Common Hard Disk Formats and Features

[Reya]

Common hard disk formats are FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, HPFS, ReFS, exFAT, EXT2, EXT3, EXT4, etc.

1. FAT​

• Each partition of FAT16 can only support a maximum of 2GB under WIN9X/DOS, that is to say, those larger than 2GB should be divided into multiple partitions. Later, due to the emergence of WIN2000, FAT16 has been expanded (also known as VFAT), and the maximum can be supported The capacity has been increased from 2GB to 4 GB.
• Each partition of FAT32 can support more than 2TB (2048GB) at most, and the maximum file storage is 4GB.
• The primary partition of the multi-system must be a FAT file system.

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2. NTFS​

The supported partition size can reach 2TB. NTFS is a recoverable file system. Users rarely need to run Disk Repair on NTFS partitions. NTFS ensures partition consistency by using standard transaction logging and recovery techniques. In the event of a system failure, NTFS uses log files and checkpoint information to automatically restore file system consistency.

3. HPFS​

It is a common hard disk format under the OS system. It is best not to use this file system for dynamic disks below 200 MB.

4. ReFS​

It is a new file system introduced in Windows Server 2012. Currently, it can only be used to store data, it cannot boot the system yet, and it cannot be used on removable media. ReFS is mostly compatible with NTFS, its main purpose is to maintain high stability, can automatically verify whether the data is damaged, and try its best to restore the data. If used in conjunction with the introduced Storage Spaces (storage space), it can provide better data protection. At the same time, there is also a performance improvement for processing hundreds of millions of files.

5. exFAT​

Also known as FAT64, it was launched to solve FAT32 and other files that do not support 4G and larger files.

6. EXT2, EXT3, EXT4:​

It is the file system used by the LINUX kernel.

 

[KnthPriv]

The previous article on SSD formats says that NTFS wears the drive out faster because of its logging. So if I format the drives on my AS6 as exFAT, what could go wrong? Am I giving up the safety of logging recovery? What kinds of problems happen to an exFAT disk?

 

[Geekom Official]

Dear KnthPriv，

Thanks for Posting！

NTFS is a file system that uses journaling, which means it records changes to files and directories in a log before applying them. This can help recover data in case of a power failure or a system crash. However, journaling also increases the number of write operations on the drive, which can reduce its lifespan, especially for solid-state drives (SSDs).

exFAT is a file system that does not use journaling, which means it performs fewer write operations on the drive and thus prolongs its lifespan. However, exFAT also does not have any built-in features for data recovery or error correction, which means it is more vulnerable to data corruption and loss in case of a power failure or a system crash.

If you format the drives on your AS6 as exFAT, you might gain some performance and durability benefits, but you also risk losing your data if something goes wrong. You should consider the trade-offs between NTFS and exFAT carefully and decide what is more important for your needs. You should also make regular backups of your data regardless of the file system you choose.