what is difference between NTFS and FAT-32 file system?

Answer 1

NTFS is a "tighter" filing system meaning there are fewer overheads when files are written to the hard-drive (the same amount of data takes up less physical hard-drive space)... also NTFS has better security for data on a hardware level rather than just a password level that you get with FAT32

Answer 2

Hi!

First, I must say that NTFS is much, much better than NTFS. NTFS stands for New Technology File System while FAT/FAT32 for File Allocation Table.

FAT is simple and simply stores the files on the HDD/partition, while NTFS has System Logs, that help recover data.
These logs are used co rebuild (to some extent) logs, files and so on...

Also, NTFS has built in security, that helps keeping (to some extent) your files private, when needed.
NTFS also offers cryptography, and so, you can encrypt your files to prevent them from being used by others, such as documents, picts, etc...
NTFS also has built in compression so that you can store more files, while this compression is fast and reliable.

I have all 5 partitions on my system upgraded to NTFS, all of them, excluding the System partition are compressed (I kept C:/ uncompressed for maximum performance of the OS).
My multimedia volume stores 10.5 GB of data on a 9.8 GB partition, and I still have some spare/free space.

The down is that after a while the logs on the NTFS volume become quite large... and thus the free space on your volumes keeps going down, so, once in a while... format...
This is because logs and other data are modified each time a file is accessed, modified or even deleted.

NTFS increases your chance of keeping your partitions healthy and your files intact, while FAT/FAT 32 does NOT!

Note: FAT 32 partitions are only useful when they are about 2GB!
FAT (FAT 16) <512 MB
NTFS up to 2TB (2048 GB). However, create partitions of about 10 GB on a regular computer.

I hope I was helpful!

Answer 3

NTFS is more secure, it allows encryption and other fancy things. However older operating systems and a lot of flash drives and MP3 players use FAT32, so compatability can be an issue. I have XP on NTFS and programs and data on seperate FAT32 partitions, best of both worlds.

http://www.theeldergeek.com/ntfs_or_fat32_file_system.htm

Answer 4

What happened to people answering questions. These answers (some) look copied directly from a website or something...(undoubtly are)

NFTS is a more compact and secure file system. It compresses data and makes it harder for hackers, etc. to access your data.

Fat32 (of Fat) is the standard file system for most OS today, you can change between Fat, Fat32 and NFTS. However, it is much more difficult to change back to Fat32 once converted to NFTS.

Hope that helped...

Answer 5

NTFS= for single OS FAT32= for multiple OS

Choosing between NTFS, FAT, and FAT32You can choose between three file systems for disk partitions on a computer running Windows XP: NTFS, FAT, and FAT32. Use the information below to compare the file systems.

NTFS is the recommended file system for the following reasons:

NTFS is more powerful than FAT or FAT32, and includes features required for hosting Active Directory as well as other important security features. You can use features such as Active Directory and domain-based security only by choosing NTFS as your file system.
It is easy to convert partitions to NTFS. The Setup program makes conversion easy, whether your partitions used FAT, FAT32, or the older version of NTFS. This kind of conversion keeps your files intact (unlike formatting a partition). If you do not need to keep your files intact and you have a FAT or FAT32 partition, it is recommended that you format the partition with NTFS rather than convert from FAT or FAT32. Formatting a partition erases all data on the partition and allows you to start with a clean drive.
Whether a partition is formatted with NTFS or converted using the convert command, NTFS is the better choice of file system. For more information about Convert.exe, after completing Setup, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then press ENTER. In the command window, type help convert and then press ENTER.

In order to maintain access control on files and folders and support limited accounts, you must use NTFS. If you use FAT32, all users will have access to all files on your hard drive, regardless of their account type (administrator, limited, or standard.)
NTFS is the file system that works best with large disks. (The next best file system for large disks is FAT32.)
There is one situation in which you might want to choose FAT or FAT32 as your file system. If it is necessary to have a computer that will sometimes run an earlier version of Windows and other times run Windows XP, you will need to have a FAT or FAT32 partition as the primary (or startup) partition on the hard disk. Most earlier versions of Windows cannot access a partition if it uses the latest version of NTFS. The two exceptions are Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later. Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later has access to partitions with the latest version of NTFS, but with some limitations: It cannot access files that have been stored using NTFS features that did not exist when Windows NT 4.0 was released.

For anything other than a situation with multiple operating systems, however, the recommended file system is NTFS.

Important

Once you convert a drive or partition to NTFS, you cannot simply convert it back to FAT or FAT32. You will need to reformat the drive or partition which will erase all data including programs and personal files on the partition.
The following table describes the compatibility of each file system with various operating systems.

NTFS FAT FAT32
A computer running Windows XP or Windows 2000 can access files on an NTFS partition. A computer running Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or later might be able to access some files. Other operating systems allow no access. Access is available through MS-DOS, all versions of Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and OS/2. Access is available only through Windows 95 OSR2, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.


The following table compares disk and file sizes possible with each file system.

NTFS FAT FAT32
Recommended minimum volume size is approximately 10 megabytes (MB).
Volumes much larger than 2 terabytes (TB) are possible.

Cannot be used on floppy disks.
Volumes from floppy disk size up to 4 gigabytes (GB).
Does not support domains.
Volumes from 512 MB to 2 TB.
In Windows XP, you can format a FAT32 volume up to 32 GB only.

Does not support domains.

File size limited only by size of volume. Maximum file size is 2 GB. Maximum file size is 4 GB.

Note

Some older programs may not run on an NTFS volume, so you should research the current requirements for your software before converting.
Related Topics

Answer 6

With NTFS, you can see FAT32 harddrive but with FAT32 you can't see NTFS harddrive

Answer 7

google knows