Many experienced users find formatting trivial, causing them to miss important details. Beginners should definitely understand how such an operation occurs.

Formatting a flash card is preparing the media for use by the operating system by deleting all data and then creating a file system. There are 2 key aspects:

1. Available information will be destroyed. Before formatting, the user is always asked whether he confirms that the flash drive has been cleaned. It is impossible to perform this procedure accidentally. Under certain conditions, you can recover formatted data.
2. The file system determines a lot. These are like markings and road signs that indicate to the motorist where to go next. For Windows users, choosing a file system is an easy task; there isn't much to choose from.

How to choose the right file system?

The generally accepted file systems are NTFS and FAT 32. In most cases, the first option is suitable for the following reasons:

• It is impossible to write a file larger than 4 GB in FAT32. The OS image or high-resolution movie will not be saved in full size;
• NTFS is a journaled file system, so in case of force majeure it will provide increased reliability of data storage;
• FAT32 is poorly organized when working with a large number of small files. In NTFS, file size has little effect on data read/write speed;
• NTFS allows you to block access using encryption. It is not difficult to set a password for a folder.

Today there is only one significant advantage of FAT32 - compatibility with almost any device that has USB. At the same time, choosing a file system for data storage is a broad topic. NTFS is not a development milestone. For example, if you have Windows 10 and need to format a microSD card for a smartphone, then it makes sense to use the exFAT file system.

What is the best cluster size?

This parameter sets the smallest amount of information that can be set for a single file. Let's look at a very conventional example. Let's assume that there is a 10 GB flash drive with a cluster size of 1 GB. If you record a song of 10 MB (0.01 GB) on it, then the file will take 1 GB - the computer “does not know” that information on the drive can be stored in smaller portions.

In practice, the cluster size is set in much smaller quantities. This depends on the file system and version of Windows. The following nuances are important:

• the larger the cluster, the faster the data is read and written;
• to store a huge number of small files, use a small cluster size so that the free space on the flash drive is used rationally;
• The larger the files you plan to store on the drive, the more profitable it is to use an increased cluster size.

Almost always, don't bother with the cluster size - use the default settings.

How to format a flash drive?

It’s not difficult to figure out how to format a flash drive in the standard way in Windows:

• connect the drive to the PC;
• open “My (This) Computer”;
• if there is important information on the flash drive, then copy it;
• right-click on the drive icon and select “Format”;
• specify the file system and click on “Start”.

You can also do this via the command line. After starting it, enter the command “format /fs:NTFS X: /q”, where X— the letter under which the OS identified the drive, and instead of “NTFS”, specify other file systems, if required.

Programs for formatting flash drives

Let's look at the features of popular utilities:

1. "MiniTool Partition Wizard". Simplicity and functionality are the advantages of this free program. It “can” create folders on one flash drive with different file systems, including ext2 or ext3, which are exotic for Windows users. The interface is easy to understand, but even advanced users will find a lot to dig into.
2. "HDD Low Level Format Tool". The application performs a full format, during which it is possible to eliminate physical errors of the drive. The result is that you can “revive” a flash drive that seemed completely out of order. Initially, the utility was developed for hard drives, but it perfectly supports drives connected via a USB connector.
3. "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool". An elementary program that almost completely replicates the interface of a standard Windows tool. It is worth stopping at this tool if the OS is buggy and “does not want” to format the media. Advantage over competitors - does not require installation, runs from a downloaded file.
4. "SD Formatter". Especially for SD, microSD and similar memory cards. Works with regular USB flash drives too. It's worth using if you don't have the simplest memory card. Let's say it's a fast SD UHS-II. To avoid hassle and get the highest possible write/read speed at the output, do everything via SD Formatter.

