FAT32 or NTFS - which is the best ?

Which File System to Choose?
 Fat32 or NTFS which is better? NTFS or Fat32 which is faster ? Fat32 or NTFS for Windows 7 (seven), Windows Vista, Windows XP ? NTFS or Fat32 for usb ?

As much as everyone would like for there to be a stock answer to the selection question, there isn't. Different situations and needs will play a large role in the decision of which file system to adopt. 
There isn't any argument that NTFS offers better security and reliability.
Some also say that NTFS is more flexible, but that can get rather subjective depending on the situation and work habits, whereas NTFS superiority in security and reliability is seldom challenged. 

• Security 

  FAT32 provides very little security. A user with access to a drive using FAT32 has access to the files on that drive. NTFS allows the use of NTFS Permissions. It's much more difficult to implement, but folder and file access can be controlled individually, down to an an extreme degree if necessary. The down side of using NTFS Permissions is the chance for error and screwing up the system is greatly magnified.

  Windows XP Professional supports file encryption.

• Compatibility

  NTFS volumes are not recognized by Windows 95/98/Me. This is only a concern when the system is set up for dual or multi-booting. FAT32 must be be used for any drives that must be accessed when the computer is booted from Windows 95/98 or Windows Me.
  An additional note to the previous statement. Users on the network have access to shared folders no matter what disk format is being used or what version of Windows is installed.
  FAT and FAT32 volumes can be converted to NTFS volumes. NTFS cannot be converted to FAT32 without reformatting.

• Space Efficiency

  NTFS supports disk quotas, allowing you to control the amount of disk usage on a per user basis.
  NTFS supports file compression. FAT32 does not.
  How a volume manages data is outside the scope of this article, but once you pass the 8GB partition size, NTFS handles space management much more efficiently than FAT32. Cluster sizes play an important part in how much disk space is wasted storing files. NTFS provides smaller cluster sizes and less disk space waste than FAT32.
  In Windows XP, the maximum partition size that can be created using FAT32 is 32GB. This increases to 16TB (terabytes) using NTFS. There is a workaround for the 32GB limitation under FAT32, but it is a nuisance especially considering the size of drives currently being manufactured.
  

• Reliability

  FAT32 drives are much more susceptible to disk errors.
  NTFS volumes have the ability to recover from errors more readily than similar FAT32 volumes.
  Log files are created under NTFS which can be used for automatic file system repairs.
  NTFS supports dynamic cluster remapping for bad sectors and prevent them from being used in the future. 
  
  
  ** Conclusion ** 
  
  
  Advise : is better to choose NTFS system especially if you are using the lastest Windows versions XP / Vista / 7(Seven). 

  Format a USB Drive as NTFS in Windows XP
  

   -- If you are a Windows XP user, remember that, Windows XP does have the ability to format drives with the NTFS file system, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the format dialog—normally the option is disabled. To enable it, open up Device Manager and find your USB drive, go to the Properties -> Policies tab and then choose "Optimize for performance". 

  Once you've done this, you'll see the NTFS option in the format dialog. 
  In Windows 7 the option is enabled by default so you dont have to worry about it. 
  
  
  When you change your hard drive or usb file system from FAT32 to NTFS, i recommend to format it as NTFS choosing the normal option instead of Quick NTFS Format. 
  
  
  Thank you for reading Airtech blog and dont hesitate to leave me your feedback in comments area or on Facebook , Twitter. 
  Special thanks to : http://www.theeldergeek.com/ 

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