Re: FAT32 Vs. NTFS
- From: "MiniEmma" <nospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 16:30:48 +0000 (UTC)
Hi all
I was reading this post back in september because that's when I got my ACER
laptop and I too wondered why it was partitioned and why the partitions were
FAT32.
I emailed Acer and got no reply, so 3 weeks later I mailed again.
Eventually I got this reply.....
"Hello, Thank you for contacting Acer.
Regarding your enquiry, Once you have removed the partition then you will
not be able to place our Acer Images back on the Hard Drive, however there
is software out there which will allow you to create and install your
images.
Unfortunately I am unable to walk you through the removal of these
partitions, as this is performed at your own discretion.
I do apologise that I can't be much more help, but if I walked you through,
I will be breaking Acer Policies."
BLAH BLAH YAWN YAWN
THEN this morning I got a reply to my second/later email....
"Hard disk partitions and file systems guide
Hello, Thank you for contacting Acer.
Regarding your enquiry,
All Acer machines ship with their hard disks split into two partitions this
is interned to aid in the recovery of data from your machine in the event of
a problem with Windows that results in the need to reinstall Windows using
our recovery disks. The Acer recovery process will wipe all data on the C
partition but leave the data on second D partition intact. If you wish to
only have a single (or some other partition configuration) you will need to
run the recovery disks and choose 'create custom partitions' when prompted.
The size of the partitions drives will not always add up to the total size
of your hard disk, this is due to some of the space being used for the file
system and partition information and a further amount is left unpartitioned.
To see the full layout of you drives click on start then control panel,
followed administrative tools, then Computer Management and choose storage
and finally disk management. Here you will see the full layout of you drive
and be able to create, delete and format partitions.
To further aid the recovery of data on Acer machines all Acer systems ship
with their drives formatted with the FAT32 file system. You can convert your
drives to NTFS, the newer Windows file system (for more advice see below),
if you wish by clicking on the Start button and selecting run.
Type 'CMD' into the run box and press enter.
At the command prompt type 'convert C: /FS:NTFS /X' to convert the main C
drive to NTFS. The machine may need to reboot to complete this operation.
Repeat this command as needed to convert you other drives but change the
drive letter to the corresponding drive.
Regards
Acer Technical Support Team
Which File System to Choose?
As much as everyone would like for there to be a stock answer to the
selection question, there isn't. Different situations and needs will play a
large role in the decision of which file system to adopt. There isn't any
argument that NTFS offers better security and reliability. Some also say
that NTFS is more flexible, but that can get rather subjective depending on
the situation and work habits, whereas NTFS superiority in security and
reliability is seldom challenged. Listed below are some of the most common
factors to consider when deciding between FAT32 and NTFS.
Security
FAT32 provides very little security. A user with access to a drive using
FAT32 has access to the files on that drive. 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. The down side of using NTFS Permissions is the chance for error
and screwing up the system is greatly magnified. Windows XP Professional
supports file encryption.
Compatibility
NTFS volumes are not recognized by Windows 95/98/Me. This is only a concern
when the system is set up for dual or multi-booting. FAT32 must be be used
for any drives that must be accessed when the computer is booted from
Windows 95/98 or Windows Me.
An additional note to the previous statement. Users on the network have
access to shared folders no matter what disk format is being used or what
version of Windows is installed. FAT and FAT32 volumes can be converted to
NTFS volumes. NTFS cannot be converted to FAT32 without reformatting.
Space Efficiency
NTFS supports disk quotas, allowing you to control the amount of disk usage
on a per user basis. NTFS supports file compression. FAT32 does not.
How a volume manages data is outside the scope of this email, but once you
pass the 8GB partition size, NTFS handles space management much more
efficiently than FAT32. Cluster sizes play an important part in how much
disk space is wasted storing files. NTFS provides smaller cluster sizes and
less disk space waste than FAT32. In Windows XP, the maximum partition size
that can be created using FAT32 is 32GB. This increases to 16TB (terabytes)
using NTFS. There is a workaround for the 32GB limitation under FAT32, but
it is a nuisance especially considering the size of drives currently being
manufactured.
Reliability
FAT32 drives are much more susceptible to disk errors.
NTFS volumes have the ability to recover from errors more readily than
similar FAT32 volumes.
Log files are created under NTFS which can be used for automatic file system
repairs.
NTFS supports dynamic cluster remapping for bad sectors and prevent them
from being used in the future.
The Final Choice
As the prior versions of Windows continue to age and are replaced in the
home and workplace there will be no need for the older file systems. Hard
drives aren't going to get smaller, networks are likely to get larger and
more complex, and security is evolving almost daily as more and more users
become connected. For all the innovations that Windows 95 brought to the
desktop, it's now a virtual dinosaur. Windows 98 is fast on the way out and
that leaves NT and Windows 2000, both well suited to NTFS. To wrap up, there
may be compelling reasons why your current situation requires a file system
other than NTFS or a combination of different systems for compatibility, but
if at all possible go with NTFS. Even if you don't utilize its full scope of
features, the stability and reliability it offers make it the hands down
choice.
-----------------------------------------
Acer Technical Support
Tel: 0870 8531000
Fax: 0870 8531004
-----------------------------------------"
I Just HAD to post this somewhere as I find it very very interesting,
informative, useful and better than anything I've had from any tech support
EVER.
Regards
MiniEmma
"Lisa" <0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ee4yLnzrFHA.3444@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Hi,
>
> I am looking to buy this laptop but I was told that the HD is in FAT32
> format! Am I missing something here, I did not know that PC man. still use
> FAT32!? Is this going to be a problem for me dealing with XP pro? Thanks.
> BTW, this laptop has a AMD Turion 64 and preloaded with XP Pro! TIA.
>
.
- Prev by Date: little picture on start menu
- Next by Date: Re: Numerical Sorting Order?
- Previous by thread: little picture on start menu
- Next by thread: photos
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
