How many files in a directory

[Alan]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me the maximum number of files that can be stored in a
single directory on a hard disk using windows XP home / pro. I am looking
to save 1,000s of PDF files into a single directory. Is there a limit.

Many thanks in advance

 

[Don Schmidt]

This may be your answer:

http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum107/91.htm

 

[Guest]

Why would you want to?
Wouldn't you want to have Sub directories and then catalog the files in
some kind of grouping for quicker access or ease in finding? just
wondering.....

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Alan wrote

Can anyone tell me the maximum number of files that can be stored in a
single directory on a hard disk using windows XP home / pro. I am
looking to save 1,000s of PDF files into a single directory. Is
there a limit.

First, the limit is on *entries*, not files. That's because both file names
and folder names are counted, and because files and folder with long file
names take multiple entries.

The limit for FAT32 is 64K entries. The limit for NTFS is millions--large
enough that for all practical purposes it's unlimited.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

If your hard disk is formatted NTFS, you do not have to worry about it. If
FAT32, you have to start worrying at about 65,534 files.

NTFS Size Limits
------------------------
Files per volume 4,294,967,295 (2^32 minus 1 file)

Sizes on FAT32 Volumes
--------------------
Maximum number of files and subfolders within a single folder
65,534 (The use of long file names can significantly reduce the number of
available files and subfolders within a folder.)

From...
Size Limitations in NTFS and FAT File Systems
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_tdrn.asp

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Tim Slattery]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me the maximum number of files that can be stored in a
single directory on a hard disk using windows XP home / pro. I am looking
to save 1,000s of PDF files into a single directory.

There is a limit, but it's a function of the file system, not the
operating system.

A FAT32 directory can have at most 65,534 entries. All files will
occupy from two to thirteen entries, depending on the length of the
name, so you won't be able to get anywhere near 65,000 files in a
directory.

There's no limit on NTFS directories, but there is a limit on NTFS
files per volume. That limit is 4,294,967,295 files. You'll fill your
disk *long* before you get there.

These and other limits are documented here: (absurdly long URL may be
wrapped)

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_tdrn.asp

 

[Tim Slattery]

These and other limits are documented here: (absurdly long URL may be
wrapped)

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_tdrn.asp

I've been rereading that page, and I've found a couple of errors. It
says that the maximum partition size for FAT32 is 32GB, which isn't
true. WinXP and, I think, Win2K will not create a FAT32 partition
larger than that, but that's only because NTFS is available on those
systems and is a much better choice for huge partitions. But Win98 and
WinME will create very large FAT32 partitions, and WinXP will have no
trouble using those partitions.

The page also says that there is a limit of 4,177,920 files on a FAT32
volume. I'm not sure where this number comes from. My best guess is
that it's a 32GB volume divided by a 32KB allocation unit. But the
32GB ceiling is false....

 

[Alan]

Thanks very much for the info. Just the answer I was looking for.

 

[Ron Martell]

The page also says that there is a limit of 4,177,920 files on a FAT32
volume. I'm not sure where this number comes from. My best guess is
that it's a 32GB volume divided by a 32KB allocation unit. But the
32GB ceiling is false....

I wonder if that should not read "clusters per volume", as it also
mentions that value for FAT16 drives (64K clusters).

That cluster limit is more relevant to Windows 9x systems, because
Scandisk and Defrag (the 9x versions) will not work with more than
that many total clusters. With a 32K cluster maximum size this
equates to a 128 gb (137 billion byte) maximum drive/partition size
for FAT32.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm