General information about file systems

The Windows 8 operating system supports several file systems: NTFS, FAT and FAT32. But it can only work for NTFS, that is, it can only be installed on a hard drive partition formatted in a given file system. This is due to the features and security tools that are provided in NTFS, but are missing from previous generation Windows file systems: FAT16 And FAT32. Next, we will look at the entire line of file systems for Windows to understand what role they play in the operation of the system and how they developed during the development of Windows up to Windows 8.

Advantages NTFS relate to almost everything: performance, reliability and efficiency of working with data (files) on disk. Thus, one of the main goals of creating NTFS was to ensure high-speed execution of operations on files (copying, reading, deleting, writing), as well as providing additional capabilities: data compression, recovery of damaged system files on large disks, etc.

Another main purpose of creation NTFS there was an implementation of increased security requirements, since file systems FAT, FAT32 in this respect they were no good at all. Exactly at NTFS you can allow or deny access to any file or folder (limit access rights).

First, let's look at the comparative characteristics of file systems, and then we'll look at each of them in more detail. Comparisons, for greater clarity, are presented in tabular form.

File system FAT It is simply not suitable for modern hard drives (due to its limited capabilities). Concerning FAT32, then it can still be used, but with some reserve. If you buy a 1000 GB hard drive, you will have to split it into at least several partitions. And if you are going to do video editing, then it will be very difficult for you 4 GB limit as the maximum possible file size.

The file system is free from all of these disadvantages. NTFS. So, without even going into details and special features of the file system NTFS, you can make a choice in its favor.

File system	Options
	Volume Dimensions	Maximum file size
FAT	From 1.44 MB to 4 GB	2GB
FAT32	Theoretically, volume sizes from 512 MB to 2 TB are possible. Compression is not supported at the file system level	4GB
NTFS	The minimum recommended size is 1.44 MB and the maximum is 2 TB. File system-level compression support for files, directories, and volumes.	The maximum size is limited only by the volume size (Theoretically - 264 bytes minus 1 kilobyte. Practically - 244 bytes minus 64 kilobytes)

General use FAT32 can be justified only in cases where you have several operating systems installed on your computer, and any of them does not support NTFS. But today there are practically no such people. Unless you want to install an antique like Windows 98.

File system FAT

File system FAT(usually this means FAT 16) was developed quite a long time ago and was intended to work with small disk and file volumes and a simple directory structure. Abbreviation FAT stands for File Allocation Table(from English file placement table). This table is placed at the beginning of the volume, and two copies of it are kept (to ensure greater stability).
This table is used by the operating system to locate a file and determine its physical location on the hard drive. If the table (and its copy) is damaged, the operating system cannot read the files. It simply cannot determine which file is which, where it begins and where it ends. In such cases, the file system is said to have “crashed.”
File system FAT originally developed by Microsoft for floppy disks. Only then did they start using it for hard drives. At first it was FAT12(for floppy disks and hard drives up to 16 MB), and then it grew into FAT16, which was put into operation with the MS-DOS 3.0 operating system.

File system FAT32

Starting with Windows 95 OSR2, Microsoft begins to actively use FAT32- thirty-two-bit version FAT. What to do, technological progress does not stand still and opportunities FAT 16 was clearly not enough.
Compared to her FAT32 began to provide more optimal access to disks, higher speed of I/O operations, as well as support for large file volumes (disk capacity up to 2 TB).
IN FAT32 Implemented more efficient use of disk space (through the use of smaller clusters). Benefit compared to FAT16 is about 10...15%. That is, when using FAT32 10...15% more information can be written to the same disk than when using FAT16.
In addition, it should be noted that FAT32 provides higher operational reliability and faster program launch speed.
This is due to two significant innovations:
ability to move the root directory and backup copy FAT(if the main copy is damaged)

The ability to store a backup copy of system data.

NTFS file system

General information
Neither version of FAT provides any acceptable level of security. This, as well as the need for additional file mechanisms (compression, encryption), led to the need to create a fundamentally new file system. And it became the file system NT (NTFS)
NTFS- from English New Technology File System - new technology file system
As already mentioned, its main advantage is security: for files and folders NTFS Access rights can be assigned (read, write, etc.). Thanks to this, data security and system stability have significantly increased. Assigning access rights allows you to prohibit/allow any users and programs to perform any operations on files. For example, without sufficient rights, an unauthorized user will not be able to change any file. Or, again, without sufficient rights, the virus will not be able to corrupt the file.
Besides, NTFS, as mentioned above, provides better performance and the ability to work with large amounts of data.

