File systems are instrumental in organizing drives and defining how data is stored. They also tag information such as permissions, filenames, and more to these files. Windows supports three file systems, namely NTFS, exFAT, and FAT32. These systems have evolved in the following order:
Original 8-bit FAT (8-bit File Allocation Table)
FAT12 (8-bit FAT)
FAT16 (the first 16-bit FAT with 16-bit sector entries)
FAT16B (the final 16-bit FAT with 32-bit sector entries)
FAT32 (the 32-bit FAT)
exFAT (Extensible FAT)
NTFS (New Technology File System)
In this article, we will take a deep dive into two common file system types used in operating systems - NTFS and FAT32. Let's explore more about them.
What is FAT32?
FAT32, short for File Allocation Table 32, is an extension to the previously used file systems that stores data in 32-bit chunks. Designed to overcome the limitations of FAT16, FAT32 supports larger media and is compatible with older OS versions like Windows XP and Windows 95.
Advantages of FAT32:
It operates efficiently with partitions around 200 MB.
It often serves as the primary partition in multi-boot systems.
It is highly compatible with various operating systems.
Drawbacks of FAT32:
It lacks encryption, making it less secure.
FAT32 partitions (around 200 MB) can degrade overall performance.
NTFS, an abbreviation for New Technology File System, was introduced in 1993. Today, it is used in newer operating system versions like Windows 2000, Windows NT, and later versions. NTFS is a robust and high-performance logging file system that supports access control for multiple users, ACLs, and more, making it ideal for a secure OS. It boasts features like security, fault tolerance, multi-streaming, data recovery, UNICODE names, extended file size, and more.
exFAT is used where NTFS isn't suitable, mainly due to overhead in the data structure. However, exFAT supports a larger file size limit compared to standard FAT32.
Advantages of NTFS:
It is less prone to fragmentation.
It performs well even with partitions exceeding 400 MB.
NTFS is highly secure, preventing unauthorized access to files by enforcing the EFS (Encryption File System).
Drawbacks of NTFS:
The performance of an NTFS file system degrades with partitions of 400 MB each.
It lacks extensive support.
Comparing FAT32 and NTFS
Parameters
FAT32
NTFS
Full-Form
FAT32 stands for File Allocation Table 32.
NTFS stands for New Technology File System.
Structure
FAT32 has a relatively simple structure.
NTFS is complex in its structure.
Maximum Size of Files
FAT32 supports a maximum file size of 4 GB.
NTFS supports a maximum file size of 16 TB.
Maximum Characters in a File Name
FAT32 supports up to 83 characters.
NTFS supports up to 255 characters.
Security
FAT32 offers network-type security.
NTFS provides both network and local securities.
Encryption
FAT32 does not support encryption.
NTFS supports EFS (Encrypting File System).
Fault Tolerance
FAT32 does not support fault tolerance.
NTFS supports automatic troubleshooting.
Compression
FAT32 does not support file compression.
NTFS supports file compression.
User-level Disk Space
Not supported by FAT32.
Supported by NTFS.
Accessing Speed
FAT32 has slower accessing speed.
NTFS offers faster accessing speed.
Conversions
FAT32 supports conversions.
NTFS does not support conversions.
OS Compatibility
Compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows XP, etc.
Compatible with Windows NT, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 2000, Windows 8, Windows 10, Linux, macOS, etc.
FAT32 and NTFS are types of file systems used in operating systems. FAT32 is an extension of the file systems used previously that stores its data in 32-bit chunks. NTFS, or New Technology File System, is a high-performance logging and robust file system that has access control for multiple users.
What are the pros and cons of FAT32?
FAT32 works efficiently under various partitions of about 200 MB, works as a primary partition in the case of multi-boot systems, and is very much compatible with various operating systems. However, it is not very secure as it lacks encryption, can lead to degradation in the overall performance, and stays susceptible to fragmentation.
What are the pros and cons of NTFS?
NTFS is very less susceptible to fragmentation, can easily perform really well even when the partition size goes up to 400 MB, and is highly secure. However, its performance degrades with its partitions of 400 MB each, and it comes with no extensive support.