Recommendations for choosing a file system for a flash drive. What file system to format the USB flash drive What flash drive format is needed for large files

how to properly format a USB stick, which file system (FAT32 or NTFS)

What is the difference between FAT and FAT32

ANSWERS

1. if you use it on different systems - definitely FAT. if the flash drive is less than 2 GB, it does not matter at all in what format to format 16/32. for more advanced users,
those who know what content they carry on a flash drive, and know its multiplicity to a cluster (64k / 32k / 16k / 8k / 4k ....) can select more accurate cluster sizes so that there are fewer free space leaks.
example: if the cluster size on a flash drive is 64kb, and your file is 1kb, the file system will eat 64kb.
setting a small cluster is also not recommended because there will be many calls to the file table, which in fact will slow down reading / writing from a flash drive. so to speak, you need to find a kind
a trade-off between cluster size / speed.
in no case should you install a journaled file system on a USB flash drive (NTFS, Ext1, Ext2, Ext3, RaiserFS, ...), since they constantly log calls and actions of the file
systems such as number of hits, file status, rights, etc.

Push:
lately I've been formatting flash drives in exFat, pros and cons:
+ Reducing the number of overwrites of the same sector, which is very important for flash drives, in which memory cells are irreversibly worn out after a certain amount
write operations. This was the main reason for the development of ExFAT.
+ Improving the allocation of free space by introducing a bitmap of free space, which can reduce disk fragmentation.
+ No limit on the number of files in one directory.
- exFAT support is available on Windows XP with Service Pack 2 and 3 with update KB955704, Windows Vista with Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Mac OS X Snow Leopard
since version 10.6.5.
- Very little mobile devices which support this FS, due to its novelty.

In conclusion, if you need versatility => Fat32, Cluster 32k, don't bother!

2. In no case do I recommend formatting in NTFS, because this is a journaling file system, respectively, in the place where the journal is stored, a record is constantly taking place, which kills the flash drive (they have a limited rewriting resource). If you need large files - then exFAT, if this is not possible - then it is better to split the file into several parts (there are many programs for this).

3. FAT32 (and FAT16) - Used in most devices and supported by almost all operating systems.
NTFS - very selectively and incompletely supported (read-only)

Therefore, if you are going to store files larger than 4 GB on a flash drive and use it only in devices running Windows of the NT family, then you can also use NTFS.
If not, then FAT32.

And on my own, I advise you to use FAT32. Not because it's right, it's just more compatible.

P.S. FAT16, FAT32 and exFAT are essentially the same thing (the characteristics are different, but the principle is almost the same) are combined under the same name FAT.

4 ... Flash drives are formatted in FAT format, since they have a small volume, NTFS works with large volumes.

SOURCE - http://otvety.google.ru/otvety/thread?tid=5625a380909e141e

Today, flash drives are also called ordinary removable USB-drives and memory cards for mobile devices. They are used everywhere. But sometimes, for the first use or restoration of the operability of such devices, the medium has to be formatted. This is where a completely natural question arises - in what format should the USB flash drive be formatted? Let's look at a few basic options and compare their advantages and disadvantages.

Factors affecting what format is better to format a USB flash drive

Before proceeding with formatting, you should clearly define for what purposes the drive will be used, and what information will be stored on it.

In this case, special attention should be paid to the question - in which operating system the device will be used. In addition, even with a huge number of tools for reading and writing information to modern USB-drives, the size of its built-in memory has a strong influence on solving the problem of which format to format a USB flash drive in.

NTFS versus FAT32: which should you prefer?

As a rule, almost all current Windows systems offer several options when choosing a file system for formatting removable media, but NTFS and FAT32 standards can be distinguished among the main ones.

Here you should immediately evaluate the amount of memory of the device. FAT32 can only work with devices with a memory size not exceeding 4 GB. Modern models of such USB devices have much larger volumes. Therefore, when deciding in which format to format a USB flash drive, from the point of view of this aspect, of course, you should choose NTFS.

On the other hand, the problem also has a downside. For example, when trying to use the device on some modern TV panels, PS3 or Xbox, the NTFS system may not be recognized.