Regarding this, there are the following tips:

1. Format on the device where this drive will be primarily used. For example, if you need to format a memory card for an Android smartphone, then do it on the phone itself. Specifically in this example, FAT32 or file systems under Linux (ext4 and similar) are preferable. On Android, not everything is smooth regarding compatibility with NTFS.
2. Quick and full formatting are designed for different purposes. For example, in the Windows formatting settings window, the “Quick (clean table of contents)” line was checked. In this case, the information will not be physically deleted - the reformatting process will end faster. If it is important that the data be completely destroyed, then opt for full formatting, although this will take more time. This procedure is also preferable if the OS often complains that the flash drive has errors.

The file system on your device plays an important role. Thanks to it, data is processed and stored on the medium. 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.

At the moment there are many file systems in the world, but two of them are the most popular:

• exFAT
• NTFS.

And when organizing a system on a computer, most users have the question “Ntfs or exfat?” Let's consider each system separately, and then conduct a comparative analysis.

exFat

The exFat file system was developed by Microsoft and is a modernized version of the FAT32 system. In the new reproduction the following restrictions have been removed:

• File volume,
• 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 household devices do not support it! As for the Windows system, the XP version does not support exFAT by default. But the user can download an update from the official website that will remove this restriction. Modern versions of operating systems support exFAT.

NTFS

This file system was also developed by Microsoft (Windows developer) and is still used today as a modern analogue of FAT32.
If you install it on removable media, the data transfer speed will be quite low. 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, and the speed can reach 100 MB per second!
2. But since the cache on removable media is small, it fills up quickly and the speed decreases sharply.

In the situation with computers and laptops, this feature works great because the cache size is larger, and this allows you to smooth out the data transfer curve and increase speed.

Comparison of the exFAT file system with NTFS

exFAT does not have most of the nice features that are present in NTFS, such as file data transfers, which increases the speed of information exchange. But the advantages of exFAT include the use of less memory, and it is also capable of storing files larger than 4 GB. Only NTFS was capable of this before.
Which system to use depends on the media, its volume and the user's choice! If you don’t want to tempt your luck and run into pitfalls of incompatibility, then the NTFS system is recommended.

Sometimes, reading information, playing music and movies from a flash drive or external hard drive on all devices, namely a computer, a household DVD player or TV, Xbox or PS3, as well as in a car radio, can cause some problems. Here we’ll talk about which file system is best to use so that the flash drive can be read everywhere and always without problems.

What is a file system and what problems can be associated with it

A file system is a way of organizing data on storage media. As a rule, each operating system uses its own file system, but it can use several. Given that only binary data can be written to hard drives, the file system is a key component that provides translation from physical records into files that can be read by the OS. Thus, when formatting a drive in a certain way and with a certain file system, you decide which devices (since even your radio has a unique OS) will be able to understand what exactly is written on a flash drive, hard drive or other drive.

In addition to the well-known FAT32 and NTFS, as well as somewhat less familiar to the average user HFS+, EXT and other file systems, there are dozens of different file systems created for various devices for specific purposes. Today, when most people have more than one computer and other digital devices at home, which can use the operating systems Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android and others, the question is how to format a flash drive or other portable drive so that it read in all these devices, is quite relevant. And there are problems with this.

Compatibility

Currently, there are two most common file systems (for Russia) - NTFS (Windows), FAT32 (old Windows standard). Mac OS and Linux file systems can also be used.

It would be logical to assume that modern operating systems would work with each other's file systems by default, but in most cases this is not the case. Mac OS X cannot write data to a drive formatted with NTFS. Windows 7 does not recognize HFS+ and EXT drives and either ignores them or reports that the drive is not formatted.

Many Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, support most file systems by default. Copying from one system to another is a common process on Linux. Most distributions support HFS+ and NTFS out of the box, or support for them is installed in one free component.

In addition, game consoles such as the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 provide only limited access to certain file systems, and only allow data to be read from a USB drive. To see which file systems are supported on which devices, take a look at this table.

