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Poll

FAT32 or NTFS

FAT32
[ 36 ] (18.3%)
NTFS
[ 161 ] (81.7%)

Total Members Voted: 230

Topic: What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS? (Read 20460 times) previous topic - next topic
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What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #50 –
Quote
My words exactly. NTFS is unreliable if a system goes down.

Your bootdisk does not support NTFS filesystems, which has nothing to do with reliability.

Quote
If a FAT32 computer goes down and you need backup of data :
1) Load Win95b/Win98 formated DOS-bootdisc (which supports FAT32).
2a) Load the included (illegal) copy of FX-Link on the floppy
3a) Connect your computer to a laptop or something else, using a serialcable.
4a) Transfer files - only at 115,000 bps - but it works in ALL PC's built within the last 15 years.
2b) Copy the files to the new harddrive you just installed.
3b) Format c:\ and re-install Windows, and get the files.
4b) If you're smart, you don't need an additional harddrive, you partioned your current on in a C: (20%) and D: (80%) when you originally installed it.

If you use NTFS, there is no such thing as file-organising and preparations from DOS.


If a FAT16/FAT32/NTFS/EXT2/EXT3 computer goes down and you need backup of data:
1 ) Boot using Master's Bootdisk, run PartitionMagic (2 minutes)
2 ) resize+move the partition, create a new NTFS one (15 minutes)
3 ) reboot and reinstall windows
4 ) merge the two partitions (5 minutes)

It takes about an hour, including installation of windows.
If you have a second harddisk you can play it even easier.
 

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #51 –
Quote
Quote
My words exactly. NTFS is unreliable if a system goes down.

Your bootdisk does not support NTFS filesystems, which has nothing to do with reliability.

Quote
If a FAT32 computer goes down and you need backup of data :
1) Load Win95b/Win98 formated DOS-bootdisc (which supports FAT32).
2a) Load the included (illegal) copy of FX-Link on the floppy
3a) Connect your computer to a laptop or something else, using a serialcable.
4a) Transfer files - only at 115,000 bps - but it works in ALL PC's built within the last 15 years.
2b) Copy the files to the new harddrive you just installed.
3b) Format c:\ and re-install Windows, and get the files.
4b) If you're smart, you don't need an additional harddrive, you partioned your current on in a C: (20%) and D: (80%) when you originally installed it.

If you use NTFS, there is no such thing as file-organising and preparations from DOS.


If a FAT16/FAT32/NTFS/EXT2/EXT3 computer goes down and you need backup of data:
1 ) Boot using Master's Bootdisk, run PartitionMagic (2 minutes)
2 ) resize+move the partition, create a new NTFS one (15 minutes)
3 ) reboot and reinstall windows
4 ) merge the two partitions (5 minutes)

It takes about an hour, including installation of windows.
If you have a second harddisk you can play it even easier.

I would use partition magic when I want to destroy a partition.

See the test of partition tools in one of the last c't magazines (German Newspaper).

I have tools of PowerQuest at work, and these tools are some of the worst I have seen in the
last 7 years. You need a lot of luck that these tools do work. Trouble, trouble and trouble
again. This firm seems not to test their own products.

Sorry.
--  Frank Klemm

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #52 –
Quote
Quote
FAT32, because when the OS crashes, it is still possible to access and copy the files from a DOS floppy or CD.

My words exactly. NTFS is unreliable if a system goes down.

If a FAT32 computer goes down and you need backup of data :
1) Load Win95b/Win98 formated DOS-bootdisc (which supports FAT32).
2a) Load the included (illegal) copy of FX-Link on the floppy
3a) Connect your computer to a laptop or something else, using a serialcable.
4a) Transfer files - only at 115,000 bps - but it works in ALL PC's built within the last 15 years.
2b) Copy the files to the new harddrive you just installed.
3b) Format c:\ and re-install Windows, and get the files.
4b) If you're smart, you don't need an additional harddrive, you partioned your current on in a C: (20%) and D: (80%) when you originally installed it.

If you use NTFS, there is no such thing as file-organising and preparations from DOS.

