Re: NTFS or Fat32 which is right?

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Patti,
If you KNOW that the two reasons that you cite are going to be the ONLY functions this drive will be needed for - then, you could format it as NTFS (saving you from getting any third-party software)

All this would mean that you would not be able to take it to a friend's house and share stuff on it - if their PC was running old Win98 (an increasingly rare situation).

But you would be fine transferring files from any NT-based system (like XP) to another - PROVIDING THAT : - straight AFTER formatting (while the drive is still blank) right-click in explorer and select "Properties" > "Security" and give the user "Everyone" "Full Control"

You may need to create the user "Everyone" by clicking on the "Add" button and entering the user-name "Everyone" - then chackmark the box marked "Full Control".

Setting the security "permissions" in the "root" of an empty drive - ensures that all sub-folders and files carry the same level of security.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"Patti Barden" <patti@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:upt0ksaeKHA.2164@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you Tim and all the others who answered my plea.
Formatting my external hard disk in NTFS has been puzzling me for exactly the reason you site. The reason for purchasing the external hard disk was to avoid losing all my data, emails, etc. in case of a complete computer failure as had happened to me recently. Also, I had hoped to be able to put this copy of my computer's hard disk on a new computer, should I need one.

So from what you say it would be more sensible to keep the external disk in AT32? -The instruction manual says "FAT32 is possible up to 2TB. In Windows XP, you can format a FAT 32 volume up to 32GB only. Does not support domains." However, I already have 71GB on my computer so it sounds like FAT 32 would not handle this size?

Note - I just read Ken Blake "Sorry, that's not correct. It's true that Windows XP can not create a
FAT32 partition greater than 32GB, but external utilities can, and
Windows XP can use such partitions just fine."

Patti

"Tim Meddick" <timmeddick@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:evl$xhDeKHA.1652@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
There is a reason why removable drives are nearly always formatted FAT - because one
of the big advantages of a removable drive is that you can remove it!!

Having it kept formatted as FAT, you would be able to connect it to nearly any other
PC which would be able to identify and browse it's contents. It's compatibility with
other computers would be virtually universal.

This would include PCs with other operating systems like Win98 or LINUX-based and
MACs as well.

If you changed it's format to NTFS and did not set file and folder permissions to
include "Everyone" as read-only - then your removable drive would only be accessible
on your own machine (and possibly other NT-based OSs under 'Administrator')

Plus, if you need to gain access to your backup after your own PC has permanently broken, then you may well find, again, you have problems "seeing" the drive when connected to in another computer...

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"Patti Barden" <patti@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:OkIcg7AeKHA.5156@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi
I have purchased an External Hard Disk Drive, usb2 & main power, 1TB in size.
The very limited instruction manual says it is best to run it in NTFS.

When I go to MyComputer, on the left column under "Details" it says "File System: FAT32"
yet when I right click on the external hard disk drive letter (F) and click "Format" it says "File System NTFS".

Which is right?
Patti





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