The USB flash drive is small and convenient to carry, and it is the most commonly used storage device for us today. Many users may have had the experience: when formatting the USB flash drive, there are three formats to choose from: FAT32, NTFS, and exFAT. What are the differences between these three formats? Which format is best for USB flash drives? Now, let’s quickly share some knowledge about USB flash drive file formats.
Differences Between these three File Formats #
1. FAT32 format has good compatibility but does not support files larger than 4GB #
FAT32 format is the traditional file format for the Windows platform, and it comes pre-installed on any USB storage device. It was first introduced on the Windows 95 OSR2 platform to replace FAT16 (which supported a maximum file capacity of 2GB) and has excellent compatibility.
The main drawback of the FAT32 format is its limitation to support a maximum single file size of 4GB. This becomes a restriction since many large games, image files, compressed packages, and videos exceed this size. FAT32 format is inadequate for handling such files.
Even today, when formatting a USB flash drive, FAT32 remains the default choice, including in Windows 10. This is primarily due to conservative compatibility considerations.
2. NTFS format supports large-capacity files and massive partitions, but it can be damaging to flash drive chips #
Currently the most widely used format on the Windows platform, NTFS is also considered the best option. It supports large-capacity files and massive partitions, incorporating numerous advanced technologies such as long file names, compressed partitions, event tracking, file indexing, high fault tolerance, data protection and recovery, and encrypted access.
However, NTFS was originally designed for mechanical hard drives and logs with detailed disk read and write operations. Consequently, it imposes a substantial burden and potential damage on flash storage chips, which can significantly impact their lifespan.
Because NTFS partitions operate in a “journaling” file system manner, the read and write operations on flash storage chips are limited. Using a journaling file system necessitates recording detailed read and write operations. The substantial volume of small file read and write operations can severely harm USB flash drives, ultimately shortening their lifespan.
3. The exFAT format is the most suitable for USB flash drives #
exFAT format is a successor to the FAT32 file format and has been tailored by Microsoft for flash drives. It comes with advanced performance and technical support, along with optimized protection for flash memory, preventing unnecessary harm.
Compared to NTFS, exFAT can support a broader range of devices and operating systems. It surpasses FAT32 in terms of accommodating larger individual files, with a maximum single file size limit of 1EB (1EB = 1073741824 GB). This makes it highly suitable for storing large-capacity files and it is compatible with both Mac and Windows operating systems.
How to Choose Between FAT32, NTFS, and exFAT Formats for USB Drives #
For USB flash drives with small capacities, it’s advisable to choose the FAT32 format due to its better compatibility. However, when dealing with USB drives of larger capacities, the recommended format order is exFAT > NTFS > FAT32.
However, if you intend to create a bootable USB drive, it’s advisable to opt for the FAT32 format. This enhances compatibility with systems that require booting from the USB drive.
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