# What is a FAT partition?
FAT is FAT16 partition, we’ve used DOS, Windows95 use the FAT16 file system, now commonly used systems such as Windows 98/2000/xp support the FAT16 file system. It can manage large maximum 2GB partitions, but each partition can be up to 65,525 clusters (cluster is disk space allocation unit.) With the hard drive or partition size increases, the space occupied by each cluster will be more and more, resulting in a waste of disk space.
# What is a FAT32 partition?
With the emergence of large-capacity hard drive, starting from Windows 98, FAT32 became popular. It is an enhanced version of FAT16, can support large as 2TB (2048GB) of the partition. FAT32 uses smaller clusters than FAT16, which effectively save hard disk space.
# What is the NTFS partition?
Microsoft Windows NT operating system kernel support for the series, a special for the network and disk quotas, file encryption and other security features designed to manage the disk format. Along with the NT kernel of the popularity of Windows 2000/XP, many individuals began to use NTFS partition. NTFS is also based on the cluster as a unit to store data files, but in the NTFS cluster size does not depend on the size of the disk or partition. Narrow cluster size not only reduces the waste of disk space, but also reduce the possibility of disk fragmentation. NTFS supports file encryption management capabilities, can provide users with a higher level of security.
# What the system can support the NTFS file system?
Only Windows NT/2000/XP/VISTA/7 system can recognize NTFS, Windows 9X/ME and DOS operating systems can not support, recognize NTFS formatted disk. DOS system does not support the NTFS system, so it is best not to C: drive to NTFS system produced, so that after the collapse of the system in DOS system to facilitate repair.
# In the NTFS system, how to protect your files, folders?
Because NTFS file partition scheme has good security, if you do not want the files in the hard disk called by others or view, the use of encryption access control method is very effective. Set method is very simple: log on as an administrator, right-click the folder to encrypt, choose “Properties”, switch to the “Security” tab. In the “Group of user names” entry in the settings allow the user to access only the Administrator and myself. Remove all other users. Exit to save the settings. Since then, other users will not be able to access the folder. Use this feature to note is: we must ensure that only you know the Administrator password, and set the other user can belong to Administrator. In addition, you can set detailed permissions for each user, including setting permissions to read, write permissions, delete permissions, so that even more flexible to use. You can also set permissions to control a disk, or disk partitions only for your own use, so that others can not see any of your things.
# Why FAT NTFS as high efficiency?
FAT File Allocation Table file system only lists each file name and starting cluster, and did not specify whether the file exists, and the need to record it in the folder to determine, and then import the folder containing the file allocation table index. Therefore, access to the file, first read the file allocation table to determine the file already exists, and then find the file to read the file allocation table of the first cluster, and then search through the chain store to find files that all clusters can be finalized only after access.
# FAT32 and NTFS that better?
FAT32 and NTFS are two kinds of hard drive partition format, According to authoritative testing data show that, FAT32 faster than NTFS 5%, but NTFS has the following advantages: 1). Can access files larger than 4GB. 2). To better diagnose and modify the hard disk for errors. 3). To manage a single partition hard drives larger than 40GB, the other, NTFS uses smaller cluster size, so to some extent, to save disk space. Is for data recovery, FAT32 file inside such as editing often DOC, XLS, AI, CDR, PSD files or large files such as databases, etc. difficult to recover, and those inside the NTFS partition recovery works well. Note: Windows98/ME default format can not access NTFS partitions, Linux can read NTFS partitions, but not for writing.
