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 the 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 home devices do not support it! 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 a 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 data transfer curve and increase the 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. Previously, only NTFS was capable of this.
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.
Extended FAT - ExFAT, this file system is designed primarily for removable flash media such as USB flash drives. Flash drives usually use either FAT or FAT32 as their file system, but these file systems have some nasty limitations. For example - FAT32 has a maximum file size of 4 GB and also limits the maximum size of a FAT32 volume to 32 GB. And as you might guess, the FAT file system has even more restrictions on file and volume sizes. Microsoft created ExFAT to overcome these limitations.
The main advantages of exFAT over previous versions of FAT are:
- One of the main reasons for the development of ExFAT is to reduce the number of overwrites of the same sector, which in itself is very important for flash drives, in which memory cells are irreversibly worn out after a certain number of write operations.
- the file size limit of 64 bytes is 16 exabytes.
- the maximum cluster size has been increased to 2 to the power of 25 bytes - 32 megabytes.
- improved allocation of free space by introducing a bitmap of free space, which can reduce disk fragmentation.
Be sure to make sure the name of the device you are going to format !!
This operation erases all information on the specified device!
In my case, the flash drive was defined as device G:
Run the command line: START> All programs> Accessories> Command line
In the black screen that opens, enter
C:> format G: / fs: exfat
Insert a new disk into drive G:
and press the ENTER key ...
And if you are sure - then press Enter.
The specified device will be formatted.
File system type: FAT32.
New file system: EXFAT.
Check: 3827 MB
Volume label (15 characters, ENTER - no label needed)?
Asks for the name of the volume, which you can omit - just press Enter
The flash drive is ready and formatted with the ExFAT file system.
Good day!
Quite often, when working at a computer (laptop), you have to deal with the operation of formatting disks, flash drives and other drives (for example, to delete all data from them, in case of various failures and errors, to change the file system, etc.) ... Today's article will focus on flash drives ...
I must note that it is far from always possible to format a flash drive without problems in the first possible way. That is why I decided to sketch out a note with several formatting options (I think it will be useful to everyone who cannot perform this operation, or who cannot decide on the file system in any way).
Addition!
If, when formatting or when trying to copy files to a USB flash drive, you see an error that the drive is write-protected, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with this guide:
Important! Formatting will destroy all data on the drive. If the flash drive has the necessary files, copy them in advance to excellent media.
About the choice of the file system and the size of the cluster
When formatting a drive (using any of the methods), you must specify the file system, cluster size and volume name. And if you indicate the name of the difficulties does not cause difficulties, then with the rest, many have questions ...
In general, the following file systems are most commonly used today:
- FAT32- the oldest file system, which is supported by almost all devices (even various game consoles!). Most flash drives are formatted in this file system by default. It has one significant drawback: you cannot write files larger than 4 GB to it!
- NTFS- a more modern file system supported by Windows XP and higher (on Mac OS X it is read-only, on Linux there are distributions that support read-only, there are those that both write and read). File size - unlimited. As for various consoles and devices, NTFS is not supported by all (for example, Xbox 360 or Sony PlayStation do not support it). In general, NTFS is more suitable for disks (than for flash drives) that will be used in Windows.
- exFAT(or FAT64) is a specially designed file system for flash drives. Supports files larger than 4GB, disk partition size is not limited. By the way, exFAT has one key advantage: it overwrites the same sector less during operation, which affects the lifespan of the drives (i.e. a flash drive with exFAT should work longer than with NTFS). That is why, for flash drives, it is preferable to use exFAT over NTFS.
conclusions: If you want maximum compatibility and plan to connect a USB flash drive to consoles or old PCs, choose FAT32 (although you will be limited by the 4 GB file size). In other cases, it is preferable to choose exFAT (however, I note that some TVs, for example, cannot read this file system and it is for the sake of them that you have to choose NTFS).
What about the cluster size (or it is also called the distribution unit):
this parameter is responsible for how much the flash drive will allocate space for one file. For example, if the standard cluster size is 64 KB, and your file weighs 50 KB, then it will take up 64 KB space on the flash drive!
If you are going to store many small files on a USB flash drive, choose the minimum cluster size. However, in this case, the speed of the drive will be lower! Most users, in my opinion, can ignore this setting, it is optimal to leave the default value.
Method number 1 - through "This computer" / explorer
Method number 2 - through disk management
Not always and not all media are visible in "This Computer / My Computer". This may be due to a conflict of drive letters, if the flash drive is not formatted at all, in case of a file system failure, and in a number of other cases. Naturally, if you do not see it in "My Computer", then you will not be able to format it this way ...
However, Windows has a special tool - disk management ... It displays all drives connected to the system (even those with problems).
The universal way to open disk management :
- press the combination of buttons Win + R (the "Run" window should appear in the corner of the screen);
- then enter the command diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.
Also, disk management can be opened by going to the Windows control panel and using the search.
In disk management all disks, flash drives, and other media that your computer sees will be presented. Just select the drive you want from the list, right-click on it and select from the menu "Format..." .
Disk Management - Format Drive
Method number 3 - through the command line
In some cases, for example, when the explorer hangs or the error "could not complete formatting" appears, you have to resort to working with the command line. You can also use it to format drives (important! Be careful, follow all steps step by step, as described below).
I'll show you everything with a personal example. First you need to run command line as administrator ... To do this, open the Task Manager (shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Del or Ctrl + Shift + Esc), then press "File / new task" and enter the CMD command, not forgetting to check the "Create a task with administrator rights" checkbox (as in the example below).