Since Windows 2000, the version used is NTFS 5.0, which, in addition to the standard ones, allows you to implement the following features:

Data encryption- this feature is implemented by a special NTFS add-on called Encrypting File System(EFS)- encrypting file system. Thanks to this mechanism, encrypted data can only be read on the computer on which the encryption occurred.
Disk quotas- it is now possible to assign users a specific (limited) disk size that they can use.
Efficient storage of sparse files. There are files that contain a large number of consecutive empty bytes. The NTFS file system allows you to optimize their storage.

Using the change log- allows you to record all access operations to files and volumes.

And one more innovation of NTFS - mount points. With mount points, you can define various unrelated folders and even drives on a system as a single drive or folder. This is of great importance for collecting heterogeneous information located in the system in one place.

■ Finally, keep in mind that if you have set certain permissions for a file under NTFS, and then you copy it to a FAT partition, then all its access rights and other unique attributes inherent in NTFS will be lost. So be careful.

 NTFS device. Main table of MFT files.
Like any other file system, NTFS divides all usable space into clusters- the minimum data blocks into which files are divided. NTFS supports almost any cluster size - from 512 bytes to 64 KB. However, the generally accepted standard is a 4 KB cluster. It is the one that is used by default. The principle of the existence of clusters can be illustrated by the following example.
If your cluster size is 4 KB (which is most likely), and you need to save a file of 5 KB in size, then 8 KB will actually be allocated for it, since it does not fit in one cluster, and disk space is allocated for a file only by clusters .
For each NTFS disk there is a special file - MFT (Master Allocation Table - main file table). This file contains a centralized directory of all files on the disk. When a file is created, NTFS creates and fills in MFT a corresponding record that contains information about file attributes, file contents, file name, etc.

Besides MFT, there are 15 more special files (together with MFT - 16) that are inaccessible to the operating system and are called metafiles. Everyone's names metafiles start with a symbol $ , but it is not possible to view them and see them at all using standard operating system tools. The following are examples of the main metafiles:

SMFT- MFT itself.
$MFTmirr- a copy of the first 16 MFT records, placed in the middle of the disk (mirror).
$LogFile- logging support file.
$Volume- service information: volume label, file system version, etc.
$AttrDef- a list of standard attributes of files on the volume.
$. - root directory.
$Bitmap- volume free space map.
$Boot- boot sector (if the partition is boot).
$Quota- a file that records user rights to use disk space.
$Upcase- file-table of correspondence between upper and lower case letters in file names on the current volume.
It is needed mainly because in NTFS file names are written in encoding Unicode, which consists of 65 thousand different symbols, searching for large and small equivalents of which is very non-trivial.

As for the principle of organizing data on an NTFS disk, it is conventionally divided into two parts. The first 12% of the disk is allocated for the so-called MFT zone- the space into which the MFT metafile grows.
It is not possible to write any user data to this area. The MFT zone is always kept empty. This is done so that the most important service file (MFT) does not become fragmented as it grows. The remaining 88% of the disk is normal file storage space.
However, if there is a lack of disk space, the MFT zone may itself shrink (if possible), so you will not notice any discomfort. In this case, new data will already be written to the former MFT zone.
If disk space is subsequently released, the MFT zone will increase again, but in a defragmented form (that is, not as a single block, but in several parts on the disk). There is nothing wrong with this, it is simply considered that the system is more reliable when MFT file not defragmented. Additionally, when the MFT file is not defragmented, the entire file system runs faster. Accordingly, the more defragmented the MFT file is, the slower the file system works.

As for the size of the MFT file, it is approximately calculated based on 1 MB per 1000 files.

