New WD MyBook: format to NTFS or Fat32?

[LOUISSSSS]

just got a new WD Mybook Essentials edition.
-only has USB
-to my knowledge, doesn't come with any useful software other than some trials and picasa and google toolbar.

i want to format this drive and would like to know which to use NTFS or FAT32?

what are the pros/cons of each?

 

[pugh]

NTFS...

Good reads on each here.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314463 fat32 limits..

http://www.digit-life.com/articles/ntfs/ ntfs

 

[pugh]

Oh btw, it might take a long time depening on the size of it. Start the format and find something to do. I got a 1.5tb Mybook coming at the end of the month.

 

[taltamir]

I used to use FAT due to it being fixable when an "issue" occurs (checkdisk can fix undeletable files, unmoveable files, unreadable or unrenameable files, and directories; but only in FAT, not in NTFS, a reformat is required for NTFS, or just ignoring it).
The problem is that FAT is more likely to develop other more serious issues, like data corruption.
Furthermore, FAT suffers from severe limitation on file size, directory size, amount of files in a directory, amount of letters in the name of a file and or directory, etc. Which are just too much to handle. Oh and by FAT i mean FAT32...

So overall NTFS is recommended.

 

[postmortemIA]

NTFS for anything over 30GB. And if you ever have any file >4GB (which is VERY common today), you won't know until it is too late that you got only part of it.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

NTFS it is... whole format took over an hour over USB

question: does one of those y slitting USB cables work better? i've heard the rumor that one of the ends is for data and the other is for power, yielding faster operation... is this true?

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
NTFS it is... whole format took over an hour over USB

question: does one of those y slitting USB cables work better? i've heard the rumor that one of the ends is for data and the other is for power, yielding faster operation... is this true?

next time use quick format.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
NTFS it is... whole format took over an hour over USB

question: does one of those y slitting USB cables work better? i've heard the rumor that one of the ends is for data and the other is for power, yielding faster operation... is this true?

next time use quick format.

I always long format my USB drives before I use them for the first time.

 

[taltamir]

always do a long format on a new drive. If the drive has a minute manufacturing defect there is a chance it fail or discover bad sectors, and it is better for it to happen before you put data on it.
Quick format is used for a reliable, long used drive.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

question: does one of those y slitting USB cables work better? i've heard the rumor that one of the ends is for data and the other is for power, yielding faster operation... is this true?

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
question: does one of those y slitting USB cables work better? i've heard the rumor that one of the ends is for data and the other is for power, yielding faster operation... is this true?[/

The "Y" cables are generally for use on laptops when a 2.5" external drive requires more power than one USB plug can deliver.

It will not effect transfer speeds.