	Windows XP	Windows 7/Vista	Mac OS Leopard	Mac OS Lion/Snow Leopard	Ubuntu Linux	Playstation 3	Xbox 360
NTFS(Windows)	Yes	Yes	Only reading	Only reading	Yes	No	No
FAT32(DOS, Windows)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
exFAT(Windows)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes, with ExFat package	No	No
HFS+(Mac OS)	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
EXT2, 3(Linux)	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes

It is worth noting that the tables reflect the OS capabilities for working with file systems by default. On both Mac OS and Windows, you can download additional software that allows you to work with unsupported formats.

FAT32 is a long-standing format and, thanks to this, almost all devices and operating systems fully support it. Thus, if you format a flash drive in FAT32, it is almost guaranteed to be readable anywhere. However, there is one important problem with this format: the size limitation of an individual file and an individual volume. If you need to store, write and read huge files, FAT32 may not be suitable. Now more about size restrictions.

File size limits on file systems

The FAT32 file system was developed a long time ago and is based on previous versions of FAT, which was originally used in DOS. Disks with today's volumes did not exist at that time, and therefore there were no prerequisites for the file system to support files larger than 4GB. Today, many users have to face problems due to this. Below you can see a comparison of file systems based on the sizes of supported files and partitions.

Modern file systems have expanded file size limits to limits that are still difficult to imagine (we'll see what happens in 20 years).

Each new system outperforms FAT32 in terms of the size of individual files and a separate disk partition. Thus, the age of FAT32 affects its ability to be used for various purposes. One solution is to use the exFAT file system, support for which appears in many operating systems. But, one way or another, for a regular USB flash drive, if files larger than 4 GB are not stored on it, FAT32 will be the best choice, and the flash drive will be read almost anywhere.

This article will discuss the use of various file systems on external storage media: flash drives, memory cards, external hard drives, etc. So, today the following file systems are used for drives: ...

* FAT32
*NTFS
*exFAT

Let's go through each of them in detail and consider the advantages, disadvantages and features of use on various devices.

A file system created by Microsoft to replace the dying FAT16. Currently the most common system. Most memory cards and flash drives are supplied in FAT32. In addition, when formatting the media in a household device, such as a camera, it will work in this file system. This is its main advantage - compatibility. By inserting such a drive into a household DVD player, media player or photo printer, you will be sure that all files are accessible and can be read normally. This is where the advantages end.

The most important disadvantage of this system is the file size limit of 4 GB. Therefore, it will not be possible to record a large file (for example, a backup copy of the system disk or video copied from the camera). In addition, Windows has a partition size limit of 32 GB. You can get around the last limitation by downloading the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, which will allow you to format even an external hard drive in FAT32.

However, if you do not need to record and transfer such large files, and if you have a small media size: 4, 8 or even 16 GB, you can format it to FAT32 without hesitation.
By the way, Transcend, a company that produces mobile storage media, formats its external hard drives in FAT32.

A modern, reliable file system dating back to Windows NT.
In desktop computers and laptops it replaced FAT32. Check if you still have FAT32 installed (right click on the drive in My Computer and select Properties), I highly recommend replacing it with NTFS.

How to convert FAT32 to NTFS without data loss

You can do this as follows. In the command line (Start-Run) type

convert e: /fs:ntfs

Instead of e: you can substitute the required disk. This will allow you to change the file system to NTFS no data loss.

However, NTFS works somewhat differently on flash drives and external hard drives. When copying to such a drive, Windows turns on the caching mechanism, when files are copied first to special memory (the so-called cache), and then to the final media. In stationary hard drives, this allows you to gain copy speed and smooth out delays. On mobile devices it will look like this. At first, the copy speed will be very high and can reach 100 MB/s (theoretically equal to the read speed of the hard drive you are copying from), then when the cache memory runs out, the speed will drop to a critically low value. Moreover, before moving on to copying the next file, the system must append the current one from the cache. Therefore, copying may appear to be stuck at 99 percent, although the hard drive indicator will still show activity. If you compare the copying speed with and without cache, it turns out that it is almost identical. That is, when using NTFS, we lose almost nothing, except for the incorrect copying speed and information about its completion time. Although for some, such “information content” may fray the nerves.

