Formatting a flash drive is not onlya quick way to clean it of unnecessary files, but also the choice of a specific file system that allows you to read information from this media without any problems to a wide variety of devices: PCs, laptops, tape recorders, TVs, DVD players, game consoles, etc. So first let's analyze which system to format the USB flash drive is best for you, touching the features of each. Then we will dwell in detail on the formatting algorithms for popular FAT32 and NTFS.
The file system is an organization variantdata on one or another medium. Each OS (and it even has a music player) has its own system, which is harmoniously compatible with it. Or even a few. Thus, by formatting an external or hard disk in a particular file system, you first determine which OS can read it.
Many people think that it's possible to only format the USB flash drive in FAT32 or NTFS, but this is misleading. File systems are much larger. Let's list the most famous:
Let's get acquainted with each of them in more detail.
This file system is the oldest,the most common and most reliable - it was replaced by FAT16. Therefore, many people, when deciding to format a USB flash drive in FAT32 or NTFS, traditionally choose the first option.
This is the rare format that is supportedall OS and almost all gaming consoles and other devices with USB. But FAT32 puts the following restrictions: the size of one file on the disk should not be more than 4 GB, and one partition - no more than 8 TB.
On many flash drives that are sold in stores,By default, the old good FAT is installed so that these drives are read by both modern and outdated devices. For hard drives, this system is not at all suitable today - to install a modern "Windows", the drive must be formatted as a minimum in NTFS.
Your choice is FAT32, if you want to get a flash drive on which it is supposed to record not heavy information, and with which the maximum number of various devices can work.
NTFS (new technology file system) - one morethe Microsoft product. Work with a flash drive formatted in this system, can mostly Windows, sometimes - Linux. "Apple" technology will only be able to read it, and game consoles do not support it at all (Xbox, PS). NTFS allows the size of one file on a larger media than existing flash drives, and the partition limit is 16 Eb!
In addition, the file system also includes the following features:
Thus, the formatting of a removable disk in this system is not practical, because it is more sharp for hard drives and for working with Windows, and not with other OSs.
When deciding where it is better to format the USB flash drive - inFAT32 or NTFS, many overlook the more modern exFAT, also the brainchild of "Windows." And it allows you to record files of almost unlimited volume, placing a restriction for one partition in space 64 Zb! Well with it works Windows, the latest versions of the "apple" OS and Linux when installing additional packages. Modern versions of game consoles also support exFAT, which is not to say about the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
So, exFAT is the most modern file systemsystem from the "windows", incorporating the compatibility of FAT32 and a wider functionality of NTFS. One disadvantage is that it only works with the latest versions of the existing OS and is useless on devices with obsolete stuffing.
HFS + is a file system developed by Mac OS. It also runs Linux and Xbox, "Windows" it is not supported. Limitations for the volume of a single file are almost non-existent, for a partition - 8 Eb.
EXT2, 3 is a Linux product. The maximum file size on the flash drive formatted in this system is 16 GB, for the partition - 32 TB. Among the third-party OS works with this format only Xbox.
The algorithm is very simple:
Formatting in this file system is more difficult, because it is, in fact, not designed for external storage. For the procedure you will need a USB flash drive and a PC:
Which is easier: to format a USB flash drive in FAT32 or NTFS? The answer is obvious.
To format the drive in a rare file system, sometimes the capabilities of one OS are not enough. Let's imagine the auxiliary programs for formatting:
Thinking about it, format the USB flash drive in FAT32or NTFS, first of all, note what you need this drive for - to write large files, work with various devices, store secret data, etc. After acquainting yourself with the pros and cons of these file systems, you can easily select the necessary formatting algorithm in this article.
