Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 22619 2002-07-25 19:12:00 ntfs v fat 32 tinglebob (1007) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
65459 2002-07-25 19:12:00 i've got win xp prof installed. what are the arguements for and against ntfs/fat 32?? i know ntfs is more 'security minded', but for a home pc thats not really an issue for me.
any input appreciated.

cheers
tinglebob (1007)
65460 2002-07-25 20:03:00 FAT32 is probably faster (any changes in XP?) . NTFS allows you to set limits on who can access files/directories .

If you are the only person using the PC, FAT32 is probably a good choice .

If you have kids or let other people use your PC, at least make the "C" drive NTFS .
Linatux (828)
65461 2002-07-25 22:09:00 If you plan on networking using, say, Win 98 on the second machine use Fat 32. Older operating systems cannot read NTSF drives. Heather P (163)
65462 2002-07-25 22:41:00 > If you plan on networking using, say, Win 98 on the
> second machine use Fat 32. Older operating systems
> cannot read NTSF drives.

networking has got nothing to do with what system the drives have. its only when you swap hardrives out of and XP machine and put it in the 98 one that 98 won't read a ntfs drive.
tweak'e (174)
65463 2002-07-25 22:44:00 On the matter of Allocation tables, why is it in Fdisk a Byte is reported as 1042B or something similar rather than 1024B
is this because of a little bit allocated for the FAT?
roofus (483)
65464 2002-07-25 22:50:00 OK . Then that means if you have a SHARED drive on the NTFS machine then the Win 98 machine can read it???

I vaugely recall setting up a dual boot on seperate partitions on one machine . When logged on using Win 2K I could see all drives, when logged on using Win98 I couldn't see the NTFS drive .

Surely this would be true over a network?
Heather P (163)
65465 2002-07-25 23:03:00 > I vaugely recall setting up a dual boot on seperate
> partitions on one machine. When logged on using Win
> 2K I could see all drives, when logged on using Win98
> I couldn't see the NTFS drive.

correct win98 will not read a hardrive that is ntfs if its accessing it directly.

> Surely this would be true over a network?

no. on a network the network dosn't read the drive directly. the os on the pc reads the hardrive and the network reads what the os says is on the hardrive.

ie data flows...hardrive-winXP-network-win98-hardrive and vicevesa
tweak'e (174)
65466 2002-07-25 23:12:00 Ta, learnt something. (Should have known that).

So original post...
If dual booting stick to Fat32 otherwise NTFS?
Heather P (163)
65467 2002-07-25 23:28:00 unless you are dual boot i would be inclined to go with ntfs. the draw back is that ntfs has a higher overhead so will be a little slower but it is a bit tidyer. unless you have a slow machine (why put XP on it then) ntfs should be ok. the last XP machine i built run well with ntfs (it only had a 5400rpm drive). i couldn't tell the difference from running fat32. ok it wasn't a games machine just your everyday office setup. tweak'e (174)
65468 2002-07-25 23:33:00 bruce! :_|

WebApp: Error 500
(File: pr_warp.c Line: 239)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cannot open connection warpConnection ]

o and ntfs allows a few xtra networking optoins (don't quote me tho)
tweak'e (174)
1 2