File system on your device plays an important role. Thanks to it, data is processed and stored on the medium. The file system limits the size of the file and the number of characters in its name, as well as the speed of data exchange.
On this moment There are many file systems in the world, but two of them are the most popular:
- exFAT
- NTFS.
And when organizing a system on a computer, most users have the question “Ntfs or exfat?” Let's consider each system separately, and then conduct a comparative analysis.
exFat
exFat file system developed by Microsoft and is an upgraded version of the FAT32 system. In the new reproduction the following restrictions have been removed:
- File volume,
- Section volume,
- The number of files in one section and folder.
It is most actively used by users on removable media. However, there is one drawback that may seem like a stumbling block; many household devices do not support it! As for the Windows system, the XP version does not support exFAT by default. But the user can download an update from the official website that will remove this restriction. Modern versions of operating systems support exFAT.
NTFS
This file system was also developed by Microsoft (Windows developer) and is still used today as a modern analogue of FAT32.
If you install it on removable media, the data transfer speed will be quite low. This is due to the use of the cache when copying data. It works like this:
1. First, the information is stored in the cache, and the speed can reach 100 MB per second!
2. But since removable media The cache is small, it fills up quickly and the speed decreases sharply.
In the situation with computers and laptops, this feature works great because the cache size is larger, and this allows you to smooth out the data transfer curve and increase speed.
Comparison of the exFAT file system with NTFS
exFAT does not have most of the nice features that are present in NTFS, such as file data transfers, which increases the speed of information exchange. But the advantages of exFAT include the use of less memory, and it is also capable of storing files larger than 4 GB. Only NTFS was capable of this before.
Which system to use depends on the media, its volume and the user's choice! If you don’t want to tempt your luck and run into pitfalls of incompatibility, then the NTFS system is recommended.
This article will discuss the use of various file systems on external storage media: flash drives, memory cards, external hard disks, etc. So, today the following file systems are used for drives:
- FAT32
- exFAT
Let's go through each of them in detail and consider the advantages, disadvantages and features of use on various devices.
FAT32
A file system created by Microsoft to replace the dying FAT16. Currently the most common system. B O Most memory cards and flash drives are supplied in FAT32. In addition, when formatting the media in a household device, such as a camera, it will work in this file system. This is the main advantage - compatibility. By inserting such a drive into a household DVD player, media player or photo printer, you will be sure that all files are accessible and can be read normally. This is where the advantages end.
The most important disadvantage of this system is the file size limit of 4 GB. Therefore write down large file(for example, a backup system disk or video copied from the camera) will not work - the system will display the error “Insufficient disk space”, although there is still plenty of space. In addition, Windows has a partition size limit of 32 GB. You can get around the last limitation by downloading the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, which will allow you to format even an external HDD.
However, if you do not need to record and transfer such large files, and also if you have a small media size: 4, 8 or even 16 GB, you can format it to FAT32 without hesitation.
By the way, the company Transcend, which produces mobile storage media, its external hard disks formats exactly in FAT32.
NTFS
A modern, reliable file system dating back to Windows NT.
In desktop computers and laptops it replaced FAT32. Check if you still have FAT32 installed (click right click on disk in My computer and select Properties), I strongly recommend replacing it with NTFS.
How to convert FAT32 to NTFS without data loss
You can do this as follows. IN command line(Start-Run) type
Instead of e: you can substitute the required disk. This will allow you to change the file system to NTFS no data loss.
However, on flash drives and external hard drives NTFS works somewhat differently. When copying to such a drive, Windows enables a caching mechanism when the files are first copied to special memory(the so-called cache), and then to the final media. In stationary hard drives, this allows you to gain copy speed and smooth out delays. IN mobile devices it will look like this. At first, the copy speed will be very high and can reach 100 MB/s (theoretically equal to the read speed hard drive, from which you are copying), then when the cache memory runs out, the speed will drop to a critically low value.
Moreover, before moving on to copying the next file, the system must append the current one from the cache. Therefore, copying may appear to be stuck at 99 percent, although the hard drive indicator will still show activity. If you compare the copying speed with and without cache, it turns out that it is almost identical. That is, when using NTFS, we lose almost nothing, except for the incorrect copying speed and information about its completion time. Although for some, such “information content” may fray the nerves.
This is the copying speed it “develops”
hard USB disk 2.0 on NTFS system
NTFS “works wonders”, copying to a 512 MB flash drive,
the actual recording speed of which issomeMB/s
On the other hand, NTFS is an extremely reliable file system that can withstand more than one sudden reset. This reliability is ensured by logging. This will cause the system to access certain areas of the drive more often. For flash drives and memory cards, this approach is critical. They will wear out faster.
exFAT
New file system from Microsoft. Designed primarily for flash drives. Exaggerating, we can say that this is FAT32 with the restrictions removed. The sizes of files and partitions can reach astronomical sizes, and the number of files in one folder is now unlimited. In my opinion, ideal for flash drives and memory cards.
But this system also has a drawback. Many household devices do not support it, and computers with Windows XP will not see such media either. However, Microsoft has released patch KB955704, which allows exFAT to be used in Windows XP. Windows Vista and Windows 7 are friendly with this system without any additional manipulations.
But if you often use a flash drive on different computers using Windows XP, you will have to carry an additional flash drive with drivers. This is just ridiculous.
But if you only have computers with Windows 7 or you carry a flash drive/disk in only 2-3 places where it is possible to install the above update, then exFAT is ideal.
In conclusion, I will give a few general recommendations to select the most suitable file system. If you have a small flash drive, format it to FAT32. Format large-capacity flash drives with exFAT, since “speed jumps” on them will be especially noticeable. External hard drives are usually large in size and have high performance (especially those with USB 3.0 connectors), so it's best to format them with NTFS.
From time to time, my work colleagues ask me: “Which file system to choose when formatting a new flash drive?”
Usually I answer that you need to select NTFS, and everything will be fine. But sometimes you come across meticulous users, and they want to know why NTFS and not FAT32 or exFAT.
In this article I will try to explain the difference between these file systems from the point of view of the average user.
Today, the current file systems for flash drives (and other external media) are: NTFS, FAT32, exFAT.
These systems allow you to store files in different ways and Additional information about them on the media. Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you need to choose the one that is most suitable for your tasks and files.
For example, FAT32 has a 4GB file size limit. Therefore, if you want to save a DVD image to a flash drive as one 4.7 GB file (or 8.5 GB for a double-layer DVD), then FAT32 is not suitable for this operation.
On the other hand, due to its simplicity, FAT32 can provide greater speed than NTFS or exFAT. But, again, this results in less reliability in case of accidental loss of communication or power failure of the external storage device.
If a flash drive is used to transfer various small files (for example, office documentation), then it is better to use NTFS;
If a flash drive is used to transfer large files (for example, photos or video files), then it is better to use exFAT.
In such options specified systems provide greater speed of flash drive operation.
This is clearly seen in the example of memory cards, which are mainly intended for photo and video equipment. IN modern devices The files are large, so manufacturers immediately format memory cards in the exFAT system.
An exception to using FAT32 can only be if you are using a flash drive for household appliances– TV, DVD, auto FM modulator. If, for example, your TV can only work with flash drives in FAT32 format, then there is nothing you can do - to view photos or videos from a flash drive on TV, you will have to format the flash drive in the FAT32 system.
The latest models of household appliances can already work with different systems, but earlier models only “understand” FAT32.
Testing.
I now have 2 USB 2.0 flash drives - 16 and 8 GB. A 16 GB flash drive is a Corsair Voyager. The 8 GB flash drive is Silicon Power (aluminum case, code D33B29 on the flash drive itself).
I tested both flash drives in NTFS, FAT32, exFAT systems. First I copied the folder from different files, and then an archive of the same folder. For example, I took the folder of the game "World of Tanks" - there are a lot of files in it, and they are different in size.
In its original (not compressed) form, the folder has the following parameters: 3002 files, 391 folders, volume 11.1 GB.
The compressed form produces 3 files (to be written to FAT32) – 2 x 3500 MB and 1 x 48 MB, total volume 6.88 GB.
I carried out the test as follows - formatted the flash drive in the right system, then I recorded the folder, measured the recording time, removed the flash drive, read the folder, measured the reading time, formatted it again, similarly recorded and read archives, measured the recording and reading time.
Then he moved on to the next file system. I wrote the uncompressed folder onto a Silicon Power flash drive until the 8 GB flash drive was completely full.
As a result of the tests, I received the following average speed values:
Then I found a website on the Internet (http://usbflashspeed.com/), which collected test results for various flash drives, and downloaded the testing utility from there USB Flash Benchmark.
I also tested three file systems on each flash drive with this utility. This utility tests a flash drive with data blocks of different sizes.
On data blocks from 16 MB to 64 KB, I saw approximately the same speed indicators. On smaller blocks the speed drops noticeably, but files of 64KB or less are now rare.
And even if they do, they are still written to the flash drive quickly. The utility shows the results of the last 2 tests, possibly for comparison.
Here is an example of a Silicon Power flash drive test:
Thin dotted line results for the system are shown NTFS, fat solid line- For FAT32.
These data are almost identical to those from my tests. You can use this utility to test your flash drives and understand them real speed work without long waits for writing/reading large amounts of data.
As can be seen from the tests, the file system FAT32 can sometimes have an advantage in writing speed, but still lag behind in reading. In general, I think that it is worth adhering to the recommendations indicated above.
If you have any questions, ask them in the comments.
Good day!
Quite often, when working at a computer (laptop), you have to deal with the operation of formatting disks, flash drives and other storage devices. (for example, to delete all data from them, in case of various failures and errors, to change the file system, etc.) . Today's article will focus on flash drives...
I should note that it is not always possible to format a flash drive without problems using the first available method. That is why I decided to jot down a note with several formatting options (I think it will be useful to everyone who is unable to produce this operation, or who can’t decide on the file system).
Addition!
If, when formatting or trying to copy files to a flash drive, you see an error that the drive is write-protected, I recommend reading this guide:
Important! Formatting will destroy all data on the drive. If there is a flash drive necessary files- copy them in advance onto excellent media.
About choosing a file system and cluster size
When formatting a drive (by any method), you must specify the file system, cluster size and volume name. And if specifying the name does not cause any difficulties, then with the rest many people have questions...
In general, today the most commonly used file systems are:
- FAT32- the oldest file system that is supported by almost all devices (even various game consoles!). Most flash drives are formatted in this file system by default. It has one significant drawback: it cannot record files larger than 4 GB!
- NTFS- a more modern file system supported by Windows XP and higher (on Mac OS X it is read only, on Linux there are distributions that support read only, and there are those that support both writing and reading). File size - no restrictions. As for various consoles and devices, NTFS is not supported by all (for example, the Xbox 360 or Sony PlayStation does not support it). In general, NTFS is more suitable for disks (than for flash drives) that will be used in Windows.
- exFAT(or FAT64) is a specially designed file system for flash drives. Supports files larger than 4 GB, disk partition size is not limited. By the way, exFAT has one key advantage: it overwrites the same sector less during operation, which affects the service life of drives (i.e. a flash drive with exFAT should last longer than with NTFS). That is why it is preferable to use exFAT for flash drives rather than NTFS.
conclusions: If you want maximum compatibility and plan to connect the flash drive to set-top boxes or older PCs, choose FAT32 (though you will be limited to a 4 GB file size). In other cases, it is preferable to choose exFAT (however, I note that some TVs, for example, cannot read this file system and it is for their sake that you have to choose NTFS).
What about the cluster size (or also called the distribution unit):
This parameter determines how much space the flash drive will allocate for one file. For example, if the standard cluster size is 64 KB, and your file weighs 50 KB, then it will take up 64 KB of space on the flash drive!
If you are going to store a lot of small files on a flash drive, choose the minimum cluster size. However, in this case the speed of the drive will be lower! Most users, in my opinion, can ignore this setting; it is optimal to leave the default value.
