File System

File System

A file system is a method for storing and organizing computer files and the data they contain to make it easy to find and access them. File system may use a data storage device such as hard disk or CD-ROM and involve maintaining the physical location of the files. File systems usually consist of files separated into groups called directories. Directories can contain files or additional directories. The common file system used in Windows Operating System is FAT and NTFS.
Short for File Allocation Table, FAT is a method used by Microsoft operating systems to keep track of the contents of a disk; the table is a chart of numbers that correspond to cluster addresses on the hard drive.

FAT12: The oldest type of File Allocation Table that uses 12-bit binary system. A hard disk formatted using FAT12 can use a maximum of apporoximately 16,736,256 volume size and today is no longer used.

FAT16: FAT utilizing a 16-bit binary system. Commonly found with Windows 3.x through Windows 95. FAT16, while becoming obsilete by FAT32, is still commonly found.

FAT32: Enhanced File Allocation Table utilizing a 32-bit binary system, first used in Windows 95 and in Windows 98, that saves disk space.

NTFS: Short for New Technology File System, NTFS is a file organizational system that stores and accesses information located on Microsoft NT, Windows 200, Windows XP operating system. NTFS offers better methods of data protection and file recovery than previous version of FAT.

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