The same goes for creating bootable media for installing Windows systems on computers and laptops, in which instead of the standard BIOS input / output system, an advanced development of UEFI is used, which also does not recognize the NTFS file system standard. Thus, the conclusion is quite obvious: formatting should be done in FAT32.

Ext4 format

Sometimes you can find the Ext4 standard. However, it is mainly used exclusively on Linux systems. If the user works with one of these modifications and does not plan to transfer data from the drive, for example, to computers with Windows systems that do not recognize this format, it can be used. Otherwise, you will again have to choose between FAT32 and NTFS.

In what format to format the USB flash drive for "Android"

Now a few words about removable storage devices in the form of SD-cards, which are used in mobile Android devices. Since operating systems of this type do not support NTFS in the slightest degree, this formatting option can be excluded immediately.

You will have to choose between FAT32 and exFAT. Here again, the original question rests on the amount of memory of the drive. It is clear that with volumes of more than 4 GB, the issue is unambiguously resolved in favor of exFAT. It was possible, of course, to use systems like Ex2 / 3/4, but the problem here is that such formats are for the most part perceived not by standard, but by custom Android firmware, and when formatted in Ex4, Windows systems will only be able to read information from the drive, but do not write down.

Brief summary

Thus, rush, can be done in two ways. Despite the fact that the FAT32 system cannot work with large amounts of memory, it functions somewhat faster than NTFS, and, moreover, is recognized by almost all known operating systems and devices. But NTFS is preferable when the memory capacity is more than 4 GB.

For Android universal solution is the use of the exFAT system, which simultaneously combines almost all the capabilities and advantages of both FAT32 and NTFS.

Good day!

Quite often, when working at a computer (laptop), you have to deal with the operation of formatting disks, flash drives and other drives (for example, to delete all data from them, in case of various failures and errors, to change the file system, etc.) ... Today's article will focus on flash drives ...

I must note that it is far from always possible to format a flash drive without problems in the first possible way. That is why, I decided to sketch out a note with several formatting options (I think it will be useful to everyone who cannot perform this operation, or who cannot decide in any way with file system).

Addition!

If, when formatting or when trying to copy files to a USB flash drive, you see an error that the drive is write-protected, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with this guide:

Important! Formatting will destroy all data on the drive. If the flash drive has the necessary files, copy them in advance to excellent media.

About the choice of the file system and the size of the cluster

When formatting a drive (using any of the methods), you must specify the file system, cluster size and volume name. And if you indicate the name of the difficulties does not cause difficulties, then with the rest, many have questions ...

In general, the following file systems are most commonly used today:

1. FAT32- the oldest file system, which is supported by almost all devices (even various game consoles!). Most flash drives are formatted with this file system by default. It has one significant drawback: it cannot record files larger than 4 GB!
2. NTFS- a more modern file system supported by Windows XP and higher (on Mac OS X it is read-only, on Linux there are distributions that support read-only, there are those that both write and read). File size - unlimited. As for various consoles and devices, NTFS is not supported by all (for example, Xbox 360 or Sony PlayStation do not support it). In general, NTFS is more suitable for disks (than for flash drives) that will be used in Windows.
3. exFAT(or FAT64) is a specially designed file system for flash drives. Supports files larger than 4GB, disk partition size is not limited. By the way, exFAT has one key advantage: it overwrites the same sector less during operation, which affects the lifespan of the drives (i.e. a flash drive with exFAT should work longer than with NTFS). That is why, for flash drives, it is preferable to use exFAT than NTFS.

conclusions: if you want maximum compatibility and plan to connect a USB flash drive to consoles or old PCs, choose FAT32 (however, you will be limited by the file size of 4 GB). In other cases, it is preferable to choose exFAT (however, I note that some TVs, for example, cannot read this file system and it is for them that you have to choose NTFS).

What about the cluster size (or it is also called the distribution unit):

this parameter is responsible for how much the flash drive will allocate space for one file. For example, if the standard cluster size is 64 KB, and your file weighs 50 KB, then it will take up 64 KB space on the flash drive!

If you are going to store a lot of small files on a USB flash drive, choose the minimum cluster size. However, in this case, the speed of the drive will be lower! Most users, in my opinion, can ignore this setting, it is optimal to leave the default value.

