de E"syG? yo% will deinitely need to orm"t some o yo%r vol%mes
"s )AT5 Any progr"ms or d"t" t3"t need to /e "!!essed /y more t3"n one oper"ting
system on t3"t !omp%ter s3o%ld /e stored on " )ATB, or possi/ly )AT22 vol%me5 '%t
9eep in mind t3"t yo% 3"ve no se!%rity or d"t" on " )ATB, or )AT22 vol%me="ny one
wit3 "!!ess to t3e !omp%ter !"n re"d? !3"nge? or even delete "ny ile t3"t is stored on "
)ATB, or )AT22 p"rtition5 ;n m"ny !"ses? t3is is even possi/le over " networ95 So do not
store sensitive iles on drives or p"rtitions orm"tted wit3 )AT ile systems5
NTFS vs$ FAT
)AT "nd NT)S "re t3e two most !ommonly %sed ile systems in t3e P1 world5 Sin!e m"ny
P1 %sers "re now st"rting to dis!over t3e /eneits o Windows NT "nd Windows 2000
Fw3en !omp"red to t3eir !ons%mer gr"de !o%nterp"rts s%!3 "s Windows 9# or MEG t3ey
"re le"rning t3"t t3ey 3"ve "n import"nt ile system !3oi!e to m"9e5 T3ey m%st de!ide
w3et3er to 9eep %sing )AT? "s m"ny 3"ve done or ye"rs in ot3er Mi!rosot oper"ting
systems? or to It"9e t3e pl%ngeI "nd go or NT)S5 ;n "!t? t3is m"y well /e t3e most
!ommonly4"s9ed >%estion "sso!i"ted wit3 NT)SA Is3o%ld ; %se )AT or NT)SJI
As wit3 m"ny !ommonly4"s9ed >%estions? t3ere "re no simple "nswers5 AKG As wit3 ot3er
pop%l"r IX or 7I >%estions s%!3 "s ;DE vs5 S1S;? t3e re"son t3"t t3e >%estion e#ists is
t3"t /ot3 "ltern"tives it !ert"in ni!3es "nd needs5 ; !"n@t give yo% " deinitive "nswer
reg"rding w3i!3 ile system yo% s3o%ld !3oose? /e!"%se ; don@t 9now t3e p"rti!%l"rs o
yo%r sit%"tion5 T3"t@s t3e 3onest "nswer5 M"ny people "ren@t s"tisied wit3 t3is? o
!o%rse555 t3ey w"nt me to tell t3em w3i!3 is I/etterI5 T3is is " /it li9e "s9ing w3i!3 is
I/etterIA " mid4si&ed "mily sed"n or " pi!94%p tr%!9J A )err"ri or " motor!y!leJ
Most re>%ently? t3e >%estion o NT)S vs5 )AT is "nswered /y loo9ing "t t3e "dv"nt"ges
"nd dis"dv"nt"ges o NT)S? "nd !omp"ring it to t3e simpler )AT ile system5 T3is !"n /e
m"de e"sier /y "ssessing t3ree gener"l >%estionsA
1. Do you need the added features and capabilities that NTFS provides but FAT does
not?
2. Are you willing to accept the additional hardware reuire!ents necessary to use
NTFS" and to deal with its drawabc#s and li!itations?
$. %an you invest the additional ti!e and resources for proper ad!inistration of an
NTFS syste!?
Ag"in? I !"nnot "nswer t3ose >%estions or yo%? nor will ; ende"vor to do so5 ; wo%ld
en!o%r"ge yo% to re"d t3e v"rio%s p"ges t3"t des!ri/e t3e v"rio%s /eneits "nd
dr"w/"!9s o NT)S? "nd de!ide or yo%rsel5 T3e >%estions "/ove will 3elp yo%5
T3e only ot3er r%le o t3%m/ t3"t ; wo%ld %se is t3is oneA t3e l"rger t3e org"ni&"tion? or
t3e gre"ter t3e n%m/er o people t3"t will /e %sing " P1? t3e more li9ely it is t3"t yo% will
w"nt to %se NT)S on it5 Even le"ving "side t3e ot3er e"t%res o NT)S? t3e se!%rity
provisions o t3"t ile system m"9e it pretty m%!3 " ne!essity i yo% "re going to set %p "
server wit3 iles s3"red /y m"ny dierent %sers "nd gro%ps5 )or very sm"ll org"ni&"tions?
"!!ess !ontrol is somet3ing t3"t m"y /e dispens"/le? /%t or " !omp"ny o s"y? 20 or
more people? it /e!omes >%ite import"nt5 O !o%rse? in some medi%m4si&ed org"ni&"tions
se!%rity m"y not /e re>%ired? /%t t3ose "re pretty "typi!"l5 )or individ%"l P1 %sers? NT)S
m"y well /e over9ill? depending on 3ow t3e P1 is /eing %sed5