This is the copying speed \"develops\"
USB 2.0 hard drive in NTFS system

NTFS “works wonders”, copying to a 512 MB flash drive,
the real writing speed of which is several MB/s

On the other hand, NTFS is an extremely reliable file system that can withstand more than one sudden reset. This reliability is ensured by logging. This will cause the system to access certain areas of the drive more often. For flash drives and memory cards, this approach is critical. They will wear out faster.

New file system from Microsoft. Designed primarily for flash drives. Exaggerating, we can say that this is FAT32 with the restrictions removed. The sizes of files and partitions can reach astronomical sizes, and the number of files in one folder is now unlimited. In my opinion, ideal for flash drives and memory cards.

But this system also has a drawback. Many household devices do not support it, and computers with Windows XP will not see such media either. However, Microsoft has released patch KB955704, which allows exFAT to be used in Windows XP. Windows Vista and Windows 7 work with this system without any additional manipulations.

But if you often use a flash drive on different computers using Windows XP, you will have to carry an additional flash drive with drivers. This is just ridiculous.

But if you only have computers with Windows 7 or you carry a flash drive/disk in only 2-3 places where it is possible to install the above update, then exFAT is ideal.

Addition
Article taken from open sources: http://winitpro.ru/index.php/2011/06/20/fajlovaya-sistema-exfat/
exFAT file system

Along with the release of Vista SP1, Microsoft introduced a new file system. ExFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) is the successor to the old FAT32 file system. So what are the main advantages and disadvantages of the exFAT file system. What are the differences between exFAT and FAT32? And when is it better to use exFAT rather than NTFS?

The FAT32 file system is a fairly old and familiar file system, but it has a number of significant disadvantages: it does not support partitions larger than 2 TB, and files larger than 4 GB. To solve the problems described in FAT32, the exFAT file system was created. ExFAT is a Microsoft development designed primarily for mobile media (flash drives, SSD drives, smart cards). It’s worth noting right away that ExFAT is not used to format hard drives. All recent versions of Windows, as well as Mac OS X, support this file system. ExFAT is also often called FAT64, which means it can handle larger drives and files.

The main advantages of the exFAT file system:

* Maximum cluster size increased to 32 MB
* Increased the maximum file size in exFAT from 4GB to 264 bytes (16 EB).
* There is no limit on the number of files in a directory
* Supports file/directory permissions
* Support for write transactions (if supported by the physical device)
* Efficient use of free space, which helps to significantly reduce disk fragmentation.

It is worth noting that when formatting in exFAT, the amount of available space on storage devices is greater than when using FAT32. For example, if a 4 GB USB flash drive (nominal capacity 4023 MB) is formatted in various file systems, you will get the following:

* FAT32 - 4014 MB
* HFS+ - 3997 MB
* NTFS - 3974 MB
* exFAT - 4022 MB

ExFAT is optimized for working with flash drives, such as USB flash drives, memory cards and SSD drives; the cluster size of 32 KB is well suited for large-capacity cards and devices with increased wear and tear when performing read-write operations. The exFAT system also has the ability to manage access rights to files/directories, and the time to access data has decreased. One of the main disadvantages of the exFAT system is that this technology is subject to Microsoft's licensing policy, and it cannot be used in any open source solutions. To use it on any operating system, you will need to pay licensing fees to Microsoft (this rule does not apply to simple mobile devices such as cameras, players, etc.).

exFAT in modern Windows 7 operating systems

The new version of Microsoft Windows 7 OS fully supports the exFAT file system and all its functions in both 32- and 64-bit versions. In addition, external flash drives formatted in exFAT can be used to work with ReadyBoost technology (and there will no longer be a 4 GB limit).

Windows Vista

Windows Vista supports exFAT only starting with Service Pack 1. In addition, some features such as access control are also not supported. Unlike Windows 7, Vista's exFAT devices are not supported for ReadyBoost.

Windows XP

ExFAT is not supported in Windows XP, however, you can download a driver from the Microsoft website (description in KB 9555704 - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955704), but it requires Service Pack 2 installed.