Method number 1 - through "This PC"/Explorer
Method number 2 - through disk management
Not all media are always visible in “This Computer/My Computer”. This may be due to a conflict of drive letters, if the flash drive is not formatted at all, if the file system fails, and in a number of other cases. Naturally, if you don’t see it in “My Computer”, then you won’t be able to format it this way...
However, Windows has a special tool - disk management . It displays all drives connected to the system (even those with problems).
Universal way to open disk management :
- press the Win+R button combination (the “Run” window should appear in the corner of the screen);
- then enter the command diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.
Also, disk management can be opened by going to the panel Windows management and use the search.
In Disk Management All disks, flash drives, and other media that your computer can see will be presented. Simply select the desired drive from the list, right-click on it and select from the menu "Format..." .
Disk management - format the drive
Method number 3 - via the command line
In some cases, for example, when Explorer freezes or the error “failed to complete formatting” appears, you have to resort to working with the command line. Using it, you can also format drives (important! Be careful, perform all steps step by step, as written below).
I'll show you everything using a personal example. First you need to run command line as administrator . To do this, open the task manager (key combination Ctrl+Alt+Del or Ctrl+Shift+Esc), then click "File/new task" and enter CMD command, not forgetting to check the “Create a task with administrator rights” checkbox (as in the example below).
- first you need to find out the letter of the flash drive (if you haven’t connected the flash drive to USB port- connect!). To do this, enter the command diskpart and press Enter.
- then enter the command list volume and press Enter (note that in the list of drives you should see the letter of your flash drive! In my case, the letter “E” is highlighted in yellow);
- then to close diskpart, type exit and press Enter;
- to format use the command format E: /FS:exFAT /Q /V:fleska (where "E" is the letter of your flash drive; FS: exFAT - file system (for NTFS - enter FS:NTFS); V:fleska - the name of the flash drive, can be anything (for example, V: mydisk).
Actually, after entering the last command, the formatting process should start. Just be careful not to mix up the drive letter - many command line operations do not require confirmation!
Method No. 4 - using special. utilities
If all other methods are unsuccessful, most likely there is something wrong with your flash drive: a file system failure (for example, it may be marked as RAW); infection with viruses that block work with the drive, etc.
In this case you need to use special utilities. Moreover, I want to note that in most cases Each flash drive model will need its own utility(using a third-party one may damage it permanently)! Below are some links to my articles that will help you complete this operation!
A few more tips on what you can do if the flash drive cannot be formatted are given in this article:
That's all, good luck!
Today, external media such as flash drives, memory cards or external hard drives can use different file systems:
- exFAT;
- FAT32;
- NTFS.
Users most often do not know which one to choose among these systems, so it is initially better to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.
FAT32
This file system was created by Microsoft in order to replace the FAT16 system, which at that time was no longer relevant and could not meet user requirements. At the moment, FAT32 is the most common, despite the fact that the exFAT file system is more modern and often superior in characteristics.
It is worth noting that today the vast majority of flash drives and various memory cards are supplied in this standard. In addition, in the process of formatting the media in household devices, such as, for example, a camera, it begins to function in this particular system. This is precisely the main advantage of FAT32, thanks to which it has not yet been overtaken in popularity by the exFAT file system - compatibility. You can use this drive in any household player, printer or other devices and still be confident that you will have access to files and they will be read normally. But this is where the advantages end and the disadvantages begin.
The main reason why in some situations it is worth using FAT32 not only on flash drives, but also on desktop computers is that it will be possible to run almost any operating system on the computer, such as Windows 95 and others. To create such a configuration, it will be enough to simply install previous version OS to a partition that is formatted for this file system, and then make it the main one. Other partitions that are accessed from other versions of the OS must also be formatted under FAT32. Other operating systems can only access network partitions or volumes in NTFS format, while partitions on local computer will remain inaccessible.
What are the disadvantages?
The most important disadvantage that FAT32 has, but not the exFAT file system, is that there is a file size limit of 4 GB. It is for this reason that recording large files such as e.g. backup copy system disk or some kind of long video, in this case it will be impossible, since the system will simply respond with an error in the form of “Not enough disk space” when trying to record, even if in fact there is still enough space.
