Which file system is better Exfat or ntfs? File system exFAT. Which file system to choose for a flash drive

Sometimes, reading information, playing music and movies from a flash drive or external hard drive on all devices, namely a computer, a household DVD player or TV, Xbox or PS3, as well as in a car radio, can cause some problems. Here we’ll talk about which file system is best to use so that the flash drive can be read everywhere and always without problems.

What is a file system and what problems can be associated with it

A file system is a way of organizing data on storage media. As a rule, each operating system uses its own file system, but it can use several. Given that only binary data can be written to hard drives, the file system is a key component that provides translation from physical records into files that can be read by the OS. Thus, when formatting a drive in a certain way and with a certain file system, you decide which devices (since even your radio has a unique OS) will be able to understand what exactly is written on a flash drive, hard drive or other drive.

In addition to the well-known FAT32 and NTFS, as well as somewhat less familiar to the average user HFS+, EXT and other file systems, there are dozens of different file systems created for various devices for specific purposes. Today, when most people have more than one computer and other digital devices at home, which can use the operating systems Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android and others, the question is how to format a flash drive or other portable drive so that it read in all these devices, is quite relevant. And there are problems with this.

Compatibility

Currently, there are two most common file systems (for Russia) - NTFS (Windows), FAT32 (old Windows standard). Mac OS and Linux file systems can also be used.

It would be logical to assume that modern operating systems would work with each other's file systems by default, but in most cases this is not the case. Mac OS X cannot write data to a drive formatted with NTFS. Windows 7 does not recognize HFS+ and EXT drives and either ignores them or reports that the drive is not formatted.

Many Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, support most file systems by default. Copying from one system to another is a common process on Linux. Most distributions support HFS+ and NTFS out of the box, or support for them is installed in one free component.

In addition, game consoles such as the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 provide only limited access to certain file systems, and only allow data to be read from a USB drive. To see which file systems are supported on which devices, take a look at this table.

It is worth noting that the tables reflect the OS capabilities for working with file systems by default. On both Mac OS and Windows, you can download additional software that allows you to work with unsupported formats.

FAT32 is a long-standing format and, thanks to this, almost all devices and operating systems fully support it. Thus, if you format a flash drive in FAT32, it is almost guaranteed to be readable anywhere. However, there is one important problem with this format: the size limitation of an individual file and an individual volume. If you need to store, write and read huge files, FAT32 may not be suitable. Now let's talk more about size restrictions.

File size limits on file systems

The FAT32 file system was developed a long time ago and is based on previous versions of FAT, which was originally used in DOS. Disks with today's volumes did not exist at that time, and therefore there were no prerequisites for the file system to support files larger than 4GB. Today, many users have to face problems due to this. Below you can see a comparison of file systems based on the sizes of supported files and partitions.

Modern file systems have expanded file size limits to limits that are still difficult to imagine (we'll see what happens in 20 years).

Each new system outperforms FAT32 in terms of the size of individual files and a separate disk partition. Thus, the age of FAT32 affects its ability to be used for various purposes. One solution is to use the exFAT file system, support for which appears in many operating systems. But, one way or another, for a regular USB flash drive, if files larger than 4 GB are not stored on it, FAT32 will be the best choice, and the flash drive will be read almost anywhere.

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 and additional information about them on media in different ways. 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 variants, these systems provide higher speed of the flash drive.

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 the use of FAT32 can only be in the case of using a flash drive for household appliances - TV, DVD, car 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 “understand” only 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 a folder with 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: I formatted the flash drive into the desired system, then wrote to 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 writing 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 their real operating speed without waiting for a long time to write/read 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.

Today we continue to introduce you to new terms. This article will focus on file system types. Moreover, we will find out which one is better and what they are needed for.

The file system on any device plays a very important role. It is thanks to the file system that data is processed and stored on any medium. The file system also limits the size of files and the number of characters in its name, and also affects the speed of data exchange.

Today there are a huge number of file systems in the world, but among them there are the main ones that you may have even heard of. We are talking about the exFAT and NTFS file systems.