Convert FAT32 partitions to NTFS without data loss. convert utility

You can easily convert an existing FAT32 partition to NTFS. For this purpose, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 provides a command line utility convert

Its operating parameters are shown in the screenshot

Thus, to convert drive D: to NTFS, enter the following command into the command line:

After this, you will be asked to enter the volume label, if any (the volume label is indicated next to the drive name in the window My computer. It serves to identify disks in more detail and may or may not be used. For example it could be Files Storage (D:).
To convert a flash drive, the command looks like this:

convert e : /fs:ntfs /nosecurity /x

Sooner or later, a novice computer user is faced with such a concept as a file system (FS). As a rule, the first acquaintance with this term occurs when formatting a storage medium: logical drives and connected media (flash drives, memory cards, external hard drive).

Before formatting, the Windows operating system prompts you to select the type of file system on the media, cluster size, and formatting method (quick or full). Let's figure out what a file system is and why it is needed?

All information is recorded on the media in the form, which must be located in a certain order, otherwise the operating system and programs will not be able to operate with the data. This order is organized by the file system using certain algorithms and rules for placing files on the media.

When a program needs a file stored on disk, it does not need to know how or where it is stored. All that is required of the program is to know the file name, its size and attributes in order to transfer this data to the file system, which will provide access to the desired file. The same thing happens when writing data to a medium: the program transfers information about the file (name, size, attributes) to the file system, which saves it according to its own specific rules.

To better understand, imagine a librarian giving a book to a client based on its title. Or in reverse order: the client returns the book he read to the librarian, who places it back into storage. The client does not need to know where and how the book is stored; this is the responsibility of the establishment's employee. The librarian knows the rules of library cataloging and, according to these rules, searches for the publication or places it back, i.e. performs its official functions. In this example, the library is the storage medium, the librarian is the file system, and the client is the program.

Basic File System Functions

The main functions of the file system are:

• placement and organization on a data carrier in the form of files;
• determining the maximum supported amount of data on the storage medium;
• creating, reading and deleting files;
• assigning and changing file attributes (size, creation and modification time, file owner and creator, read-only, hidden file, temporary file, archived, executable, maximum file name length, etc.);
• determining the file structure;
• directory organization for logical organization of files;
• file protection in case of system failure;
• protecting files from unauthorized access and changing their contents.

Information recorded on a hard drive or any other medium is placed there on the basis of a cluster organization. A cluster is a kind of cell of a certain size into which the entire file or part of it fits.

If the file is cluster size, then it only occupies one cluster. If the file size exceeds the cell size, then it is placed in several cluster cells. Moreover, free clusters may not be located next to each other, but may be scattered over the physical surface of the disk. This system allows you to make the most efficient use of space when storing files. The task of the file system is to distribute the file when writing into free clusters in an optimal way, and also to assemble it when reading and give it to the program or operating system.

Types of file systems

During the evolution of computers, storage media, and operating systems, a large number of file systems have come and gone. In the process of such evolutionary selection, today the following types of file systems are mainly used to work with hard drives and external storage devices (flash drives, memory cards, external hard drives, CDs):

1. FAT32
2. ISO9660

The last two systems are designed to work with CDs. Ext3 and Ext4 file systems work with Linux-based operating systems. NFS Plus is a file system for OS X operating systems used on Apple computers.

The most widely used file systems are NTFS and FAT32, and this is not surprising, because... they are designed for Windows operating systems, which run the vast majority of computers in the world.

Now FAT32 is being actively replaced by the more advanced NTFS system due to its greater reliability in data safety and protection. In addition, the latest versions of Windows OS simply will not allow themselves to be installed if the hard drive partition is formatted in FAT32. The installer will ask you to format the partition to NTFS.

The NTFS file system supports disks with a capacity of hundreds of terabytes and a single file size of up to 16 terabytes.

The FAT32 file system supports disks up to 8 terabytes and a single file size up to 4GB. Most often, this FS is used on flash drives and memory cards. External drives are formatted in FAT32 at the factory.

However, the 4GB file size limitation is already a big disadvantage today, because... Due to the distribution of high-quality video, the file size of the movie will exceed this limit and it will not be possible to record it on the media.

Share.

Today we continue to introduce you to new terms. This article will focus on file system types. Moreover, we will find out which one is better and what they are needed for.

The file system on any device plays a very important role. It is thanks to the file system that data is processed and stored on any medium. The file system also limits the size of files and the number of characters in its name, and also affects the speed of data exchange.

