What types of file systems are available with Windows XP?

Answer 1

The three types of file system supported by Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1 are:

• FAT(16)
• FAT32
• NTFS

Each has pros and cons to its use.

FAT stands for File Allocation Table; this refers to the fact that everything on the disk is tracked using a table listing all files and their locations. The File Allocation Table has to be in a fixed location on the disk, so that when the computer starts it can read it and find the system files on the disk. Amongst other differences between FAT16 and FAT32, the main one is that FAT32 supports larger disks (or larger partitions or volumes on the disk, to be precise).

Again, whilst NTFS is different from both FAT types in many ways, one of the main ways is that it is a transaction-oriented file system. It uses a Master File Table, along with the $NTFSLog$ file, to keep track of both the location of objects within the partition, and the things done to those objects. This means, for example, when running CHKDSK on an NTFS partition/volume, the transaction log is checked, and used to roll back what's been done to the point where the file system works again. Other features include POSIX compliance, and the ability to set permissions.

Answer 2

FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, ISO9660 (on CDs), UDF (on DVDs), exFAT.