More advanced users who know about these file systems have a question about which system is better. Let's talk about each of the systems separately, after which we will decide which file system is worthy of your attention.

exFAT file system

Who else but Microsoft could create the leading exFAT file system. This file system was obtained during the modernization of the FAT32 system. After modifying the FAT32 file system, restrictions such as file size, partition size, and the number of files in one partition and folder were removed.

It is this system that is most often used by users on removable media. But, despite its quality and speed, this system has some flaws. We are talking about the inability of some operating systems to support the exFAT system. For example, Windows XP does not support this operating system by default. But, for those who still live in the last century and use the XP operating system, you can download updates from the official website that will allow you to use the exFAT system.

File system NTFS

And this file system was given to us by Microsoft. NTFS is still used today as a modern analogue of the FAT 32 system.

If you install this file system on your removable storage medium, the information transfer speed will be significantly reduced. The thing is that when copying data, the cache is used. Copying occurs as follows:

First of all, the copied information is stored in the cache, and the speed can be about 100 MB per second. But since the cache on removable media is very small, when it is completely full, the speed instantly drops.

As for computers and laptops, this process works a little differently. After all, the cache size is much larger, which means the transfer will occur many times faster.I talked about what a cache is in this .

File system FAT32

It was one of the first very successful file systems and is still used today. But as you already found out, it had several unpleasant limitations: the maximum file size is 4GB, the logical disk can be no more than 8TB, but various programs and Windows themselves cannot create a volume larger than 250GB, there are also restrictions on the number of files in a partition or one folder.

Which file system is better exFAT, NTFS or FAT32?

I will say right away that the exFAT file system does not have the improved additions that are present in NTFS. NTFS does not have a file data transfer stream, which increases the speed of information exchange. But exFAT also has advantages over its competitor. These include using fewer memory services. And the file storage size is larger - 4 GB.

As for the specific question of which file system is better, there is no exact answer; it all depends on factors such as the type of media, its size and the advantages of the user, of course. But, if you want to be sure that the file system will not conflict with your operating system, then we recommend using NTFS. In some cases, for example when creating bootable flash drives, it would be better to choose the FAT32 system for greater compatibility with different computers, as well as some bootloaders. More information about file systems can be found on Wikipedia. There, for example, you can find out about the new WinFS file system, which is already being developed and will replace NTFS. All the best and stay tuned!

Let's look at the types of file systems for a flash drive, which one is better. One user sent me a photo with the error “The file is too large for the target file system” and decided to write an article in which cases it is necessary to use the FAT32, NTFS and exFAT systems. It was moving a file over 4 GB in size to an 8 GB flash drive. The fact is that the FAT32 system cannot process information larger than 4 GB; if you have a flash drive with a capacity of 32 GB and its file system is FAT32, then you will not be able to write a file larger than 4 GB to it. Let's look at all three file systems in Windows, and look at their pros and cons.

FAT32

The old file system mode, which is usually used when buying a flash drive from a store and the reason for this is compatibility. Compatibility is that FAT32 can be used on any computer running MAC, Windows, Linux, old PCs. The biggest limitation is that it has a 4GB file size limit, which has problems with formats like 4K video and Blu-ray these days. In a word, if you are going to work with files whose size is less than 4 GB and the flash drive is used on different computers with different operating systems, then the FAT32 file system is very suitable.

exFAT

An updated file system created by Microsoft to replace FAT32. Began to be used in Windows Vista SP1 and has a maximum file size of 16 exabytes (EB), which is equal to 1 EB = 10 18 bytes. Compatible with Mac OS and Windows, it is a very good system for sharing large files.

Minuses:

• It does not have any logging functionality, in which all changes to files on disk are logged before they are actually made.
• Time Machine is not supported by Apple. In short, you won't be able to make a backup from Apple using Time Machine software.
• A very complex structure that requires more computing power.