Today there are a huge number of file systems in the world, but among them there are the main ones that you may have even heard about. We are talking about the exFAT and NTFS file systems.

More advanced users who know about these file systems have a question about which system is better. Let's talk about each of the systems separately, after which we will decide which file system is worthy of your attention.

exFAT file system

Who else but Microsoft could create the leading exFAT file system. This file system was obtained during the modernization of the FAT32 system. After modifying the FAT32 file system, restrictions such as file size, partition size, and the number of files in one partition and folder were removed.

It is this system that is most often used by users on removable media. But, despite its quality and speed, this system has some flaws. We are talking about the inability of some operating systems to support the exFAT system. For example, Windows XP does not support this operating system by default. But, for those who still live in the last century and use the XP operating system, you can download updates from the official website that will allow you to use the exFAT system.

NTFS file system

And this file system was given to us by Microsoft. NTFS is still used today as a modern analogue of the FAT 32 system.

If you install this file system on your removable storage medium, the information transfer speed will be significantly reduced. The thing is that when copying data, the cache is used. Copying occurs as follows:

First of all, the copied information is stored in the cache, and the speed can be about 100 MB per second. But since the cache on removable media is very small, when it is completely full, the speed instantly drops.

As for computers and laptops, this process works a little differently. After all, the cache size is much larger, which means the transfer will occur many times faster.I talked about what a cache is in this .

File system FAT32

It was one of the first very successful file systems and is still used today. But as you already found out, it had several unpleasant limitations: the maximum file size is 4GB, the logical disk can be no more than 8TB, but various programs and Windows themselves cannot create a volume larger than 250GB, there are also restrictions on the number of files in a partition or one folder.

Which file system is better exFAT, NTFS or FAT32?

I will say right away that the exFAT file system does not have the improved additions that are present in NTFS. NTFS does not have a file data transfer stream, which increases the speed of information exchange. But exFAT also has advantages over its competitor. These include using fewer memory services. And the file storage size is larger - 4 GB.

As for the specific question of which file system is better, there is no exact answer; it all depends on factors such as the type of media, its size and the advantages of the user, of course. But, if you want to be sure that the file system will not conflict with your operating system, then we recommend using NTFS. In some cases, for example when creating bootable flash drives, it would be best to choose the FAT32 system for greater compatibility with different computers, as well as some bootloaders. More information about file systems can be found on Wikipedia. There, for example, you can find out about the new WinFS file system, which is already being developed and will replace NTFS. All the best and stay tuned!

Hello readers of my website website, I wanted to tell you about existing And new file systems, and also help her correctly choose. After all, the choice depends on the speed of work, comfort and health, because... when the computer freezes and slows down, I don’t think you like it and it really affects your nerves :)

What is a file system and what is it for?

Simply put, this is a system that serves to store files and folders on a hard drive or other media, flash drive, phone, camera, etc. And also for organizing files and folders: moving them, copying, renaming. So this system is responsible for all your files, which is why it is so important.

If you choose the wrong file system, your computer may not work correctly, freeze, crash, information flows slowly, and even worse, data may be corrupted. This is good if not system-specific, otherwise it will appear. And the most important thing is that if your computer slows down for this reason, no amount of garbage cleaning will help!

Types of file systems?

Many file systems are a thing of the past, while some are on their last legs, because... modern technologies are growing and growing every day, and now a completely new file system is on the way, behind which it can future! Let's see where it all started.

Fat 12

Fat - file allocation table in translation file allocation table. At first the file system was 12-bit, using a maximum of 4096 clusters. It was developed a long time ago, back in the days of DOS, and was used for floppy disks and small drives with a capacity of up to 16 MB. But it was replaced by the more advanced fat16.

Fat 16

This file system already contained 65525 and supported disks of 4.2 GB in size, at that time this was a luxury and for this reason it did a good job at that time. But the file size could not exceed 2GB, and in terms of efficiency it is not the best option; the larger the file size, the more space the cluster takes up. Therefore, it is not profitable to use a volume of more than 512 MB. The table shows how much the sector size takes depending on the size of the media.