There is no official exFAT support for older versions of Windows.

Windows Server

ExFAT is fully supported in Windows Server 2008, and when installing the above driver, also in Windows Server 2003.

Snow Leopard

Mac OS X supports exFAT since version 10.6.4 (June 15, 2010), but only on Macs with an SDXC card reader. Mac mini and iMac are exFAT compatible.

On systems of the Linux family there is no support for exFAT, although there are several solutions, but most of them are paid or inconvenient, in addition, Microsoft, with its proprietary license, puts a spoke in the wheels of independent developers.

ExFAT and FAT32

When tested on Windows 7, it showed the same performance as FAT32, but NTFS is still a little faster. Will exFAT replace FAT32? This will probably only happen after a massive migration to Windows 7 or newer versions of Windows. For consumers, the main advantage of exFAT will be to overcome the file limitations of FAT32 (increasing file size in exFat).

We must also remember that the exFAT file system requires a newer version of the OS (a hardware upgrade may be required), as well as the fact that exFAT may simply not be supported on older devices (cameras, mp3 players).

exFat or NTFS

ExFAT can be considered a competitor to NTFS on systems with limited processing power and memory. In addition, using the NTFS file system on flash cards is very inconvenient and ineffective (operation speed drops and the service life of flash memory decreases), and ExFAT will be the ideal file system for such devices.

In conclusion, here are some general recommendations for choosing the most suitable file system. If you have a small flash drive, format it to FAT32. Format large-capacity flash drives with exFAT, since “speed jumps” on them will be especially noticeable. External hard drives are usually large in size and have high performance (especially those with USB 3.0 connectors), so it's best to format them with NTFS.

Article taken from open sources: http://pc-hard.ru/softarticles/1-fat32-ntfs-exfat-comparsion.html

The name of the file system FAT - File Allocation Table reflects the method of storing data in the form of a “file allocation table” used in it. If this table is damaged, all information entered into the computer will be lost.

File system NTFS

For some reason, you decide that formatting the flash drive will solve the problems that have accumulated, but you don’t know how to do it.

Instructions

Video on the topic

note

Before you start formatting, make sure that no application is using the flash drive, otherwise you will not be able to format it.

Formatting is a process of completely clearing disk space and can be used to quickly delete all files on both a hard drive and a flash drive. Let's look at the procedure for formatting a flash drive in the Windows operating system.

Instructions

First, look carefully. Some manufacturers equip their USB drives with protection against accidental data deletion. This is usually a small recess in the housing with a switch inside, the positions of which are marked as an open and closed lock. If you find such a switch, make sure it is in the unlocked position and insert flash drive in USB-.

Formatting can be done in several ways. Let's consider the simplest of them. Open Windows Explorer (right-click the Start menu) or click the My Computer icon. In the contents that open, find the connected flash drive. It will be labeled as "Removable Disk".

Right-click on the flash drive icon and select “Format” from the context menu. In the dialog box, you will be interested in only two items: “File system” and “Format methods”. If yours is less than 4GB in size, set the “File system” value to FAT, and if it is more than 4GB, then select exFAT. For Formatting Options, check the box next to Quick (Clear Table of Contents).

Video on the topic

Sources:

• format this

Formatting completely deletes all information from your flash drive. If there are viruses on it, then simply deleting all files is not enough. You need to format the USB device. And only then can you be sure that all viruses have been destroyed. You can also change the file system of a flash drive using formatting.

You will need

• - Computer;
• - flash drive;
• - HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool utility.

Instructions

One of the easiest ways to format a flash drive is system. Insert the drive into your computer. Right-click on its icon. A context menu will appear. From this menu, select Format. A window will pop up in which you can set all the necessary formatting parameters. If you want to change the file system, then, accordingly, you should left-click below the “File system” line and then select the desired one.

