What are the benefits of using NTFS over FAT?

Question

What are the security advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 1

Advantages:

- NTFS has no filesize limit, while FAT32 had a 4GB limit. This means you can store bigger files in NTFS.

- NTFS supports encrypted files. Don't really know how this works, but you can easily look it up.

- NTFS supports compressed files. In Windows XP with NTFS you might notice some files have the name in a blue colour. This means that these files are compressed in order to save drive space.

That's basically it, as far as I know.

Disadvantages?

- Unlike FAT, NTFS is not a widely uses file system. Only Windows machines can correctly read/write data from them. So, if you want a drive to share info between multiple OSs, such as Linux or MacOS X, use FAT. If you only use Linux or MacOS X, use the native filesystem they come with. However, if you only use Windows XP, the I suggest you use NTFS.

- Like FAT, but unlike Linux Extended FS, NTFS is prone to fragmentation. This is not very good, really. It makes things slower and your hard drive wears out more quickly.

Answer 2

Choosing between NTFS, FAT, and FAT32
You 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.

Answer 3

FAT is technology that is over 20 years old. NTFS is only about 10 years old. NTFS supports security, alternate file streams and is capable of addressing a much larger hard disk that FAT. FAT32 is also capable of addressing large disks, but it does not have the security aspects of NTFS.

Answer 4

NTFS is more secure, it is like having only one access door for data, so there is very less risk for viruses or data corruption, and FAT is a system having several access door, so if your anti virus was able to block a virus from one door, it may gain access fro another door, so in this way FAT is a bit less secure to use.

Answer 5

It is stronger partition more advance it re covers from errors more than FAT32.
disadvantages: it takes more space on the hard drive to save data, you can not work with DOS on it , if you lose the system files you can't restore them as easy as FAT32.

Answer 6

Advantages Of Ntfs

Answer 7

All I have to say is read http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/russel_october01.mspx

NTFS is for security, large files and a bunch of other things! Have a read.

Answer 8

Look at the article below...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/russel_october01.mspx