What defines a disk format?

[jpm]

FAT16, FAT32, NTFS.
Having read the delights of NTFS and also having wrecked a computer with NTFS (another story) could someone please tell me what software defines the hard drive as one of the above? Can you buy a program that converts a FAT32 to an NTFS and vice-versa or is is a bit more complicated. Little confused.

[Ghost_Hacker]

Yes you can buy programs that convert FAT32 to NTFS and back again. (Partition Magic is my weapon of choice.)


Here's some information that will explain the difference between FAT file systems.

"The numerals in the names FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32 refer to the number of bits required for a file allocation table entry.
·FAT12 uses a 12-bit file allocation table entry (2 clusters).
·FAT16 uses a 16-bit file allocation table entry (2 clusters).
·FAT32 uses a 32-bit file allocation table entry. However, Windows 2000 reserves the first 4 bits of a FAT32 file allocation table entry, which means FAT32 has a theoretical maximum of 2 clusters.
Note FAT12 is only used on floppy disks and on very small volumes in Windows 2000."


NTFS uses on or more copies of a MFT or Master File Table( it doesn't use a FAT or File Allocation table) to keep track of files and directories. NTFS also keeps a transaction log of changes made to it's file system. Unlike a FAT system, NTFS does not rely on 'hardware' specs like hard disk sector sizes. NTFS also support multi-data streams (IE: a 'file' can contain more than one stream or data file inside itself.)


Hope this helps http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif


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Comment heard from a Klingon programmer.

"Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and let them flee like the dogs they are!"



[This message has been edited by Ghost_Hacker (edited 05-31-2001).]

[tjaymadison]

Perhaps part of your question wasn't answered yet.

The software that "defines the hard drive as one of the above" is usually
the operating system, in this case Windows, and its Format command.

PM and other similar programs can also help define which 'flavor' is used.


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-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

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[jpm]

So would I be correct to think that if I bought Win2k and tried to install it on a hardrive the software provided would make it NTFS. If I had a hard drive partioned I could have Win98 on a Fat32 and use partition magic (PM) to create a NTFS for Win2k.
Can you put Win 9x onto a NTFS hardrive?

Some many questions: so little memory.

[bassman]

OK jpm, you are almost there http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif Partition magic is a third party software that can do this for you. It has many other features as explained above. You also can do this with your OS install disks. The partitioning and formatting utilities are already there.
Your OS is what determines which file system you use. You can have a partition with FAT32 and install Win9x, and on the same hard drive, have another partition with NTFS with Win 2000.
Most OS's support multipul file systems (only one at a time)for flexability with certain apps.

Some many questions: so little memory.
Ram is cheap, get some more http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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They say to eat before you go to the grocery store so you don't buy so much. That doesn't work at the liquor store does it!

[Paleo Pete]

I'm not sure about win2000, but with NT, the NTFS partition is created during the installation. After the setup program is initialized you have the option to install NT on a standard FAT partition, or create a secondary NTFS partition. If you're installing to an empty drive, you can of course use the entire drive as an NTFS partition. NT will run on either FAT or NTFS, and I'm guessing here, but it seems win2000 should too, for the sake of network application and file sharing. Workstations using FAT partitions cannot read info on an NTFS drive.

So, if you got win2000 and tried to install it on a drive with an existing OS, during the installation you should have an option to either install it on an existing FAT partition, or create a separate NTFS partition just for win2000. IF, that is, win2000 works the same way NT does...that's what would happen if you tried to install NT on a drive with an existing win95/98 OS on it. Win2000 should work the same way.

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[Ghost_Hacker]

Pete's correct that Win2k and NT have the same install options when it comes to partitions. (with the exception that Win2k will format a fat partition in FAT32 where as NT will format a fat partition in Fat16. Also NT formats a NTFS partition using NTFS4 and Win2k uses NTFS5.)

But, he did make one little,bitty error http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif
When accessing files across the network the file system on either computer doesn't matter. For instances very few if any FTP servers use a fat partition. They'll use ext2 or NTFS or someother file system yet anyone from a MAC to Windows 95 can access their files.


------------------
Comment heard from a Klingon programmer.

"Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and let them flee like the dogs they are!"



[This message has been edited by Ghost_Hacker (edited 06-03-2001).]

[Paleo Pete]

Guess I misunderstood my book. Syquest NT Server 4 MCSE study guide...

After another look it seems that the reference I was thinking about was for applications on the same machine. If you use an NTFS partition on a dual OS machine, the windows applications on the FAT partition will not be able to use the data on the NTFS partition. I thought that meant for other machines on a network as well, in the case of an application or file server, that they would not be able to read the data on the NTFS partition.

So I thought you would have to use an NTFS partition to run NT itself, and a FAT partition for the shared file storage or shared application partition.

Bear with me, I'm just beginning to try and get a grip on NT...but I'll get there...

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So many idiots, and only six bullets...
Note: Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

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