Method number 1 - through "This computer" (explorer)

Method number 2 - through disk management

Not always and not all media are visible in "This Computer / My Computer". This may be due to a conflict of drive letters, if the flash drive is not formatted at all, in case of a file system failure, and in a number of other cases. Naturally, if you do not see it in "My Computer", then you will not be able to format it this way ...

However, Windows has a special tool - disk management ... It displays all drives connected to the system (even those with which there are problems).

The universal way to open disk management :

1. press the key combination Win + R (a "Run" window should appear in the corner of the screen);
2. then enter the command diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

Also, disk management can be opened by going to the Windows control panel and using the search.

In disk management all disks, flash drives, and other media that your computer sees will be presented. Just select the drive you want from the list, right-click on it and select from the menu "Format..." .

Disk Management - Format Drive

Method number 3 - through the command line

In some cases, for example, when the explorer hangs or the error "could not complete formatting" appears, you have to resort to working with the command line. You can also use it to format drives (important! Be careful, follow all steps step by step, as described below).

I'll show you everything with a personal example. First you need to run as administrator ... To do this, open the Task Manager (shortcut keys Ctrl + Alt + Del or Ctrl + Shift + Esc) then press "File / new task" and enter the CMD command, not forgetting to check the "Create a task with administrator rights" checkbox (as in the example below).

1. first you need to find out the letter of the flash drive (if you have not connected the flash drive to the USB port - plug it in!). To do this, enter the command diskpart and press Enter.
2. then enter the list volume command and press Enter (note that in the list of drives you should see the letter of your flash drive! In my case, the letter "E" is highlighted in yellow);
3. then, to close diskpart, type exit and press Enter;
4. for formatting use the command format E: / FS: exFAT / Q / V: fleska (where "E" is the letter of your flash drive; FS: exFAT is the file system (for NTFS - enter FS: NTFS); V: fleska is the name of the flash drive, it can be anything (for example, V: mydisk).

Actually, after the introduction of the last command, the formatting process should start. Just be careful not to confuse the drive letter - many command line operations do not require confirmation!

Method number 4 - using special utilities

If all other methods were unsuccessful, most likely something is wrong with your flash drive: a file system crash (for example, it may be marked as RAW); infection with viruses that block the work with the drive, and so on.

In this case, you need to use special utilities. Moreover, I want to note that in most cases for each model of the flash drive, you will need its own utility(using a third party may damage it permanently)! Below are some links to my articles, they will help you complete this operation!

A few more tips on what to do if the flash drive is not formatted are given in this article:

That's all, all the best!

In the FAT32 file system, it is not possible to create a partition larger than 32GB, i.e. if you have an external hard drive with a capacity of, for example, 160 GB, you will have to split it into 5 partitions (in the window "My Computer" will be displayed as "Removable media" with different letter names "), but this limitation can still be circumvented by using formatting through third-party programs. Also, the disadvantages of FAT 32 include the inability to write a file over 4 GB, i.e. for example, if you have a movie in high quality and its volume is more than 4GB, you will not be able to write it to a flash drive with FAT 32 format. If the size of the flash drive is 2, 4 GB, or you do not need to operate with files of this size, this is not such a significant drawback and in what format to format the flash drive, you don't have to think about it.

exFAT is a file system designed specifically for memory cards and. It does not have the limitations of the previous system and allows you to record files of any size, as well as create partitions of any size. The only drawback of exFAT is the limited support for such drives by household appliances, as well as the inability to read the media on computers running Windows XP without installing an additional patch.

And the last system, NTFS, is the most reliable today. It has no limitation on the size of partitions and recorded files. But the way the system was developed primarily for stationary hard drives in PCs or laptops, it has one small nuance in working with flash drives. The fact is that when a file is copied, it is initially transferred to the operating system's cache memory, and then from there it goes to the location designated for transfer. On computers, this can improve performance and eliminate latency. When copying to a flash drive, the status bar will initially display the speed of writing the file to the cache, in this regard, it may seem simply huge, because in fact the speed of the work itself is displayed hard disk... Then, by the end of copying, everything may freeze at 98-99%, although the indicator on the flash drive or hard disk will indicate their work. You should not panic and take any action, everything is in order, because at this moment the recording on the medium itself is taking place. In general, if we compare the recording time on a medium with another system, it will be almost the same, the only difference is in the wrong indication, which in fact can be simply ignored.

