Selecting the best Microsoft file system (FAT16, FAT32, NTFS) - IBM IntelliStation

Resolving The Problem

This document will help you choose a file system for your Microsoft operating system. The file system is selected during the setup process and the user must select either FAT16 (File Allocation Table), FAT32 or NTFS (NT File System), depending upon the operating system being used. There are advantages and disadvantages for each file system. The file system selected will specify how the data is saved and how it is stored on the hard disk drive.

If FAT16 is selected, the hard disk drive will be divided into 512 byte pieces called sectors. These sectors are grouped into larger pieces called clusters. Due to design limitations, the maximum number of clusters that the FAT16 system can keep track of is 65,535. Hard disk drives larger than 1.2GB therefore become very inefficient in storing data because large amounts of hard disk drive space is unused but occupied by the file allocation table. FAT16 does provide excellent performance on small hard disk drives that are less than 1.2GB. Hard disk drives larger than 1.2GB should be formatted as FAT32. Security in a FAT16 partition is limited to the volume access restrictions under the operating system supporting data security.

Choosing FAT32 as the file allocation system during the formatting of the hard disk drive will efficiently manage the way the data is stored on the hard disk drive. FAT32 can and should be used for hard disk drives larger than 1.2 GB. Improved hard drive performance using FAT32 on larger hard disk drives is the key advantage of selecting FAT 32 over FAT 16. Before formatting the hard disk drive with FAT 32, the user should verify that all the applications to be installed on the hard disk drive are supported under FAT32. Not all older applications will run under FAT 32. FAT32 is not available under Microsoft Windows NT version 3.51 or 4.0.

In order to select NTFS as the file system on the hard disk drive, Microsoft Windows NT must be the operating system. NTFS is not supported by any other operating system. NTFS works well with large hard disk drives. NTFS is chosen for its enhanced security features and is therefore used by most companies. Security in NTFS partitions may be sent down to the file level. This enhanced security provides significantly more flexibility and granularity than can be achieved in the FAT file system. NTFS is only available in Microsoft Windows NT 3.51, 4.0 or in Windows 2000.