Why I should use a RS 232 serial line and wait nearly a year (for 360 GByte) when I have
100 MBit/s or Gigabit Ethernet on board?

Backup via RS 232 is nearly the same as backups using punch cards.
--  Frank Klemm

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #53 –
Use Linux. Knoppix. Your own distribution. (I'm using Gentoo)
I saved my data from NTFS partition using that.
(If it would only support writing on NTFS I'd use it for file storage
because 'free' readonly drivers for Win9x exist!)

<edit>
</edit>
I've changed only because of myself.
Remember, when you quote me, you're quoting AstralStorm.
(read: this account is dead)

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #54 –
Quote
I would use partition magic when I want to destroy a partition.

See the test of partition tools in one of the last c't magazines (German Newspaper).

I have tools of PowerQuest at work, and these tools are some of the worst I have seen in the
last 7 years. You need a lot of luck that these tools do work. Trouble, trouble and trouble
again. This firm seems not to test their own products.

Sorry.

Alternatives??

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #55 –
Quote
Alternatives??

The best tool of that roundup was PartitionExpert, with a "very good" for ease of use, safety of use and reliability. Partition Magic received a "very good" for ease of use, but an "average" for safety and a "poor" for reliability. For instance, some essential sanity checks are missing.

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #56 –
Quote
Quote
Alternatives??

The best tool of that roundup was PartitionExpert, with a "very good" for ease of use, safety of use and reliability. Partition Magic received a "very good" for ease of use, but an "average" for safety and a "poor" for reliability. For instance, some essential sanity checks are missing.

But it is unable to convert FAT32 to NTFS!

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #57 –
Quote
But it is unable to convert FAT32 to NTFS!

You can start the recovery console from the XP setup CD or from bootdisks. "convert c: /fs:ntfs" converts a FAT32 partition to an NTFS one, losslessly of course. "diskpart" calls the partitioning tool, "format c: /fs:ntfs" formats the partition(s).

Partition Magic could maybe be used for FAT32->NTFS conversion, but i wouldn't mess with NTFS partitions (especially downsizing or cluster resizing). It has problems with NTFS specialities like streams, sparse files, compressed files, encrypted files and access profiles.

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #58 –
Quote
And, what about NTFS security? FAT32 is not a secure file system. Any Windows user who's concerned by "internet threats" should use NTFS.
Only NTFS with Windows for me.

Really? I'd like to see you elaborate on 'internet threats' and how NTFS is needed to combat these threats because I don't see the link.
No inspiration

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #59 –
Only real advantage of NTFS is that it's a journaling FS,
that means it's more reliable.

NTFS provides encryption and user based access control.
But this provide slim protection against internet threats...
when you get virus and then use admin account
that protection is reduced to nil.
I've changed only because of myself.
Remember, when you quote me, you're quoting AstralStorm.
(read: this account is dead)

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #60 –
FAT32 because I'm under Win98SE and clown around with DOS on occasion.

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #61 –
Frank Klemm:

You're right about destroying partitions with Partitionmagic. I've had a few bad experiences with v3.0 for example. It was a complete catastrophe, with memory leaks under DOS (!) and all.

With the newer versions however (6.0 and up) they seem to have actually taken reliability seriously. The PM 8.0 works like a charm for me, I have moved hundreds of gigabytes in total. It seems the documentation now covers all important things, very seriously.

In short, it seems like they look lessons from the errors of the past. As often anything commercial, the victims are early adopters  ..

All in all, partition management is always a bit frightening about the data though. I'll have a look at the article you mentioned.

As a better solution between stone age (Madizone) and russian roulette (me) there's always the option of using a second hard drive for the transfer   

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #62 –
NTFS. I once had my system partition in FAT32 and formatted it for fun in NTFS and gained around 500mb free discspace. (I'm running windows XP pro, with 4gigs fat32 and 3,5gigs ntfs)
I love the moderators.

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #63 –
Quote
Quote

I would use partition magic when I want to destroy a partition.