Based on the above, we can conclude that NTFS is the optimal format for portable hard drives with a volume of 8 GB or more. And do not look for other options in what format to format the USB flash drive.

Everyone in one way or another at least once came across the fact that it is necessary to format the flash drive. Standard procedure, but only not everyone pays due attention to it, especially the formatting format itself. It is about this that I would like to talk in more detail in this material. So let's discuss in what format to format everything.

What is formatting for?

Before getting to the point, it's worth understanding a little what formatting is needed for. Many people mistakenly believe that by formatting a USB flash drive, they thereby simply delete all unnecessary information from it, but this is not the case. The drive has a certain digital structure, similar to the same hard drives. The structure consists of clusters that have a certain amount of information storage.

Over time, clusters can be overwritten, overwritten, or even become "broken". As a result, all this leads to not entirely correct operation of the drive itself, and the only thing that can help in this situation is formatting.

In this process, the entire structure (clusters) is updated anew, which brings it, so to speak, to its normal, previous form. You can also completely overwrite the clusters by changing the format. Let's figure out which format is better to format the USB flash drive.

Ext4

The first format is Ext4. It is extremely rare to find flash drives with such a file system, and all for one simple reason - such drives can only work in the Linux operating system. If such a USB flash drive is inserted into a PC running Windows, then nothing will happen, because the system is not designed to work with this format.

FAT32

Choosing which format to format the flash drive for, you can stop at the standard one, which is offered by default operating system- FAT32. It has existed for quite some time and remains one of the most popular at the moment. Almost all flash drives and drives that leave the factory (up to 8 GB) are formatted in the FAT32 file system. Previously, there were 2 more formats - FAT and FAT16, but they are quite outdated, so they were abandoned.

FAT32 is easily recognized by any operating system, which makes this format universal. Another plus is the high speed of data transfer when copying. However, it was not without its drawbacks. The main drawback of the format is the limitation on the maximum size of one file: it should not exceed 4 GB. Also, the disadvantages include not too high reliability. As a rule, flash drives running FAT32 fail quite quickly, as a result of which the user can lose any important information at the most inopportune moment.

NTFS

Very often the question: "In what format should I format the USB flash drive?" you can hear a very common answer: "Well, of course, in NTFS!" And this is not surprising, because NTFS is devoid of almost all the shortcomings that the FAT file system has. For example, there are no restrictions on the file size, which is already a big plus. In addition, drives with the NTFS file system have very high reliability and durability, which allows them to not be afraid of system crashes or incorrect extractions.

The disadvantages of NTFS include not the highest data transfer speed. In fact, it is much smaller than that of the same FAT32, but, as they say, As for compatibility, drives with the NTFS file system work with almost all operating systems, except perhaps very old windows ME, 98 and 95.

exFAT

exFAT is the format that replaced FAT32. Its main difference from its predecessor is that it has no file size restrictions. In other words, it is practically the same NTFS, but with some differences. Firstly, the cluster size has been increased to 32 Kb, secondly, the data transfer rate is much higher, and thirdly, exFAT is more space-saving.

The main disadvantage of this format is that it is not yet very widespread and has poor compatibility with other operating systems. Drives with such a file system work correctly only on Windows 7 and higher operating systems. Performance on devices other than computers is also poor.

If you choose in which format to format the flash drive from the three presented above, then perhaps you should opt for NTFS if your drive has a volume of more than 8 GB. If less, then the choice is obvious - FAT32. Experiment lovers can recommend exFAT, but you need to be extremely careful with it.

What format should I format the USB flash drive for "Android"?

When formatting microSD cards for Android smartphones, it is recommended to use the FAT32 file system, which is the default. Why not NTFS? Because the OS "Android" is based on Linux, which "from birth" is not friendly with this system. On the Internet, of course, there is a lot of information about how, using various manipulations and programs, you can still make NTFS work on Android, but inexperienced users are better off refraining from such experiments.

So, when choosing the format in which to format the USB flash drive for "Android", it is best to stay with the usual FAT32.