In addition, do not forget that the Windows operating system itself has a limit on the partition size, which is 32 GB. Of course, you can try to get around it by using additional utilities, but with current drives it is often pointless to do this.
If you do not have any need to transfer or record such large files, and also if you use media small size, then in this case you don’t have to think twice and calmly format it in FAT32, since you don’t need support for the exFAT file system.
NTFS
A more modern file system compared to the previous one, which was able to completely replace it in modern personal computers, as well as laptops. If you still have files and the FAT32 file system, then it is strongly recommended that you change it to NTFS as quickly as possible. This will significantly expand the capabilities of your computer.
How to do it?
In Windows, exFAT or NTFS is quite easy to make as the main file system. At the command line you will need to enter “convert e: /fs:ntfs”, where instead of e: the disk that you will format is installed. This way, you can replace the file system without any loss of data contained on the drive.
How does this work on flash drives?
However, on flash drives, as well as others external devices NTFS may not work the same as on computers. When you try to copy to such a device operating system automatically turns on the caching procedure, when any file is initially copied to special memory, and only then moved to the final media. In stationary drives, this allows you to achieve a significant gain in data copying speed, as well as smooth out delays.
In mobile devices, it looks something like this: initially, the data processing speed will be quite high and will periodically even reach 100 MB/s, but after the cache memory runs out, the speed will simply begin to drop incredibly, reaching critically low values. In this case, before starting to copy the next file, the system will have to initially add existing file from cache. In this regard, quite often situations arise when copying simply freezes at 99%, although the hard drive indicator is still lit as active.
If you compare the copy speed with and without cache, it actually turns out that it is almost the same. That is, if NTFS is the main one, then we lose almost nothing, except for the maximum copying speed, as well as providing us with information about how long the data will be copied. Although for many people such “information” can ultimately only result in a waste of precious nerves.
Are there any benefits?
On the other hand, when choosing between which file system is better - exFAT or NTFS, it should be noted that the latter has good reliability, which allows it to withstand more than one sudden reboot without any data damage. This reliability is achieved through the use of logging technology. Thus, the system accesses different areas of the drive more often, and for flash drives or various memory cards this approach is critical. In other words, they simply begin to wear out more quickly.
exFAT
Microsoft recently released a new file system - the exFAT format. This system was originally designed for flash drives, and in essence we can say that it is a traditional FAT32, but without any restrictions. The sizes of partitions and files in this case can reach the maximum possible values, and the amount of data in one folder is practically unlimited. It is for this reason that the most common system where exFAT is used is Android and others that are used in modern gadgets.
Are there any disadvantages?
Of course, the exFAT file system also has its disadvantages. Android supports almost all cases this system, but on the other hand, it is not supported by many household devices, and at the same time the media on which the operating system is used will not be able to see these devices. Windows system XP. The only solution to this situation is to download the KB955704 patch, which was recently released by Microsoft and which allows you to use the system in Windows XP. More modern operating systems easily accept this file system and actively cooperate with it without any additional procedures.
However, if you often use a flash drive on different computers on which XP OS is installed, then in this case it is better for you to find some additional flash drive that will have drivers. But this option It is unlikely to be acceptable for anyone, because in this case the most important feature of such devices is lost - their compactness and ease of transportation.
If you have computers exclusively with Windows 7 or the flash drive will not be used on such a large number of PCs, then the exFAT file system will be ideal for you.
In conclusion, here are some general tips on how to choose the most up-to-date file system.
If you are using a flash drive that does not have such a large capacity, then you can format it to FAT32 without hesitation. If, on the contrary, we are talking about a flash drive, the volume of which is quite large, then in this case it can be formatted in exFAT, since “speed jumps” on such devices will be especially visible. External drives in the majority of cases are quite large in capacity and at the same time have fairly high performance (this is especially true for those devices that use the USB 3.0 interface), and therefore it is best to format them exclusively in NTFS.
Loading...
