What are the differences and similarities between NTFS and other file systems such as FAT, exFAT, and ReFS?

1 What is a file system?

A file system is a way of organizing and storing data on a disk, such as a hard drive, a flash drive, or a memory card. A file system determines how the disk is divided into sectors, clusters, and partitions, how files and folders are named and located, and how the disk interacts with the operating system and other devices. A file system also manages the security, performance, reliability, and compatibility of the disk.

2 What is NTFS?

NTFS stands for New Technology File System, and it was introduced by Microsoft in 1993 as an improvement over the previous file system, FAT (File Allocation Table). NTFS supports larger disk sizes, longer file names, encryption, compression, permissions, journaling, and recovery features. NTFS is the standard file system for Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP, and it is compatible with some Linux and Mac OS versions.

3 What is FAT?

FAT is one of the oldest and simplest file systems, dating back to 1977. FAT uses a table to keep track of the allocation of files and folders on the disk, but it has several limitations. FAT can only handle disk sizes up to 4 GB, file names up to 8 characters, and it does not support encryption, compression, permissions, journaling, or recovery features. FAT is still used for some older devices and removable media, such as floppy disks and SD cards.

4 What is exFAT?

exFAT stands for Extended File Allocation Table, and it was developed by Microsoft in 2006 as an extension of FAT. exFAT overcomes some of the limitations of FAT, such as supporting larger disk sizes up to 128 PB (petabytes), longer file names up to 255 characters, and timestamps. However, exFAT does not support encryption, compression, permissions, journaling, or recovery features either. exFAT is mainly used for flash drives and external hard drives that need to work across different operating systems, such as Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

5 What is ReFS?

ReFS stands for Resilient File System, and it was introduced by Microsoft in 2012 as a new file system for Windows Server and Windows 10 Pro for Workstations. ReFS is designed for high-performance, high-reliability, and high-scalability scenarios, such as data centers, cloud storage, and virtualization. ReFS supports disk sizes up to 1 YB (yottabyte), file names up to 32,767 characters, encryption, compression, permissions, journaling, and recovery features. ReFS also has some unique features, such as integrity streams, storage spaces, and deduplication. ReFS is not compatible with older versions of Windows or other operating systems.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?