When I reformat with WinXP, should I use Fat32 or what?

[Se7en01]

I want to re-format in a few days and I noticed that WinXP gives you like 6 different choices of how to format your Hard drive. One being Fat32, and I forget the others, but what should I use?

 

[Abzstrak]

NTFS is the only way to go

 

[NEVERwinter]

just remember that NTFS can't be read by Win98 or any other non-NT based system. 🙂

 

[Gepost]

Why is NTFS the only way to go? It is not significantly faster. In fact, one test I saw had it running slower than FAT32. The main thing it gives you is security permissions. Also, if you want to Ghost your hard drive or boot into dos mode, it makes it more difficult. Yes, I know that you can ghost a ntfs partition to a fat 32, but you can't ghost to another ntfs.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If you still play any old DOS games and/or want to dual-boot with Win98, NTFS will keep you from doing either. No Doom for you!

 

[Mem]

Read Anandtech FAQs on FAT32 vs NTFS , I`ve tried them both and prefer NTFS on my WinXP.

🙂

 

[PCHPlayer]

> just remember that NTFS can't be read by Win98 or any other non-NT based system

This is not true. An NTFS partition cannot be read by a win98/XP dual boot system while booted in Win98. It can be shared with a system running any flavor of winblows.

 

[Jhill]

PCHplayer, does this mean i can pop a 2nd hard drive with me 98 and fat 32 into my current system with xp and ntfs and copy files from one hard drive to the other and vise versa? Which hard drive do I need to boot to? OR is this even possible?
I would rather know before I take the hard drive out of my old computer.

Thanks

 

[BFG10K]

NTFS is definitely the better file system but you should stay with FAT32 until you're sure you want to stay with Windows XP.

 

[john35]

NTFS all the way!! 🙂😉

 

[sandorski]

If you're going to a single boot WinXP, use NTFS.

 

[BCYL]

<< PCHplayer, does this mean i can pop a 2nd hard drive with me 98 and fat 32 into my current system with xp and ntfs and copy files from one hard drive to the other and vise versa? Which hard drive do I need to boot to? OR is this even possible?
I would rather know before I take the hard drive out of my old computer.

Thanks >>



If you boot into your XP drive with NTFS (ie. boot into XP), u will be able to copy files between the 2 harddrives...

However if u boot into 98, it will be not able to read the NTFS partition and u cannot access the files on your XP drive...

 

[NeoMadHatter]

NTFS. i don't think it's a choice. why not NTFS, i think that's a better question. only for win98se dual boot do i see not using NTFS.