What is File System in Windows Operating Systems?
What is mean by file system?
Imagine a large room where you store lots of files and papers, but they're all jumbled together in disarray. As the number of items grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to find a specific document when you need it. This is similar to what happens with a file system - it's a way to organize and structure data, such as files and folders, in a logical and orderly manner, making it easier to access and manage the information when needed.
If we kept our belongings organized, we wouldn't be in this messy situation. The large room is essentially a storage device, and a well-organized file system is crucial for storing and accessing data on a disk. By dividing data into separate pieces and naming them individually, a file system ensures that users can easily locate specific information, otherwise it would be scattered and impossible to find.
Different types of file system in Windows OS
There are numerous types of file systems, each with its own unique features and methods of organizing data. Some file systems prioritize speed, while others focus on compatibility or security, making each one suitable for different needs and applications.
For Windows users, the most commonly used file systems are FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS. Each has its own features, with FAT16 being an older, simpler system, FAT32 offering improved capacity and compatibility, exFAT providing faster performance, and NTFS offering advanced security and reliability features.
● FAT16, FAT16, also known as File Allocation Table 16, is an older file system created for systems like MS-DOS and Windows 95. It uses a 16-bit binary number to address clusters, hence the name FAT16. However, this approach can lead to inefficiency, as files larger than a single sector can occupy more space than their actual size, wasting storage capacity.
FAT16 is outdated because it can only support partitions up to 2GB, making it impractical for modern storage needs.
● FAT32 The file system, first introduced by Microsoft in 1996, is an advanced version of FAT16. It uses 32-bit binary numbers to address clusters, allowing for a maximum partition or volume size of 2TB with a sector size of 512 bytes. This file system is compatible with most Windows, Mac, and game console operating systems.
The FAT32 file system has a size limit, supporting a maximum of 32GB partitions and 4GB single files. If a file larger than 4GB, like a movie, is copied to a FAT32 hard drive, it will exceed the file size limit, resulting in an error message stating that the file is too large for the destination disk.
● NTFS NTFS stands for New Technology File System, a significant improvement over FAT32 and FAT16, utilizing a B-tree structure to support hard disks larger than 2TB and offering faster speeds. It is a journaling file system that protects against data loss and damage, with additional permission settings that allow for file and folder encryption to control access.
NTFS file system has its limitations, as it is only compatible with Windows 2000 and later versions, and is not supported by devices such as Android smartphones, cameras, or Mac OS X, which can only read NTFS partitions.
● exFAT exFAT is a file system that was launched in 2006, designed for use on flash memory devices like USB drives and SD cards. It offers a balance between the limitations of FAT32 and the features of NTFS, allowing for files larger than 4GB and compatibility with both Windows and Mac OS.
The exFAT file system is not suitable for use on hard disk drives (HDDs) in computers, as it can negatively impact performance and service life. Additionally, it is not compatible with Windows XP systems.
The choice of file system depends on the operating system and device, with FAT32 and NTFS being more suitable for Windows 10/8/7 hard disks.
How to change file system without formatting?
You may need to change the file system of your storage device, and for this, you can use Windows Disk Management, File Explorer, or DiskPart command. However, these tools only allow you to change the file system by reformatting the partition, which means you will lose everything on the partition, so it's recommended to back up your data before doing so.
Although you can run a command to convert a partition from FAT32 to NTFS, there is no similar command to convert NTFS back to FAT32, and you can use Qiling Disk Master Professional to achieve this.
This software enables users to convert file systems between FAT32 and NTFS in Windows operating systems (7/8/10/XP/Vista) without formatting or losing data. The process is straightforward and can be completed in a few steps using the software's user-friendly interface.
✍Note:
- Qiling Disk Master supports formatting a partition to ext2, ext3, or ext4 file systems, which are three types of file systems for Linux operating systems.
- Qiling Disk Master is a tool that can convert file systems, convert disks between MBR and GPT, convert dynamic and basic disks, and perform other operations without data loss.
- If your computer is running with a Windows Server system, please use the Server Edition.