NTFS or FAT32 for XP Pro?

[Sean]

What's the best file format for Windows XP Pro?

reason i ask, is because I am using a 20gig for now, to get my new computer all set up. Than I'll be backing files up on this drive, while organizing all my old data. Then I'll reformat my 40gig, and ghost everything from the 20 to the 40.

ghost brings up another question. I have Norton Ghost 2002, it can still access NTFS partitions, right?

Also, I read a few threads, but they were all about W2K. Win XP has the repair option, so using FAT because it's easier to fix really isn't a big deal anymore, right?

Well, help me decide, cause I need to install Xp on here, and get some benchmarkin going!

[BillyGoat]

NTFS- its more secure and supports huge file sizes

[dadx2mj]

I have run XP Pro on both Fat32 and NTFS. Has for day to day use I really can feel no difference in speed or performance. I am using NTFS now because it tends to be more stable, secure(not that I need the security) and will handle larger files sizes and partition sizes as well. As for Ghost I am not sure about 2002 some early version could read NTFS but only write to FAT the newer 2003 version does both on NTFS and can be set up and launched right in Windows.

[wvjohn]

so far i've stuck with fat32 because i forget the pw on my folding boxes and it's easier to break in to them

[b-man1]

if you're going to do any DVD ripping you'll want NTFS...otherwise the file size limit in FAT32 will kill you.

[Sean]

I think I may got NTFS. Mainly because files are easier to recover and it just plain is newer technology. I mean...if need be, I could just move my drive to another computer if I had to access the data, but I've never really used dos but to format and fdisk..

So..NTFS it is.

[canton_kid]

I use NTFS only on the drives I plan to store files over 4 gigs in size like videos.

Otherwise I still run fat32 on my drives. Don't know about booting to dos with a boot disk and an NTFS hard drive? And I do tend to forget passwords and lose the paper they are written on
I heard NTFS was harder to break into when you forget a password.

I think you can read files or boot fine using fats if you have to put the drive in another system in an emergancey like computer blowout. But Can you boot to a win 98 fat32 drive in the other system and copy your data from a NTFS drive using win98? Not sure on that one. I am running a Fat32 data drive and a NTFS video drive, but I am running 2K. If I needed to copy files from the NTFS drive and they were under 4gig I don't think I could stick it in a Win98 system and read it. I would like to know about that one, if i am right? Most people I know are running 98se, and at least 2 people with I know still have (MAJOR YUCK) win 95!

I just tried to fix the modem in one earlier tonight matter of fact. I think the modem is blown though. Can't run Diag on it (can't open port) like not installed, and the phone had no dial tone several times I tried listing in on it. Line is good though connected directly to the phone.
95 (Yuckey Yuckey) never know what you might run into these days

I try to stay the most compatible with everything I can if it does not lower performance of my system.

[Sean]

Well, all the systems in my house are running XP. So, that wouldn't be a problem.

And, yes, you can't read an NTFS file structure in Win98. Only in XP and 2k.

[skald]

Does Diablo II have trouble running on NTFS?

Won't run on my current system (NTFS) and when a friend of mine built a computer around 2 years ago, he first used NTFS and it wouldn't run D2, which at the time was major past-time, and he reformatted to fat32 with success...it ran successfully afterward.

I wonder. Anyone?

[eGoCeNTRoNiX]

Runs just fine on my XPro systems. NTFS and no problems. Don't know what the problems could have been. eGo

[BillyGoat]

ive never had a problem with anything running on NTFS-, its a file system, not an os

[stalker]

I think NTFS format is more stable and wouldn't have so many conflicts as FAT32 which has died along with Windows 98

[FlyingPenguin]

I would use NTFS only because nowadays you occasionally have file sizes exceed the 4Gb limitation of FAT32.

The only reason to use FAT32 is if you dual boot or need Win98 to be able read your hard drive.

There is, however, no real difference in stability or performance. There IS a big difference in security. NTFS is inherently more secure (actually there might be an ever so slight performance hit with NTFS because or the security overhead, but it's nothing you'll ever notice). Unless you're on an office network, the security is meaningless.

One thing that will affect performance (and may POSSIBLY be a liability) is the Indexing Service which is disabled by default unless you answer YES the first time you do a file search and it asks if you want to enable file indexing.

Some people are reporting it can corrupt files, although the jury is out on that, but it's definately a performance killer.

From ZDNet:

The Indexing Service stores information from documents and organises it for faster searches. This is not useful to many users, especially if the documents are well organised. Not only does this service take up system resources, it also involves frequent read/write operations to the hard disk, which are particularly slow.

Here are the steps to disable Windows XP Indexing Service and remove the Index or Indicies from the NTFS partitions:
In Windows XP right-click on My Computer and click Manage.

In Windows XP Computer Management window expand the following:

- Services and Applications
- Indexing Service
- System
- Directories

and make sure all directories listed show No for the Include in Catalog. If not, double-click on the directory or directories and select No to Include in Index.

Delete any catalogs.

Double-click on My Computer, right-click on the C: drive and click Properties, unselect Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching. Click Apply.

In the Confirm Attribute Changes window select Apply changes to C:\, subfolders and files and click OK to continue.

When complete, close the C: Properties window (repeat for other partitions if any).

Once you have done this, you can disable the indexing Service. DO NOT just disable the indexing service without first turning it off on all the drives and deleting the catalogs or you'll leave a hell of a lot of big hidden files scattered around.