Although the system worked well at that time, a number of shortcomings later appeared:

1. You cannot work with hard drives larger than 8 GB.

2. You cannot create files larger than 2 GB.

3. The root folder cannot contain more than 512 items.

4. Inability to work with disk partitions larger than 2 GB.

Fat 32

Modern technologies do not stand still, and over time, the fat 16 system became insufficient and came as a replacement fat 32. This system could already support disks up to 2 terabytes (2048 gigabytes) in size and already use disk space economically due to smaller clusters. Another advantage is that there are no restrictions on the use of files in the root folder and it is more reliable compared to previous versions. But the biggest disadvantage for the present time is that files can be damaged and it’s good that this will not lead to . And the second main disadvantage is that now the files exceed the size of more than 4 GB, and the system does not support a larger volume of one file. That users often have questions about why I can’t download a 7GB movie, although there is 100GB free on the disk, that’s the whole problem.

That's why cons and here it is enough:

1. The system does not support files larger than 4 GB.

2. The system is susceptible to file fragmentation, which causes the system to slow down.

3. Susceptible to file corruption.

4. At the moment, disks larger than 2 TB already exist.

NTFS

And here it comes as a replacement new system ntfs(New Technology File System) what is translated file system new technology, in which a number of shortcomings are eliminated, but there are also plenty of disadvantages. This system is the latest approved, not counting the new one, which I will talk about below. The system appeared back in the 90s, was approved in 2001 with the release of Windows XP and is still in use today. supports disks up to 18 TB in size, cool right? And when files are fragmented, the speed loss is not so noticeable. Security has already reached good levels; in the event of a failure, information damage is unlikely.

Minuses and here they will be:

1. RAM consumption, if you have less than 64 MB of RAM, then installing it is not recommended.

2. When there is 10% of free space left on the hard drive, the system begins to noticeably slow down.

3. Working with a small storage capacity can be difficult.

New ReFS

Brand new ReFS file system ( Resilient File System) translated as a fault-tolerant file system developed for the new Windows operating system, which may be followed by future! According to the developers, the system should be extremely reliable and, soon after modification, will be supported on other operating systems. Here is a table of differences:

As you can see, the new system supports larger amounts of disk space and a larger number of characters in the path and file name. The system promises to be more secure in which there should be a minimum of failures due to the new architecture and a different way of recording the log. While only visible of course pros, but how true this is is not yet known. After full approval, a number of cons. But for now this remains a mystery. Let's hope that the new file system will bring us only positive experiences from it.

Which file system should you choose?

It is better to install on a well-performing computer Ntfs, it will be more productive and safer for these purposes. It is not recommended to install on computers with a hard drive capacity of less than 32 GB and RAM 64 MB. And the old lady fat32 can be installed on flash drives with a small capacity, because productivity may be higher. And one more thing is that if you format a flash drive for a phone, digital camera and other electronic devices in ntfs format, you may have errors, because... Some devices may not support ntfs or may be slow to use it and cause crashes. So before formatting, make sure which file system is best for your device.

There are other types of file systems, for example for Linux XFS, ReiserFS (Reiser3), JFS (Journaled File System), ext (extended filesystem), ext2 (second extended file system), ext3 (third extended filesystem), Reiser4, ext4, Btrfs (B-tree FS or Butter FS), Tux2, Tux3, Xiafs, ZFS (Zettabyte File System), but that's a completely different story...

Files on a computer are created and placed based on system principles. Thanks to their implementation, the user gets the opportunity to comfortably access the necessary information without thinking about complex algorithms for accessing it. How are file systems organized? Which ones are the most popular today? What are the differences between PC-friendly file systems? And those used in mobile devices - smartphones or tablets?

File Systems: Definition

According to a common definition, a file system is a set of algorithms and standards used to organize effective access for a PC user to data located on the computer. Some experts consider it part of Other IT experts, recognizing the fact that it is directly related to the OS, believe that the file system is an independent component of computer data management.

How were computers used before the file system was invented? Computer science, as a scientific discipline, has recorded the fact that for a long time data management was carried out through structuring within the framework of algorithms embedded in specific programs. Thus, one of the criteria for a file system is to have standards that are the same for most programs that access data.

How file systems work

The file system is, first of all, a mechanism that involves the use of computer hardware resources. As a rule, we are talking here about magnetic or laser media - hard drives, CDs, DVDs, flash drives, floppy disks that have not yet become obsolete. In order to understand how the corresponding system works, let’s define what the file itself is.

