FAT32 or NTSF?

I have just clean installed WinXP Home onto a newly formatted and partitioned HD. I have two partitions - a 9GB C: for OS and a few programs & a 30 GB one for programs and data. I have the old 40 mg HD similarly set up that I will mirror to. I'm networked with my my wife's Win 98 and occasionally need to see stuff on my computer from hers (and occasionally she'll work from my computer for her Ebay selling).

My old C: (now G is NTSF, the rest are FAT32. This is relevant only as a segway into my Q: What are the pros and cons of NTSF & FAT32 in general and more particularly for converting my C: drive to NTSF?

Scott

 

FAT32 or NTFS

FAT32 v NTFS

Converting from FAT32 to NTFS

 

Great links, Thanks.

The Elder Geek wrote (in the first link):
"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. "

Does this mean that the increased security depends on the use of permissions or is there someting in the structure of NTSF that is inherently more secure than FAT32?

More:
"Users on the network have access to shared folders no matter what disk format is being used or what version of Windows is installed. "

Seems like I can accessibilty won't be a problem (Haven't been able to get wife's Win98 to see my computer yet, though I can see hers, so haven't been able to test this. Seems that some time ago on previous computer incarnation I couldn't access my C: drive from hers).

At 9 GB space saving/cluster size is a marginal issue.

Reliability and possibly increased security are on NTSF's side. The down side seems negligible.

Scott

 

Unless you have some compelling reason that you haven't mentioned, I'd advise sticking to NTFS on all systems that will support it. Since you and your wife are networked, she will be able to read your files just fine. The network makes that possible.

There are times when FAT32 is desirable for XP but you don't have the apparent need based on what you have told us.

I don't think I would bother to convert it if I were you but just opt for NTFS if you ever reinstall. FAT32 will work fine in the mean time. I use it on my XP Home system and see no problems. I did it to reduce drive activity and some other factors that were reducing my GoBack history file unduly. It improved from the XP rendered history of 3 days to the FAT32 history of more than 3 weeks.

 

To answer your specifics on security, NTFS is inherently much more secure and also more stable. It will tolerate amounts of abuse that would cause FAT32 to crash.

It also offers a huge amount of security related settings that simply don't exist in FAT32.

But as noted, there are a few trade-off issues and for some folks, FAT32 makes more sense but generally NTFS is a better idea.

FWIW, I have not run FAT on a PC (workstation or server, personal or business) since NT3.51 which is a lot of years ago.

 

Surferdude ~ Are you saying there's enough risk to converting to make up for the gains in stability and security? I've had lots of trouble with stability over the years cause I'm a charter member of DA (downloaders anonymous).

Newt ~ Where could I read more about those security settings or is this getting into programing?

Thanks guys.

Scott

 

More about security settings

NTFS Security and Permissions

NTFS Security and Here

hope it helps

 

Hi dcott!

Although there is a slight risk of the power failing during the conversion procedure or some other glitch happening, that wasn't my main reason for advising to leave the system file storage at FAT32. My concern was that a NTFS system that is created by conversion from FAT32 isn't the same as one that is originally created by the XP install. A couple of concerns are; you may end up an undesirable 512 byte cluster size, depending on how the original FAT32 system was created; you may find that some legacy programs run slower on NTFS than they did on FAT32. There are other issues but of lesser importance.

As far as my own experience, I see absolutely no difference in stability or drive corruption using FAT32 vs. NTFS. As far as the enhanced security features, I have no needed of what XP offers via NTFS over FAT32. I also see no difference in the fragmentation of the drive. I usually defrag ever 3 or 4 months but even then XP tells me it isn't necessary. Of course it helps that I keep the Paging file on a separate HD. I also keep the burner cache on that drive as well, to reduce the boot drive activity.

If you are a dedicated downloader and tester of a wide range of freeware and beta programs, I would advise using something like GoBack and also make frequent disk images. It'll save you lots of grief as opposed to depending on the system being robust enough to shed the abuse that sloppy programs can inflict on it.

You are wise to get all the facts before doing any drastic change such as file storage system conversion. Stick around for other opinions and good luck to you whatever you decide.

Don

Reference

Reference2

 

Thanks, Don for the clarification. That helps flesh out some of the issues. Reference link shows a fix for the 512 byte issue.

On stabilty: I like looking at balancing time and expense put into making it robust with having good backup/restore system. I lived on Go Back before old XP Home became unstable - lost it when I clean installed. Plan to use old HD for imaging and wife's D: drive or extrernal drive for backups. Budget is tight so trying to avoid buying what I don't need.

Question of advantage of NTSF for my situation seems to be security.

Alboy, those links are what I'm looking for on this issue. Thanks. I understand from them that security in NTSF has to do with limiting access to computer. If this is so, am I not covered, in my home situation of two computers networked behind a router, by:
1. hardware and software firewalls
2. username and password on Xp Home
3. antivirus and various spyware detection programs?

Don, is this what you referred to when you wrote, "As far as the enhanced security features, I have no needed of what XP offers via NTFS over FAT32. "?

Scott

 

Scott, In addition to the software cited in the link, I have used Partition Magic to align the clusters to the 4 kbyte limit and it works quite well. Very user friendly and fast I might add.

Yep. I'm poised as you are, behind a router and have networking to a second computer. I meant mostly that I don't need the enhanced security of being able to limit operator access to any particular file since we're all friendly folks under this roof and have few secrets.