Pros:

• Rewrites the same sector fewer times, which is important for flash drives, extending the life of memory cells. As you know, flash drives have N-numbers of rewrites, then they fail.
• Large file size limit of 16 exabytes.
• The cluster size is 32 megabytes.
• Improved free space distribution, which reduces disk defragmentation.

NTFS

The latest file system created by Microsoft and is the modern structure of today for almost any modern internal hard drive, flash drive or SSD drive. NTFS is a new file system technology. The windows system can only be installed on NTFS. It is the default for disks with the operating system, due to its versatility. It has all Microsoft technologies: logging, no file size restrictions, support for file compression, long names, file access control for server admins and much more. At home, this is the best option for using this system on disks and flash drives. There is one catch, when you insert a flash drive into Mac OS, you can copy information from the flash drive, but you cannot change it.

Conclusion:

For USB flash drives you should use exFAT, if you are constantly in a Mac OS, Windows environment, moving a flash drive from one operating system to another. If you only use Windows, then NTSF is a great solution.

Sometimes, reading information, playing music and movies from a flash drive or external hard drive on all devices, namely a computer, a household DVD player or TV, Xbox or PS3, as well as in a car radio, can cause some problems. Here we’ll talk about which file system is best to use so that the flash drive can be read everywhere and always without problems.

What is a file system and what problems can be associated with it

A file system is a way of organizing data on storage media. As a rule, each operating system uses its own file system, but it can use several. Given that only binary data can be written to hard drives, the file system is a key component that provides translation from physical records into files that can be read by the OS. Thus, when formatting a drive in a certain way and with a certain file system, you decide which devices (since even your radio has a unique OS) will be able to understand what exactly is written on a flash drive, hard drive or other drive.

In addition to the well-known FAT32 and NTFS, as well as somewhat less familiar to the average user HFS+, EXT and other file systems, there are dozens of different file systems created for various devices for specific purposes. Today, when most people have more than one computer and other digital devices at home, which can use the operating systems Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android and others, the question is how to format a flash drive or other portable drive so that it read in all these devices, is quite relevant. And there are problems with this.

Compatibility

Currently, there are two most common file systems (for Russia) - NTFS (Windows), FAT32 (old Windows standard). Mac OS and Linux file systems can also be used.

It would be logical to assume that modern operating systems would work with each other's file systems by default, but in most cases this is not the case. Mac OS X cannot write data to a drive formatted with NTFS. Windows 7 does not recognize HFS+ and EXT drives and either ignores them or reports that the drive is not formatted.

Many Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, support most file systems by default. Copying from one system to another is a common process on Linux. Most distributions support HFS+ and NTFS out of the box, or support for them is installed in one free component.

In addition, game consoles such as the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 provide only limited access to certain file systems, and only allow data to be read from a USB drive. To see which file systems are supported on which devices, take a look at this table.

It is worth noting that the tables reflect the OS capabilities for working with file systems by default. On both Mac OS and Windows, you can download additional software that allows you to work with unsupported formats.

FAT32 is a long-standing format and, thanks to this, almost all devices and operating systems fully support it. Thus, if you format a flash drive in FAT32, it is almost guaranteed to be readable anywhere. However, there is one important problem with this format: the size limitation of an individual file and an individual volume. If you need to store, write and read huge files, FAT32 may not be suitable. Now let's talk more about size restrictions.

File size limits on file systems

The FAT32 file system was developed a long time ago and is based on previous versions of FAT, which was originally used in DOS. Disks with today's volumes did not exist at that time, and therefore there were no prerequisites for the file system to support files larger than 4GB. Today, many users have to face problems due to this. Below you can see a comparison of file systems based on the sizes of supported files and partitions.

Modern file systems have expanded file size limits to limits that are still difficult to imagine (we'll see what happens in 20 years).

Each new system outperforms FAT32 in terms of the size of individual files and a separate disk partition. Thus, the age of FAT32 affects its ability to be used for various purposes. One solution is to use the exFAT file system, support for which appears in many operating systems. But, one way or another, for a regular USB flash drive, if files larger than 4 GB are not stored on it, FAT32 will be the best choice, and the flash drive will be read almost anywhere.