Does NTFS have any advantages over FAT32?

[positive_failure]

Considering that I could make the switch at any time, I'm just curious.

 

[Steroid_Virgin]

for home use?

No..

For business or network usage..

Yes..

 

[the nature boy]

max file size is increased. that could help if you're dealing with huge files.

 

[positive_failure]

for home use?

No..

For business or network usage..

Yes..

So NTFS is more about file encryption then?

 

[hhajdo]

The NTFS file system, introduced with first version of Windows NT, is a completely different file system from FAT. It provides for greatly increased security, file–by–file compression, quotas, and even encryption. It is the default file system for new installations of Windows XP, and if you're doing an upgrade from a previous version of Windows, you'll be asked if you want to convert your existing file systems to NTFS. Don't worry. If you've already upgraded to Windows XP and didn't do the conversion then, it's not a problem. You can convert FAT16 or FAT32 volumes to NTFS at any point. Just remember that you can't easily go back to FAT or FAT32 (without reformatting the drive or partition), not that I think you'll want to.

The NTFS file system is generally not compatible with other operating systems installed on the same computer, nor is it available when you've booted a computer from a floppy disk. For this reason, many system administrators, myself included, used to recommend that users format at least a small partition at the beginning of their main hard disk as FAT. This partition provided a place to store emergency recovery tools or special drivers needed for reinstallation, and was a mechanism for digging yourself out of the hole you'd just dug into. But with the enhanced recovery abilities built into Windows XP (more on that in a future column), I don't think it's necessary or desirable to create that initial FAT partition.




Security
If the operating system is running, NTFS offers significant protection. NTFS offers object permissions that give you very granular control over file and folder access, both for local users and those who access your system across the network. Unfortunately, if you don't control physical access to the console, anyone with a DOS boot diskette with NTFSDOS or FAT32 driver can peruse any file (if they can boot the PC). The security controls available under NTFS at a file or folder level are significant for remote access in any case. If you don't control physical access to the PC, there is no security irregardless of partition type. If you do, NTFS has granular access control, FAT does not.
Recycle Bins
FAT partitions have a single Recycle Bin, regardless of the current logon account. Under NTFS, each user has a unique Recycle Bin. This is a decent barrier unless everyone is running as workstation admin, then it is not a decent barrier to snooping. If this is your situation, don't send sensitive files to the Recycle Bin.
Recoverability
NTFS provides the ability to recover from file system errors and perform sector sparing to remap data to good clusters and mark bad clusters as unusable. Using a method called hot fixing, every storage device write is monitored and written sectors are checked for integrity. If the verification fails, the corrupted or questionable sectors are flagged, and the data is rewritten to another sector(s) on the disk. Sector hot fixing is performed automatically by the file system and does not report error messages to any applications. NTFS also logs all changes to the file system so that changes may be undone or reapplied if a discrepancy is found or if a system failure or power loss causes damage.
Compression
NTFS does it transparently if the option is selected. FAT does not support it; even FAT32 doesn't do it at all in Windows 2000.
Encryption
NTFS does it transparently if the option is selected in W2K. Not available if partition is FAT16 or FAT32. Not available in Windows NT thus not a difference for Windows NT, only Windows 2000. ..

 

[hhajdo]

Make sure that your cluster size is 4k (or more if you want).
If you use convert utility which is included in windows it will give you cluster size of 512 bytes which will slow down system performance.
You should format the partition to ntfs with 4k cluster size, or just convert it to NTFS using PartitionMagic 8.0 which enables you to resize ntfs clusters...

 

[positive_failure]

The NTFS file system, introduced with first version of Windows NT, is a completely different file system from FAT. It provides for greatly increased security, file–by–file compression, quotas, and even encryption. It is the default file system for new installations of Windows XP, and if you're doing an upgrade from a previous version of Windows, you'll be asked if you want to convert your existing file systems to NTFS. Don't worry. If you've already upgraded to Windows XP and didn't do the conversion then, it's not a problem. You can convert FAT16 or FAT32 volumes to NTFS at any point. Just remember that you can't easily go back to FAT or FAT32 (without reformatting the drive or partition), not that I think you'll want to.

The NTFS file system is generally not compatible with other operating systems installed on the same computer, nor is it available when you've booted a computer from a floppy disk. For this reason, many system administrators, myself included, used to recommend that users format at least a small partition at the beginning of their main hard disk as FAT. This partition provided a place to store emergency recovery tools or special drivers needed for reinstallation, and was a mechanism for digging yourself out of the hole you'd just dug into. But with the enhanced recovery abilities built into Windows XP (more on that in a future column), I don't think it's necessary or desirable to create that initial FAT partition.




Security
If the operating system is running, NTFS offers significant protection. NTFS offers object permissions that give you very granular control over file and folder access, both for local users and those who access your system across the network. Unfortunately, if you don't control physical access to the console, anyone with a DOS boot diskette with NTFSDOS or FAT32 driver can peruse any file (if they can boot the PC). The security controls available under NTFS at a file or folder level are significant for remote access in any case. If you don't control physical access to the PC, there is no security irregardless of partition type. If you do, NTFS has granular access control, FAT does not.
Recycle Bins
FAT partitions have a single Recycle Bin, regardless of the current logon account. Under NTFS, each user has a unique Recycle Bin. This is a decent barrier unless everyone is running as workstation admin, then it is not a decent barrier to snooping. If this is your situation, don't send sensitive files to the Recycle Bin.
Recoverability
NTFS provides the ability to recover from file system errors and perform sector sparing to remap data to good clusters and mark bad clusters as unusable. Using a method called hot fixing, every storage device write is monitored and written sectors are checked for integrity. If the verification fails, the corrupted or questionable sectors are flagged, and the data is rewritten to another sector(s) on the disk. Sector hot fixing is performed automatically by the file system and does not report error messages to any applications. NTFS also logs all changes to the file system so that changes may be undone or reapplied if a discrepancy is found or if a system failure or power loss causes damage.
Compression
NTFS does it transparently if the option is selected. FAT does not support it; even FAT32 doesn't do it at all in Windows 2000.
Encryption
NTFS does it transparently if the option is selected in W2K. Not available if partition is FAT16 or FAT32. Not available in Windows NT thus not a difference for Windows NT, only Windows 2000. ..

Thanks, lots of info. I do have Windows XP (upgrade), and I chose not to use NTFS simply because of lack of information I had on this format. I don't really need to switch over but I'm just looking for something to do I guess. Thanks again for the helpful info hhajdo.

 

[Steroid_Virgin]

read above...

Home: NO
WORK: YES

its that simple