- first you need to find out the letter of the flash drive (if you haven't connected the flash drive to the USB port - plug it in!). To do this, enter the command diskpart and press Enter.
- then enter the list volume command and press Enter (note that in the list of drives you should see the letter of your flash drive! In my case, the letter "E" is highlighted in yellow);
- then, to close diskpart, type exit and press Enter;
- for formatting use the command format E: / FS: exFAT / Q / V: fleska (where "E" is the letter of your flash drive; FS: exFAT is the file system (for NTFS - enter FS: NTFS); V: fleska is the name of the flash drive, it can be anything (for example, V: mydisk).
Actually, after entering the last command, the formatting process should start. Just be careful not to confuse the drive letter - many command line operations do not require confirmation!
Method number 4 - with the help of special. utilities
If all other methods were unsuccessful, most likely something is wrong with your flash drive: a file system crash (for example, it may be marked as RAW); infection with viruses that block work with the drive, and so on.
In this case, you need to use special utilities. Moreover, I want to note that in most cases for each model of the flash drive, you will need its own utility(using a third party may damage it permanently)! Below are some links to my articles, they will help you perform this operation!
A few more tips on what to do if the flash drive is not formatted are given in this article:
That's all, all the best!
When you format an internal drive, external hard drive, flash drive, or SD card, Windows will prompt you to select the FAT32, ExFAT, and NTFS file systems. But in this window there is no description of what this file system means and what is the difference between them. Therefore, in today's article we will try to decrypt these names of file systems.
FAT32 is the oldest file system and was introduced in Windows 95 to replace FAT16.
The age of this file system has advantages and disadvantages. Almost all purchased flash drives you buy with the FAT32 file system, for maximum compatibility not only with computers, but also with game consoles and other devices that support flash drives.
Restrictions of this age: file size larger than 4GB FAT32 is not supported, so you can upload any number of files to the drive, but so that each of them is no more than 4GB. The maximum partition size in FAT32 is 8TB, but in Windows operating systems, the size of the created partition in this file system does not exceed 32GB. Although if you create a partition larger than 32GB on another system, then Windows will work with the drive, but again, if you create a partition in FAT32 larger than 32GB, then according to Microsoft, the performance of this disk significantly decreases.
While this file system is good for flash drives and other external drives, it is not very good for internal drives. It lacks the permissions and other security features built into the more modern NTFS file system. To install a modern Windows operating system, you need to create a partition only in NTFS.
Compatibility: Supported by all versions of Windows, Mac, Linux, game consoles and other USB devices.
Restrictions: Maximum file size 4GB, 8TB maximum partition size. On Windows, you can create a partition no larger than 32GB.
Perfect fit: removable storage for compatibility with most devices if you use files up to 4GB.
NTFS is the modern file system that Windows works with. All Windows operating systems format the partition to NTFS during installation. First appeared with Windows XP.
This type of file system is packed with other modern features. It supports file permissions for security, change logging, which can help you quickly recover errors if your computer suddenly restarts. It also supports shadow copies for backups, encryption, and other necessary functions.
To install a Windows system, your partition must be NTFS, and it is better to format secondary disks in this file system, for the normal operation of all applications.
But this file system is not compatible with other operating systems. It will work with all versions of Windows, but Mac OS X can only read disks in this file system, it cannot write to them. Also Linux only reads NTFS partitions, although some distributions include write support. Most game consoles do not support NTFS, for example Sony PlayStation does not support this file system, and the Xbox 360 does not support it.
Compatibility: works with all versions of Windows, read-only on Mac, also Linux read-only, and not every distro writes. Other devices - most are not supported.
Restrictions:
Perfect fit: for the system drive, and other internal drives that will be used only in Windows.
ExFat was introduced by Microsoft in 2006, and in another way this file system is called FAT64. Support for this file system with updates was added to Windows XP.
This file system is optimized for flash drives. One of the innovations of ExFat is the reduction in the number of overwrites of the same sector, which reduces wear and tear on the drive.
Like NTFS, ExFat is not limited in file and partition sizes. In other words, if your drive is formatted in ExFat, then you can write files larger than 4GB to it. This file system is the best choice for drives where you want a lightweight file system without file size restrictions.
ExFat is also more compatible than NTFS, if the Mac only supports NTFS reads, then ExFat fully supports both read and write. ExFat can also be available on Linux if additional software is installed.
While ExFat is more friendly with operating systems, it is often not compatible with digital cameras, and not all game consoles support this file system. And other older devices may be limited to support only FAT32.
Compatibility: Works in all versions of Windows and modern versions of Mac OS X, but requires additional software on Linux. Most older devices do not support this file system.
Restrictions: there is no limitation in file size, and in the size of the section.
Perfect fit: for USB flash drives, external drives, etc. if you work with files larger than 4GB and if you want to reduce wear and tear on the drive.
NTFS is ideal for internal drives, while ExFat is more suitable for flash drives. Fat32 is mainly used for older devices that do not support other file systems.
That's all for today, if there are additions - write comments! Good luck 🙂
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 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 it is worth using FAT32 in some situations 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, but not exFAT file system, is that there is a limitation on the file size, which is 4 GB. It is for this reason that recording large files, such as, for example, a backup copy 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, 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, NTFS may work differently on USB sticks and other external devices than on 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 a significant gain 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 on 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 NTFS is the main one, 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 designed 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 quite often use a flash drive on different computers on which XP is installed, then you better find some additional flash drive on which the drivers will be present. 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 USB 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.