According to the generally accepted definition among IT experts, this is a data area of ​​a fixed size, expressed in basic units of information - bytes. The file is located on disk media, usually in the form of several interconnected blocks that have a specific access “address”. The file system determines these same coordinates and “reports” them, in turn, to the OS. Which clearly transmits the relevant data to the user. Data is accessed in order to read it, modify it, or create new one. The specific algorithm for working with file “coordinates” may vary. It depends on the type of computer, OS, specifics of the stored data and other conditions. Therefore, there are different types of file systems. Each of them is optimized for use on a specific OS or for working with certain types of data.

Adapting disk media for use through algorithms of a specific file system is called formatting. The corresponding hardware elements of the disk - clusters - are prepared for subsequent writing of files to them, as well as reading them in accordance with the standards laid down in a particular data management system. How to change the file system? In most cases, this can only be done by reformatting the storage medium. As a rule, the files are erased. However, there is an option in which, using special programs, it is still possible, although this usually requires a lot of time, to change the data management system, leaving the latter untouched.

File systems do not work without errors. There may be some failures in the organization of work with data blocks. But in most cases they are not critical. As a rule, there are no problems with how to fix the file system or eliminate errors. In Windows OS, in particular, there are built-in software solutions for this, available to any user. Such as, for example, the Check Disk program.

Varieties

What types of file systems are the most common? Probably, first of all, those used by the most popular PC OS in the world - Windows. The main Windows file systems are FAT, FAT32, NTFS and their various modifications. Along with computers, smartphones and tablets have gained popularity. Most of them, if we talk about the global market and do not consider differences in technology platforms, are controlled by Android and iOS OS. These operating systems use their own algorithms for working with data that are different from those that characterize Windows file systems.

Standards open to all

Note that recently there has been some unification of standards in the global electronics market in terms of operating systems operating with various types of data. This can be seen in two aspects. First, different devices running two dissimilar types of OS often use the same file system, which is equally compatible with each OS. Secondly, modern versions of the OS, as a rule, are able to recognize not only their typical file systems, but also those that are traditionally used in other operating systems - both through built-in algorithms and using third-party software. For example, modern versions of Linux generally recognize marked file systems for Windows without problems.

File system structure

Despite the fact that the types of file systems are presented in quite a large number, they generally work according to very similar principles (we outlined the general scheme above) and within the framework of similar structural elements or objects. Let's look at them. What are the main objects of a file system?

One of the key ones is - It is an isolated data area in which files can be placed. The directory structure is hierarchical. What does it mean? One or more directories may reside within another. Which, in turn, is part of the “superior” one. The most important thing is the root directory. If we talk about the principles on which the Windows file system works - 7, 8, XP or another version - the root directory is a logical drive, designated by a letter - usually C, D, E (but you can configure any that is in English alphabet). As for, for example, the Linux OS, the root directory there is the magnetic medium as a whole. In this and other OSs based on its principles - such as Android - logical drives are not used. Is it possible to store files without directories? Yes. But this is not very convenient. Actually, comfort in using a PC is one of the reasons for introducing the principle of distributing data into directories in file systems. By the way, they can be called differently. In Windows, directories are called folders, in Linux they are basically the same. But the traditional name for directories in this OS, used for many years, is “directories”. As in previous Windows and Linux OS - DOS, Unix.

Among IT specialists, there is no clear opinion as to whether a file should be considered a structural element of the corresponding system. Those who believe that this is not entirely correct argue their point of view by saying that the system can easily exist without files. Even though this is a useless phenomenon from a practical point of view. Even if no files are written to the disk, the corresponding system may still be present. Typically, magnetic media sold in stores does not contain any files. But they already have a corresponding system. Another view is that files should be considered an integral part of the systems they are managed by. Why? But because, according to experts, the algorithms for using them are adapted primarily to work with files within the framework of certain standards. The systems in question are not intended for anything else.

Another element present in most file systems is a data area containing information about the placement of a specific file in a specific location. That is, you can place a shortcut in one place on the disk, but it is also possible to provide access to the desired data area, which is located in another part of the media. You can consider that shortcuts are full-fledged objects of the file system if you agree that files are also such.