Next, in the “Format Method” section, check the box next to the “Fast, smoothing” line and click “Start”. A notification will appear that the formatting process will destroy all data. Click OK. The formatting process will begin. Its speed depends on your flash drive and the final file system. This process usually takes no more than a minute. Do not remove the device from the computer during the formatting operation. If the system freezes, simply restart the computer using the button on the case panel.

You can also use special utilities to format flash drives. For example, a very easy-to-use utility is called HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. It's free. Unpack the archive. Install the program on your computer's hard drive.

Launch HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. Next, in the Device line, select your flash drive. If only one flash drive is connected to the computer, it will be displayed automatically. When connecting a card reader, you can select all the devices that are currently on it. After that, select the file system. Next, click “Start” and wait for the formatting operation to complete.

You can also format the flash drive using the command line. To do this, enter the command Format and, for example, Format F. You may need to enter the administrator password, if one is set.

At this point in time, users of personal computers often have problems with information storage media, such as USB drives or external hard drives. In particular, there are many questions regarding their formatting.

Instructions

To do this, you can use standard operating system tools or use specialized software. As a rule, there are a large number of utilities for solving this problem, and users choose the most suitable ones for themselves.

To format the media using standard operating system tools, insert the flash drive into the USB port. As soon as the new device is in your computer, use the “My Computer” shortcut. Double click on it. You will see the entire list of disks that are present on the computer. Find there the name of the media you inserted into the USB port. Right-click on it and select "Format".

Next, you need to check the box next to “Full formatting”. Next, click the “Start” button. Wait a while for the system to completely format the media. As soon as everything is ready, the system will automatically notify you about it. Also, do not forget that formatting time depends on the size of the media.

You can also format a flash drive using special programs. One such utility is Gpart. You can find it on the websites softodrom.ru or soft.ru. Use antivirus software when downloading files. Install the program on your computer's hard drive. Next, launch using the desktop shortcut. Once the program opens, select the drive you want to format and click the Start button. As soon as the operation is completed, the system will notify you about it. In general, we can say that formatting a flash drive is quite simple, even without special software; the main thing is to follow certain actions.

Formatting a flash drive allows you to completely clear the device's memory and change the file system format used to store data. There are several formatting options that all have the same effect. Depending on the purpose of data formatting, the type of operation will be selected.

Instructions

To format a flash drive, the fastest way is to use standard Windows tools. The system will quickly carry out the desired operation and make the necessary transformations that will suit most users. Before formatting the drive, you must first select the type of operation: complete or quick erase.

Quick formatting is best used if you do not need to change the file system, but just want to quickly delete unnecessary documents. This method differs in that data from a flash drive can be recovered later, which means that if an important file is discovered missing, in some cases you will be able to restore it using specialized utilities.

Full formatting is used to destroy all data and make it impossible to recover. It is best used when troubleshooting device operation if errors in writing and reading files are observed.

To format using the system, insert the storage medium into the computer slot. Go to the “Start” menu - “Computer” and right-click on the device icon that appears to open the context menu. From the options provided, select "Format".

In the window that appears, configure formatting options. In the File System field, specify the type of file organization you want to use. Most modern Windows systems work with the NTFS file system, which allows for faster work with files, and therefore it is best to choose it. If you want to perform a complete data cleanup, uncheck the “Quick (Table of Contents Cleanup)” checkbox. After making the settings, click “Start” and wait until the procedure is completed.

note

A complete wipe takes much longer, and therefore formatting can take quite a long time. Quick formatting usually does not take more than 1 minute on modern computers.

Tip 7: Which file system to choose when installing Windows

The question of choosing a file system can only arise when installing Windows XP (or even earlier OS editions). Starting with Vista, there is no alternative - all subsequent versions of Windows are installed only on NTFS partitions (volumes). The reason for this limitation is very simple. FAT32 (especially FAT16) do not provide reliable information storage and do not have the ability to implement many new system functions.

Features of the FAT 32 file system

The name of the file system FAT - File Allocation Table reflects the method of storing data in the form of a “file allocation table” used in it. If this table is damaged, all information entered into the computer will be lost.

