FAT 32 or NTFS?

[Guest]

In recommending a home PC system using WIN XP Home Addition, is FAT 32 preferrable over NTFS? Also, I am told that Office 2003 will not run on a FAT 32 system. Is this true?

 

[Cerridwen]

In recommending a home PC system using WIN XP Home Addition, is FAT
32 preferrable over NTFS? Also, I am told that Office 2003 will not
run on a FAT 32 system. Is this true?

1) The word is 'edition' not 'addition' - learn the difference.

2) I've always used NTFS, for security reasons (but then I need the
security and I'm running Pro anyway).

3) No. OK, it's sort of right. Office 2003 won't run on a 9x-based
system, and they can only utilise FAT32 (they cannot read, nor write to
NTFS). But if you have a FAT32 formatted drive on a 2000 (SP3+) XP or 2003
system, then it will work just fine - it's the OS that's the issue, not the
drive format.

 

[Guest]

FAT & NTFS File Systems in Windows X
http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfs.htm

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Personally, I wouldn't even consider using FAT32 when NTFS is an
option. FAT32 has no security capabilities, no compression
capabilities, no fault tolerance, and a lot of wasted hard drive space
on volumes larger than 8 Gb in size. But your computing needs may
vary, and there is no hard and fast answer.

To answer your questions without getting too technical is
difficult, but has been handled quite well by Alex Nichol in the
article here:

FAT & NTFS File Systems in Windows XP
http://www.aumha.org/a/ntfs.htm

Somewhat more technical information is here:

Limitations of the FAT32 File System in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=kb;en-us;Q314463

Choosing Between File Systems
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...prodtechnol/winntas/tips/techrep/filesyst.asp

NTFS file system
http://www.digit-life.com/articles/ntfs/

And that person who told you that Office 2003 won't work on FAT32?
Never, ever, listen to him/her again, if the subject has anything to
do with computers or software.


Bruce Chambers

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[Norm]

To quote "And that person who told you that Office 2003 won't work on FAT32?
Never, ever, listen to him/her again, if the subject has anything to
do with computers or software".

If you are referring to Cerridwen's response I suggest you look at it a
little closer. He/she only said that it wouldn't work with 9x systems that
typically use fat32 not that it would not work on the fat32 file system.


For what it's

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the english lesson Cerridwen. PARDON MY QUICK TYPING! As for who told me that Office won't work on fat 32, It was DELL tech support when I was placing an order for PC systems.

Norm, thanks for your input. I'll check out the links.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

In recommending a home PC system using WIN XP Home Addition, is FAT
32 preferrable over NTFS?

No. My preference is always to run XP on NTFS drives, unless
there's a reason why FAT32 is necessary--for example if you are
dual-booting with an operating system that doesn't support NTFS.

Also, I am told that Office 2003 will not
run on a FAT 32 system. Is this true?

No. It's completely false.

 

[Cerridwen]

Thanks for the english lesson Cerridwen. PARDON MY QUICK TYPING! As
for who told me that Office won't work on fat 32, It was DELL tech
support when I was placing an order for PC systems.

Norm, thanks for your input. I'll check out the links.

Dell tech support know FA.

 

[JerryMouse]

In recommending a home PC system using WIN XP Home Addition, is FAT
32 preferrable over NTFS? Also, I am told that Office 2003 will not
run on a FAT 32 system. Is this true?

This is a trick question, right?

By every objective standard, NTFS is superior to FAT-32.

 

[Alex Nichol]

In recommending a home PC system using WIN XP Home Addition, is FAT 32 preferrable over NTFS?

See discussion on the two systems at www.aumha.org/win5/a/ntfs.htm

Also, I am told that Office 2003 will not run on a FAT 32 system. Is this true?

No it isn't

 

[John Corson]

Thanks for the english lesson Cerridwen. PARDON MY QUICK TYPING! As for

who told me that Office won't work on fat 32, It was DELL tech support when
I was placing an order for PC systems.


That figures! Since DELL tech support is outsourced (for cheaper wages),
it's a wonder the person on the phone spoke English well enough to
understand the phrase FAT32!