See the test of partition tools in one of the last c't magazines (German Newspaper).

I have tools of PowerQuest at work, and these tools are some of the worst I have seen in the
last 7 years. You need a lot of luck that these tools do work. Trouble, trouble and trouble
again. This firm seems not to test their own products.

Sorry.

Alternatives??

I must read the c't article again to answer this question.

There was a newcower in this test. This newcomer was in the early beta phase.
This newcomer was able to handle all partition types which the magazine tested
(fat16, fat32, ntfs, hpfs, ext2, ext3, reiserfs, hfs) and it also was the only program
which didn't scratched data, the other program destroyed 20..50% of the test
partitions.

BTW it was based on a Linux kernel.
--  Frank Klemm

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #64 –
Well, its simple if you have a system (small) disk, and a data (huge) disk.
She is waiting in the air

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #65 –
Who knows what the difference is between NTFS v3 and NTFS v3.1?

NTFS v3 (commonly called NTFS v5) is used by Windows 2000
NTFS v3.1 is used by Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #66 –
Is there any drive image software like Norton Ghost which support NTFS? I want to backup my c: with my Op sytem & installed drivers for when i have to format again

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #67 –
Well  I voted for NTFS because I haven't lost a file in several years due to data corruption (only through user stupidity  ) but my 512mb compact flash card is fat32 and I think it's pretty cool...
"Droplets of Yes and No, in an ocean of Maybe"

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #68 –
Quote
Is there any drive image software like Norton Ghost which support NTFS?

Ghost supports imaging NTFS partitions.

Oh yeah, and pop in my vote for NTFS.  Journaling, Compression, Encryption, Unicode Filenames, and a good implementation that only barfs in really extreme scenarios make it a big win over the mess that is FAT/FAT32.  The only thing FAT32 is useful for is write support from other OSes.

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #69 –
A journal in NTFS, when did they put that one in =)

The only data-loss i had from power-loss is on my ntfs-disks (formatted under xp).
It never happened to my reiser, ext2/3 or fat32 partitions...

/B out

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #70 –
Quote
A journal in NTFS, when did they put that one in =)

I believe that it's always been there, but the only authoritative info I can find is for Win2k.

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #71 –
Quote
FAT32 because I'm under Win98SE and clown around with DOS on occasion.

Ditto... altho I find FAT32 somewhat unwieldy even with a 60gb hard drive divided into 3 partitions (cluster sizes are getting pretty big, takes a long time to defragment and fragments very easily).  I could imagine that for something like a single-partition 120GB drive (would it even work?) it could become seriously slow and troublesome.

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #72 –
Since we're on the topic of partition utilities, does anyone have any information (perhaps from that c't article?) on how the free UNIX partition utilities stack up compared to other tools like PartitionMagic?  I'm thinking in particular of GNU parted; it has much less filesystem support than PartitionMagic (doesn't support NTFS resizing or conversion, for example), but is it safe?

FWIW, I've been using PM7.0+ since it came out on dozens of partitions with no problems.  Were the reliability problems with recent versions or an earlier version?

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #73 –
I lost some data with I think pm5 and extremely large (at the time) partitions, I'm not sure but I think it was that and not 6.  Never had any problems with 7, or so far 8.

What file system do you prefer: FAT32 or NTFS?

Reply #74 –
Quote
I'm thinking in particular of GNU parted; it has much less filesystem support than PartitionMagic (doesn't support NTFS resizing or conversion, for example), but is it safe?

I haven't tried it myself, but I can't imagine that it's any more or less safe than other partition resizers.  I have used Partition Resizer before with success.  I imagine that NTFS support is going to take a while, considering the people working on Linux-NTFS still don't have basic write support out of the experimental stage yet.

Quote
FWIW, I've been using PM7.0+ since it came out on dozens of partitions with no problems.  Were the reliability problems with recent versions or an earlier version?


Heh heh.  There's a reason that some call it Partition Tragic.  If I ever have to muck around with my partitions, it's backup, repartition, and restore.  It's not really that much slower compared to using PartitionMagic anyway.