One way or another, it will not be a mistake to say that all three types of data - files, shortcuts and directories - are elements of their respective systems. At least this thesis will correspond to one of the common points of view. The most important aspect that characterizes how a file system works is the principles of naming files and directories.

File and directory names on different systems

If we agree that files are still components of the systems corresponding to them, then it is worth considering their basic structure. What is the first thing to note? To make it easier to access them, most modern data management systems provide a two-level file naming structure. The first level is the name. The second is expansion. Let's take the music file Dance.mp3 as an example. Dance is the name. Mp3 - extension. The first is intended to reveal to the user the essence of the file’s contents (and for the program to be a guide for quick access). The second indicates the file type. If it is Mp3, then it is easy to guess that we are talking about music. Files with the extension Doc are, as a rule, documents, Jpg are pictures, Html are web pages.

Directories, in turn, have a single-level structure. They only have a name, no extension. If we talk about the differences between different types of data management systems, then the first thing you should pay attention to is the principles of naming files and directories implemented in them. Regarding Windows OS, the specifics are as follows. In the world's most popular operating system, files can be named in any language. The maximum length, however, is limited. The exact interval depends on the data management system used. Typically these values ​​range from 200-260 characters.

A general rule for all operating systems and their corresponding data management systems is that files with the same names cannot be located in the same directory. In Linux, there is a certain “liberalization” of this rule. There may be files in the same directory with the same letters, but in different case. For example, Dance.mp3 and DANCE.mp3. This is not possible on Windows OS. The same rules are also established in terms of placing directories within others.

Addressing files and directories

Addressing files and directories is the most important element of the corresponding system. On Windows, its custom format might look like this: C:/Documents/Music/ - this is access to the Music directory. If we are interested in a specific file, then the address may look like this: C:/Documents/Music/Dance.mp3. Why "custom"? The fact is that at the level of hardware and software interaction between computer components, the structure of file access is much more complex. The file system determines the location of file blocks and interacts with the OS mostly through operations hidden from the user. However, it is extremely rare for a PC user to need to use other “address” formats. Almost always, files are accessed in the specified standard.

Comparison of file systems for Windows

We have studied the general principles of the functioning of file systems. Let us now consider the features of their most common types. The most commonly used file systems in Windows are FAT, FAT32, NTFS, and exFAT. The first in this series is considered obsolete. At the same time, for a long time it was a kind of flagship of the industry, but as PC technology grew, its capabilities no longer met the needs of users and the resource needs of software.

The file system designed to replace FAT is FAT32. According to many IT experts, it is now the most popular when it comes to the PC market running Windows. It is most often used when storing files on hard drives and flash drives. It can also be noted that this data management system is quite regularly used in memory modules of various digital devices - phones, cameras. The main advantage of FAT32, which is highlighted by IT experts, is thus, despite the fact that this file system was created by Microsoft, most modern operating systems, including those installed on the specified types of digital equipment, can work with data within the framework of the algorithms embedded in it.

The FAT32 system also has a number of disadvantages. First of all, we can note the limitation on the size of one taken file - it cannot be more than 4 GB. Also, in a FAT32 system, you cannot use built-in Windows tools to specify a logical drive whose size would be larger than 32 GB. But this can be done by installing additional specialized software.

Another popular file management system developed by Microsoft is NTFS. According to some IT experts, it is superior to FAT32 in most parameters. But this thesis is true when we are talking about a computer running Windows. NTFS is not as versatile as FAT32. The peculiarities of its functioning make the use of this file system not always comfortable, in particular on mobile devices. One of the key advantages of NFTS is reliability. For example, in cases where the hard drive suddenly loses power, the likelihood of files being damaged is minimized due to the data duplication algorithms provided in NTFS.

One of the newest file systems from Microsoft is exFAT. It is best adapted for flash drives. The basic principles of operation are the same as in FAT32, but there are also significant modernizations in some aspects: for example, there are no restrictions on the size of a single file. At the same time, the exFAT system, as many IT experts note, is among those that have low versatility. On non-Windows computers, file handling may be difficult when using exFAT. Moreover, even in some versions of Windows itself, such as XP, data on disks formatted using exFAT algorithms may not be readable. You will need to install an additional driver.

