please explain..

[majbach]

what is NTFS? how does it compare to fat32 and when do i use/avoid it?
-edited-
Actually, i now realize this is a pretty vague question and i am reading up on this like from the link below. However, I set-up and/or maintain a lot of PCs for friends and families. So far, not to many have upgraded to 2000 or XP so I have not come across NTFS yet. As a standard procedure, I wipe clean a HDD and fdisk it into two ro more partitions, format and install the OS. How is this going to change when i get into XP and NTFS? will i still be paritioning with fdisk and DOS?

 

[bozo1]

NTFS vs. FAT32 FAQ
Lots of info there but the bottom line is you should use NTFS unless you are dualbooting your system with another operating system and need it to see the files on your W2K/XP partition.

 

[compudog]

No. FDISK is aware of NTFS partitions (they show up as Non-DOS), but not created by it. If you want multiple partitions, the Win 2K/XP installer gives you the option of partition size during the install. You can also get a utility such as Partition Magic and work with the partitions that way. It's basically the same process with NTFS, it's just that (as you now already are aware) that NTFS is (no flames please) better. (Or more advanced....)

Good luck!

 

[redbeard1]

Ntfs can be quite inconvenient when you want to pull data off of a system that has crashed. At a minimum, you need another system running win2k/xp to read the drive. If they have added passwords to the files, they had better remember them, or your not going to have access to them. With a drive running fat32, you can put it in almost any system and get data off.

To setup ntfs partitions from scratch on an install, you need either partition magic disks, or to boot from the win2k/xp cd and set them up how you want them, from the installation menu. You can make floppy disks to boot up with for ntfs, but it takes three of them. Once you get windows installed, you can use disk management to setup any new drives or partitions.

I have a mix of systems, so I like to keep the drives able to be seen on all of them, so for the most part I keep them all fat32. Ntfs may be more robust and secure, but no one thing has come up that has made me want to switch yet.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: redbeard1
Ntfs can be quite inconvenient when you want to pull data off of a system that has crashed. At a minimum, you need another system running win2k/xp to read the drive. If they have added passwords to the files, they had better remember them, or your not going to have access to them. With a drive running fat32, you can put it in almost any system and get data off.

To setup ntfs partitions from scratch on an install, you need either partition magic disks, or to boot from the win2k/xp cd and set them up how you want them, from the installation menu. You can make floppy disks to boot up with for ntfs, but it takes three of them. Once you get windows installed, you can use disk management to setup any new drives or partitions.

I have a mix of systems, so I like to keep the drives able to be seen on all of them, so for the most part I keep them all fat32. Ntfs may be more robust and secure, but no one thing has come up that has made me want to switch yet.

NTFS Reader for DOS

NTFS Reader for DOS provides read access to NTFS drives from the MS DOS environment. It supports long filenames as well as compressed and fragmented files. NTFS Reader for DOS allows you to preview the files on NTFS and copy them from NTFS to FAT volumes or network drives. In order to use the software you need to copy the readntfs.exe file to a bootable floppy disk and boot from it.

and its freeware.

 

[Green Man]

Originally posted by: ScrapSilicon

Originally posted by: redbeard1
Ntfs can be quite inconvenient when you want to pull data off of a system that has crashed. At a minimum, you need another system running win2k/xp to read the drive. If they have added passwords to the files, they had better remember them, or your not going to have access to them. With a drive running fat32, you can put it in almost any system and get data off.

To setup ntfs partitions from scratch on an install, you need either partition magic disks, or to boot from the win2k/xp cd and set them up how you want them, from the installation menu. You can make floppy disks to boot up with for ntfs, but it takes three of them. Once you get windows installed, you can use disk management to setup any new drives or partitions.

I have a mix of systems, so I like to keep the drives able to be seen on all of them, so for the most part I keep them all fat32. Ntfs may be more robust and secure, but no one thing has come up that has made me want to switch yet.

NTFS Reader for DOS

NTFS Reader for DOS provides read access to NTFS drives from the MS DOS environment. It supports long filenames as well as compressed and fragmented files. NTFS Reader for DOS allows you to preview the files on NTFS and copy them from NTFS to FAT volumes or network drives. In order to use the software you need to copy the readntfs.exe file to a bootable floppy disk and boot from it.

and its freeware.

Nice