NTFS vrs FAT32

[TODComp]

I have a 60 gig drive running win2k with ntfs. I also have an extra 120 for storage, mostly movies and other several hundred meg files....should I make the 120(d NTFS or FAT32?

[HeadBand]

fat 32 it is easier to use the files by accessing them over a lan or another os on that computer I always make my storage drive fat 32 but mabey if you only use 1 OS and 1 computer it wont matter much if it is NTFS

[jmichna]

Just do a search on this topic in this forum. Your question has been asked many, many times... unless you are on a fishing expedition looking for nibbles from pro vs con, NTFS/FAT32 fishies....

This question ranks up there with AMD vs Intel and nVidia vs ATI

[Gait_Keeper]

Originally posted by HeadBand
fat 32 it is easier to use the files by accessing them over a lan or another os on that computer I always make my storage drive fat 32 but mabey if you only use 1 OS and 1 computer it wont matter much if it is NTFS

really??

don't mean to be dropping my loose change in your threead, but I'm about to get XP Pro and go NTFS, I have 2 win98se machines on my network

I have a 4 port router abd DSL, one XP Home machine 2 weeks old so when I get Pro on my main machine I'll have 2 win98se and Home and Pro, sharing the DSL is easy, but the file and print sharing has been a pain, how will different file systems effect things

[OuTpaTienT]

Originally posted by HeadBand
fat 32 it is easier to use the files by accessing them over a lan or another os on that computer I always make my storage drive fat 32 but mabey if you only use 1 OS and 1 computer it wont matter much if it is NTFS

Define "eaiser to use". What exactly does that mean? Either a file is accessable or it's not. There's no middle ground where some files a "harder" to read than others. lol. If you're using OS on your network that can't read NTFS then naturally one has to take that into account.

NTFS is a far superior file system in every aspect.

Plus if you think you are ever going have individual files that are over 4GB in size then definitely go NTFS, FAT32 can't handle files that large. For video capture I've dealt with single files as large as 14GB or so. No problem with NTFS.

[Sixpac_XP]

NTFS is the best and only file system you should use when using a Windows XP or 2000 box (whether it be home or pro). more secure, more functions... etc.

Like a previous post.. do a search on the title. FAT32 is a OLD file system format. Avoid it.

[Gait_Keeper]

http://www.ntfs.com/ntfs_vs_fat.htm

[mad1]

Gait_Keeper
Good link to a comparison,thanks.

[sechs]

This may be useful:

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/2801

[John Prophet]

the only thing I can think that fat32 would be "easier" to access..might be refferring to the fact that you can boot with a regular old w98type boot disk and access the files on the fat32 drive..BUT...I know there are ways to do this with NTFS now also.

NTFS allows file "permissions" whereas fat32 doesnt really have any security to speak of. Also ntfs can use xp's built in compression.

I dont think fat32 vs ntfs makes any difference at all as far as accessing over a lan.