Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

NTFS OR FAT32 ?


Recommended Posts

Choices, choices... The more options I get, the more choices I must make. As most of you already know, I have recently upgraded to WinXP Pro , but things got messed up a few days ago after installing a new DVD recorder. So now I re-formatted C: and am starting all over. Anyway, the first time I installed XP, I set it up for FAT32 because I remembered all of the old problems I had trying to run multimedia applications under WinNT 4.0. Many MM applications back then just wouldn't work properly under WinNT. Assuming that the problems with old NTFS have been resolved ,in XP this time, I'm being a bit daring and I am installing the more modern and secure NTFS on my C: system partition. My Audio and Video files are being stored on D: IN FAT32 right now. Any thoughts on this setup? I'll probably convert my BIG D: data partition later, after backing up everthing on DVD-RW. Dan http://musicinit.com
Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Replies 6
  • Created
  • Last Reply
This is from a W2K tune up guide...but it applies to WinXP also... [quote] File system: FAT32 or NTFS? Windows 2000 supports an additional file system that is not supported by the Win9X family: NTFS. This file system incorporates many improvements, among others: More robust and safer transactional system. Supports folder and file level transparent compression and ciphering. User and group permissions. Allows joining separate physical devices as folders. Contents indexing capabilities. Software RAID support. The problem is that none of these great new improvements are needed at all for audio applications. NTFS performance is slightly worse in most cases than FAT32 as shown by both DskBench and SONAR, but only by a little bit, less than 10% in the largest case. Also, defragmenting a NTFS volume may take longer than a FAT32 volume. I would suggest the following guidelines: For best performance, use a separate FAT32 disk for your audio files. The NTFS improvements are not any advantage for audio files, and formatting the disk with FAT32 makes the disk backwards-compatible with Windows 98 as well. If you cannot spare a separate disk for audio, you can instead format a disk partition with FAT32. In particular, use FAT32 for any partition that you may need to use in a Win9X machine, including obviously the boot partition if you want to be able to dual boot Windows 2000 and Windows 98. For any partition that does not fall in any of the earlier categories, NTFS can be a good choice. If you work with video or other large files in excess of 4 GB, format NTFS. Any time you format a disk or partition with FAT32, be sure to use the /z:64 switch (format [drive]: /z:64) to get 32K cluster sizes. This is critical to getting the best performance from the disk. Early during installation Win2K will ask you to convert the installation partition to NTFS. Choose according to what you need. If you need compatibility for Windows 98 – especially if you want to dual-boot – don't convert. Win2K includes also a FAT32 to NTFS converter that you can use on any other partition once the system is installed, but be cautious: backup first.[/quote]

miroslav - miroslavmusic.com

 

"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Miroslav for the lengthy reply. I am already running into a new problem with this install process. IT IS INCREDIBLY SLOW! If XP tells me that I have 10 minutes left then times it 15X. I have been doing this install for HOURS. I'm suspecting there may be a problem because the D: partition was formatted with WinME. Or all of the caching may be disabled? Dan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you still have partitions left over or any other problems the best thing to do is a low level format,wipe out everything,then let XP or 2K format it for you during install.Like Miroslav said,your better off sticking with Fat 32,even all the way around as Iv'e encountered more data corruption transfering files between the 2 then if they were both Fat or NTFS.I usually let 2K format my OS drive with straight Fat 32,then I use a Win 98 start up disk to format my Rec. drive as follows,A:\ Format D: /z:64,or whatever your rec. drive letter happens to be.Your DVD problems shouldn't have anything to do with your large drives or their formats,either the DVD drive itself or the burning soft(usual suspect)has to be updated.
"A Robot Playing Trumpet Blows"
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote] I am already running into a new problem with this install process. IT IS INCREDIBLY SLOW! If XP tells me that I have 10 minutes left then times it 15X. I have been doing this install for HOURS [/quote]Oh man, I ran into that last weekend. It got to "Installing Networking" and the dots were moving at the bottom-right, but the progress bar hadn't nudged in forever. I finally did a hardware reset, and then it came back up and was installing at the normal speed.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...