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Thread ID: 32905 2003-05-01 03:31:00 FAT32 or NTFS jackyht (3685) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
140512 2003-05-01 03:31:00 Hi

Could I please know, I am using Windows XP Pro, which file system is best recommended, FAT32 or NTFS??? any significant difference between this 2 systems...

so if one day if I have the NTFS and wish to convert back to FAT32, can I do so??? or do i have use NTFS forever???

Thanks
jackyht (3685)
140513 2003-05-01 04:24:00 It doesn't really matter, if you plan to use linux go with fat32 as overall compatibility with linux and NTFS is limited I think.

NTFS is newer (i think) so I would use it

I think you can change from NTFS to fat32 & visa-verca somehow.

Cheers
forrest44 (754)
140514 2003-05-01 04:32:00 Fat32 is the large-file supporting file structure from Windows 98, and NTFS is the NT file system.

Basically, NTFS offers better data security options, whereas Fat32 will let you get more usage out of the same disk size, as well as being readable by Linux.

Generally, the only way of converting the file structure of a disk is to reformat it into the new file structure.
Iain Walmsley (3372)
140515 2003-05-01 05:17:00 convert C: /fs:ntfs

Just drop this in to the command line...( start run)

Dont know bout converting back to fat file structure....

NTFS is faster more secure and more stable....
it is the NT file structure... its what all the servers use....

In saying its more stable, it is but if it f*#ks out... it f*#ks out worse than fat...

but in saying that.... ive been on it (and xp)for a year....
and i have not had a problem with it at alll.... its the file structure MS had in mind for XP....

Later

Falcon
falcon (3689)
140516 2003-05-01 05:40:00 I don't think you can go back to Fat without formatting... promethius (1998)
140517 2003-05-01 05:54:00 i like FAT32, mainly because it can be read by linux, dos and win6x machines.

ive heard that NTFS doesn't fragment, im not sure though

the main reason you would use NTFS for is security
Dylan (800)
140518 2003-05-01 05:55:00 sorry, win9x insted of 'win6x' Dylan (800)
140519 2003-05-01 06:07:00 You'd also use NTFS if you handle files that are greater than 2GB in size. FAT and FAT32 can't handle files which are bigger than 2GB... ;)
At the end of the day it comes down to what you want, whether your paraniod about security and/or if your computer is shared you want others with the ability to access your files and vice versa


Cyberchuck
cyberchuck (173)
140520 2003-05-01 06:10:00 > it is the NT file structure... its what all the
> servers use....

Correction. It's what the M$ NT Servers use.

An increasing number of servers are going to superiorly reliable OS's instead of the Windoze platform...
whiskeytangofoxtrot (438)
140521 2003-05-01 06:48:00 Previous Discussion (pressf1.pcworld.co.nz)

was discussed a while back.
nomad (3693)
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