FAT32 does not support working with logical hard drive partitions larger than 2 TB. The size of the saved file cannot be more than 4 GB, which is too small for a modern user.

The main characteristic of a file system is the stability of its operation. When using FAT32, an error very often occurs due to incorrectly recorded data about the availability of free space.

A file system is a file and folder storage structure that provides access to data written to a hard drive.

This error occurs when the process of copying, moving, or deleting documents fails and is due to the fact that Windows does not have time to commit new data. The situation can only be corrected by fully checking the hard drive using special programs.

Another serious disadvantage of FAT32 is the rapid fragmentation of the hard drive, which not only slows down the work, but can also lead to a complete crash of the file system.

Currently, FAT32 is most often used when formatting flash drives. You should select it when installing Windows if you need to create a multiboot configuration using Windows XP Professional and an OS that requires FAT. In most cases, it is better to install Windows on an NTFS partition.

File system NTFS

Unlike FAT32, all data about the location and attributes of files is stored in a system file hidden from user actions. This storage method is more reliable and provides data protection in case of system failures. The size of disk space in an NTFS system is practically unlimited.

The NTFS system makes it possible to control access to files and folders, that is, it allows you to specify which user has the right to work with a specific document and what actions he can perform.

Windows XP Professional allows you to convert a FAT partition to the NTFS file system without losing data using the Convert command.

Additionally, NTFS allows you to encrypt data on the disk using the Microsoft Encryption System (EFS). Files remain encrypted while they are moved and renamed. The degree of protection is quite sufficient for the average user. NTFS makes it possible to set disk quotas and limit the hard disk space occupied by a specific user's documents.

The NTFS system has its own compression algorithm that does not reduce performance. Compression can be applied to files and folders, as well as to entire disks. Compressed NTFS files take up less space and can be read or written by any Windows or MS-DOS application without first decompressing them.

Another innovation in NTFS is mount points. With their help, you can define different folders that are not connected to each other as one drive. This makes it possible to collect disparate information located in the system in one place. Only the NTFS file system allows you to implement all the capabilities of WindowsXP.

USB flash drives and other media can have different file systems: exFAT, NTFS and FAT32. NTFS is one of the most popular, but even this file system has its own advantages and disadvantages.

NTFS and FAT32

As you know, today the Windows operating system offers users two types of file systems: FAT32 and NTFS. A file system should be understood as a way of organizing data on a particular medium. The file system can be changed on: USB flash drives, hard drives (including removable ones) and other media. The topic related to changing the file system is most relevant for USB flash drives. The thing is that the FAT32 file system is more suitable for small files (large files are simply not supported by this system). NTFS, in turn, allows you to download files with both small and large sizes, while the speed of operation (reading, viewing, copying) will not change.

Is it worth formatting to NTFS: advantages and disadvantages

USB drives with the NTFS file system installed allow you to access small files much faster and show high performance when working with large files. As for security, a file system such as NTFS, unlike others, shows high reliability of information storage. In addition, NTFS is the most reliable file system (that is, failures and shortcomings when working with such flash drives are much less common).

Unfortunately, NTFS also has a number of disadvantages. For example, the main disadvantages of this file system include lower operating speed (compared to FAT32). This is due to the fact that NTFS allows you to work with both large and small amounts of information. The next and final drawback of this file system is its high RAM requirements.

Of course, all the advantages and disadvantages are conditional and are not always critical when choosing a particular file system for a USB flash drive.

Changing the file system

In order to format a particular media and change the file system used, you can use one of the following options: use either standard Windows operating system tools or special utilities. Of course, the first option is much faster and easier than the second. To do this, just open “My Computer” and right-click on the removable media icon. A context menu will open in which you should select “Format...”. After clicking, a new window will appear. Here you have to directly select the file system that will belong to the flash drive. To do this, click on the “Format” button and select NTFS or FAT32 from the list that appears, depending on your preferences. In order to complete the procedure, you will need to click on the “Format” button (if you select “Quick Format”, the file system will not change). Then all that remains is to wait for the procedure to complete.