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DATE: 7-June-2008
Filed Under:MCSA
Certification:70-270

File Systems and Converting from FAT 32 to NTFS

Microsoft updated the FAT16 file system with FAT32 with the rollout of Windows 95 OSR2. FAT32 was an upgrade for the FAT16 file system and allowed for larger drives, created a backup of the File Allocation Table, and used smaller cluster sizes thus making more efficient use of disk space.

Although FAT32 brought many beneficial improvements to Windows, FAT32 had its limits; the most notable was its inability of handling even larger drives. Larger back in the day meant larger than 32GB.

Microsoft introduced the first version of NTFS on Windows NT and with it brought many improvements to the Windows file system. NTFS brought volume quotas, even greater efficient use of hard drive space, supported larger hard drives, was more stable, robust, and provided greater security.

Although Windows 2000 and Windows XP both use NTFS when upgrading from ME it is recommended that you convert to NTFS. Although the option for the conversion is offered during installation of the operating system this option is easy to overlook. Converting from FAT32 to NTFS can also be achieved by using the convert command at the command prompt.

The help convert command will give you list of available convert switches.

convert / ?

CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS /V /NoSecurity /X

The above command would instruct windows to convert the C drive to NTFS in verbose mode, that the security settings for converted files and folders would be accessible to anyone, and that a dismount of the volume would be performed if necessary.

Additional Resources and References

Description of the FAT32 File System
Limitations of the FAT32 File System in Windows XP
NTFS file system
What Is NTFS?
NTFS vs. FAT: Which Is Right for You?
NTFS Technical Reference
How to Convert FAT Disks to NTFS