NTFS vs FAT

exFAT/FAT6
Criteria NTFS5 NTFS FAT32 FAT16 FAT12
4

DOS v7
and
higher
Windo
Windo
ws NT
ws 98
Windo
Windo
ws
ws ME
2000 DOS DOS
Windows CE Windo
Windows 2000 Windo All All
6.0 ws
Windows XP ws XP version version
Windows 2000
Operating Windows 2003 Windo s of s of
Vista SP1 Windo
System Server ws Microso Microso
Windows 7 ws XP
Windows Vista 2003 ft ft
WinXP+KB95 Windo
Windows 7 Server Windo Window
5704   ws
Windo ws s
2003
ws
Server
Vista
Windo
Windo
ws
ws 7
Vista
Windo
ws 7

Limitations

32GB
2GB for
for all
Max all OS.
OS.
Volume 2TB 2TB 64ZB 4GB for 16MB
2TB for
Size some
some
OS
OS

Nearly
Max Files Nearly 419430
Nearly Unlimited Unlimit 65536
on Volume Unlimited 4
ed

2GB 16MB
Limit
(Limit (Limit
Only by 4GB
Max File Limit Only by Only Only
16ZB minus
Size Volume Size by by
Volume 2 Bytes
Volume Volume
Size
Size) Size)
Max Nearly
417791
Clusters Nearly Unlimited Unlimit 4294967295 65520 4080
8
Number ed

Standa
Max File rd - 8.3
Up to Up to Up to
Name Up to 255 Up to 255 Extend
255 255 254
Length ed - up
to 255

File System Features

Unicod
Unicode System System System
Unicode Unicode e
 Character  Charac  Charac  Charac
File Names  Character Set  Charac
Set ter Set ter Set ter Set
ter Set

MFT Second Second Second

System Rec
MFT Mirror File Mirror No Copy of Copy of Copy of
ords Mirror
File FAT FAT FAT

First
First Sectors 0 to Sector
Boot Sector First and Last and 11 and First First
Location Sectors Last Copy in 12 to Copy in Sector Sector
Sectors 23 Sector
#6

Standa
File Standard and Standa Standa Standar
rd and Standard Set
Attributes Custom rd Set rd Set d Set
Custom

Alternate
Yes Yes No No No No
Streams

Compressio
Yes Yes No No No No
n

Encryption Yes No No No No No

Object
Permission Yes Yes Yes No No No
s

Disk Quotas Yes No No No No No

Sparse Files Yes No No No No No

Reparse
Yes No No No No No
Points

Volume
Mount Yes No No No No No
Points

Overall Performance

Yes
Built-In
Yes Yes minimal ACL No No No
Security
only

Yes
Recoverabil
Yes Yes if TFAT No No No
ity
activated

Highest
Low on High on
on
small small
Low on small small
Performanc volume volume
volumes High volume High
e s s
High on Large s
High on Low on
Low on
Large large
large

Minimal
on
Disk Space Averag
Max Max Max large Max
Economy e
volume
s

Yes
Fault Averag Averag
Max Max if TFAT Minimal
Tolerance e e
activated
 RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

NTFS

1)allows access local to w2k w2k3 XP win NT4 with SP4 & later may get access for
somefile.

2)Maximum size of partition is 2 Terabytes & more.

3)Maximum File size is upto 16TB.

4)File & folder Encryption is possible only in NTFS.

FAT 32

1)Fat 32 Allows access to win 95 98 win millenium win2k xp on local partition.

2)Maximum size of partition is upto 2 TB.

3)Maximum File size is upto 4 GB.

4)File & folder Encryption is not possible.

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March 24, 2006 12:49:25    #2  

govind

        

RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

FAT32 File Allocation Table 32 bit programming syntaxNTFS Network Table File System FAT32
is for windows 98 and belowNTFS is for XP and linux .
 

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 April 01, 2006 11:22:00    #3  
Anjan Paul

        

RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

FAT support 8.3 character file name but in NTFS it support 255 characters long file
name.

If we parition a smaller size the FAT is advisable as against NTFS because of the large
cluster size

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April 12, 2006 07:35:30    #4  

ananth

        

RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

can u plz tell me the abbreviation of NTFS

 

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April 15, 2006 08:06:04    #5  

 raghunath

        

RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

FAT (FAT16 and FAT32) and NTFS are two methods for storing data on a hard drive.
The hard drive has to either be formatted using one or the other or can be converted
from one to the other (usually FAT to NTFS) using a system tool

NTFS is a high-performance and self-healing file system proprietary to Windows XP

2000 NT which supports file-level security compression and auditing. It also supports
large volumes and powerful storage solution such as RAID.
The most important new feature of NTFS is the ability to encrypt files and folders to
protect your sensitive data

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April 15, 2006 08:07:43    #6  

raghunath

        

RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

new technology file system

 

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April 15, 2006 10:51:46    #7  

 shaik_bavajan

Member Since: March 2006   Contribution:

7     

RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

Security---------------------------- File /Folder level security

Support for Dynamic Disks------To Create mirror raid

Large volume support-------------16EB

Disk compression--- --------------To save disk space.

Disk Quota for users--------------We allocate space for user on file

server

Encryption--------------------------To Encrypt confidential data (even

HDD stolen also no way read that)

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April 21, 2006 05:45:49    #8  

Nagaraj

        

RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

NTFS means New Technology File System

 
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April 27, 2006 09:46:06    #9  

viswanath

        

RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

The expantion of NTFS is New Technology File System.

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May 14, 2006 01:22:07    #10  

abhishek

        

RE: Difference between NTFS and FAT32

NTFS : New Technology File System

not Network Table File System