FAT32 versus FTFS

[Mike]

I just upgraded from Windows ME to Windows XP. My files are still FAT32.
Should I convert to NTFS files. Also how do I partition my hard drive.

 

[Jeffrey Struyk [MVP]]

I just upgraded from Windows ME to Windows XP. My files are still FAT32.
Should I convert to NTFS files. Also how do I partition my hard drive.

There are lots of benefits to NTFS over the FAT32 system. It's better
if you can initially format in NTFS, but can convert it from within
Windows. Just be advised, you can't go back without third party
software.

About the partitioning, if you want to do it without losing your hard
drive data, you will need third party software. There are a few out
there that will do it. I like PartitionMagic from PowerQuest. It
will do the partitioning and the file system conversions I mentioned
above.

http://www.powerquest.com/partitionmagic/

 

[Deep Phee]

XP also creates a backup, of sorts, of the older OS system file during
installation. Once you convert to NTFS those files will be removed and it'll
notify you of that. NTFS is the superior file system and I'd go ahead with
the conversion.

 

[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

You can safely convert your hard drive to NTFS whenever desired,
without having to format the partition and reinstall everything. As
always when performing any serious changes, back up any important data
before proceeding, just in case. A little advance preparation is also
strongly recommended, so you can avoid any performance hits caused by
the default cluster size:

Converting FAT32 to NTFS in Windows
http://www.aumha.org/a/ntfscvt.htm

Planning Your Partitions
http://www.aumha.org/a/parts.htm


Bruce Chambers

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