Backing up a NTFS Volume to a FAT 32 Volume

[Ron K.]

I just purchased an External Iomega 120 HDD that came
with FAT 32 formatting but I want to do a full back up
using it as my target for my C: drive (XP Pro) that is
formatted in NTFS.

Are there disadvantages of backups done from a NTFS HDD
to a FAT 32 HDD.

I prefer to re-format the new external drive as NTFS but
Iomega said they would not support the drive then, but
that it should work okay.

Thanks,
Ron

 

[Millybags]

Personally, I would re-format to NTFS. I don't like mixing file systems if
I can help it. I guess it depends if you need the support from Iomega.

 

[Alex Johnson]

I just purchased an External Iomega 120 HDD that came
with FAT 32 formatting but I want to do a full back up
using it as my target for my C: drive (XP Pro) that is
formatted in NTFS.

Are there disadvantages of backups done from a NTFS HDD
to a FAT 32 HDD.

I prefer to re-format the new external drive as NTFS but
Iomega said they would not support the drive then, but
that it should work okay.

Thanks,
Ron

There are disadvantages, but you are unlikely to encounter them on a
single-user computer. For one, FAT has no real access control system so
all the permissions for files and directories will be lost. Additional
metadata stored in NTFS will be lost (I don't know what this includes
though). And finally I think NTFS or NTFS5 included real, flexible
links, not just the hackish .lnk files that are used in FAT. I don't
think these will transfer.

If any of these things are a concern, you will want to do one of two
things. Either:
Format the backup drive as NTFS and to hell with the support.
Or:
Buy a backup software meant to do this sort of thing, like Ghost.

Alex

 

[Guest]

Thanks Steve.

That seems to be the consensus from a few knowledgeable
users I have asked. I'll see if others here have
anything else to add about why I should not do the re-
format (notwithstanding the loss of the support).

 

[Ron]

Good information Alex. I have Ghost 2003 that came
bundled with the HDD so that is an option: leave the
Volume as is and backup using the Ghost image that keeps
all the NTFS file extras.

Thanks

 

[Diggy]

I thought that FAT32 was no good for drives over something like 15Gigs. Is
that just a myth? Why is a compay like Omega still using FAT32?

 

[Ron]

Diggy:

They say because it is the most compatible with all the
other Operating Systems in common use, i.e. Win 98
can't "read" NTFS.

-----Original Message-----
I thought that FAT32 was no good for drives over something like 15Gigs. Is
that just a myth? Why is a compay like Omega still

using FAT32?

 

[Guest]

Diggy:

Yes, that is a myth. The limit of maximum volume size for
FAT 32 & NTSF is 2TB (That's terabytes or one trillion
bytes!). The limit is for individual maximum file size
of 4GB for FAT 32. Note: FAT 16 is limited to 2GB for
file AND volume size.

Ron

 

[John E. Carty]

NTFS can have volumes larger then 2TB's

Diggy:

Yes, that is a myth. The limit of maximum volume size for
FAT 32 & NTSF is 2TB (That's terabytes or one trillion
bytes!). The limit is for individual maximum file size
of 4GB for FAT 32. Note: FAT 16 is limited to 2GB for
file AND volume size.

Ron

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----
NTFS can have volumes larger then 2TB's

Learn something new often here.