Note that due to the use of a fairly wide range of file systems in the Windows OS, the user may experience periodic difficulties in terms of the compatibility of various devices with the computer. In some cases, for example, it is necessary to install the WPD (Windows Portable Devices - technology used when working with portable devices) file system driver. Sometimes the user may not have it at hand, and as a result, the external OS media may not recognize it. The WPD file system may require additional software adaptation to the operating environment on a particular computer. In some cases, the user will be forced to contact IT specialists to solve the problem.

How to determine which file system - exFAT or NTFS, or maybe FAT32 - is optimal for use in specific cases? The recommendations of IT specialists in general are as follows. Two main approaches can be used. According to the first, a distinction should be made between typical hard drive file systems, as well as those that are better adapted to flash drives. FAT and FAT32, according to many experts, are better suited for flash drives, NTFS - for hard drives (due to the technological features of working with data).

In the second approach, the size of the carrier matters. If we are talking about using a relatively small volume of a disk or flash drive, you can format it in the FAT32 system. If the disk is larger, you can try exFAT. But only if the media is not intended to be used on other computers, especially those that do not have the latest versions of Windows. If we are talking about large hard drives, including external ones, then it is advisable to format them in NTFS. These are approximately the criteria by which the optimal file system can be selected - exFAT or NTFS, FAT32. That is, you should use one of them, taking into account the size of the media, its type, as well as the version of the OS on which the drive is primarily used.

File systems for Mac

Another popular software and hardware platform in the global computer market is Apple's Macintosh. PCs in this line run the Mac OS operating system. What are the features of organizing work with files on Mac computers? Most modern Apple PCs use the Mac OS Extended file system. Previously, Mac computers managed data using HFS standards.

The main thing that can be noted in terms of its characteristics is that a disk managed by the Mac OS Extended file system can accommodate very large files - we can talk about several million terabytes.

File system in Android devices

The most popular OS for mobile devices - a form of electronic technology that is not inferior in popularity to PCs - is Android. How are files managed on devices of the corresponding type? Let us note first of all that this operating system is actually a “mobile” adaptation of the Linux OS, which, thanks to the open source code, can be modified with the prospect of use on a wide range of devices. Therefore, file management in mobile devices running Android is carried out generally according to the same principles as in Linux. We noted some of them above. In particular, file management in Linux is carried out without dividing the media into logical drives, as happens in Windows. What else is interesting about the Android file system?

The root directory in Android is usually a data area called /mnt. Accordingly, the address of the required file may look something like this: /mnt/sd/photo.jpg. In addition, there is another feature of the data management system that is implemented in this mobile OS. The fact is that the flash memory of a device is usually classified into several sections, such as, for example, System or Data. However, the initially specified size of each of them cannot be changed. An approximate analogy regarding this technological aspect can be found by remembering that you cannot (unless you use special software) change the size of logical drives in Windows. It must be fixed.

Another interesting feature of organizing work with files in Android is that the corresponding operating system, as a rule, writes new data to a specific area of ​​the disk - Data. Work, for example, with the System section is not carried out. Therefore, when the user uses the function of resetting the software settings of a smartphone or tablet to the “factory” level, in practice this means that those files written to the Data area are simply erased. The System section, as a rule, remains unchanged. Moreover, the user, without having specialized software, cannot make any adjustments to the contents in the System. The procedure associated with updating the system storage area in an Android device is called flashing. This is not formatting, although both operations are often performed simultaneously. As a rule, flashing is used to install a newer version of the Android OS on a mobile device.

Thus, the key principles on which the Android file system operates are the absence of logical drives, as well as strict differentiation of access to system and user data. It cannot be said that this approach is fundamentally different from that implemented in Windows, however, according to many IT experts, in Microsoft's OS users have somewhat greater freedom in working with files. However, as some experts believe, this cannot be considered a clear advantage of Windows. The “liberal” mode in terms of file management is used, of course, not only by users, but also by computer viruses, to which Windows is very susceptible (unlike Linux and its “mobile” implementation in the form of Android). This, according to experts, is one of the reasons that there are so few viruses for Android devices - from a purely technological point of view, they cannot fully function in an operating environment that operates on the principles of strict file access control.