File Systems
Physically, the hard disks and other media provide the basic technology for storing data. Logically, however, the file system provides the hierarchical structure of volumes and directories in which you store individual files and the organizational model that enables the system to locate data anywhere on a given disk or drive. File systems typically are an integrated part of an operating system (OS), and many of the newer OSes provide support for several file systems from which you can choose.
Several file systems are available from which to choose in a modern PC. Each file system has specific limitations, advantages, and disadvantages, and which ones you use can also be limited by the operating system you choose. Not all operating systems support all the file systems.
The primary file systems to choose from today include
File allocation table (FAT), which includes FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32 New Technology File System (NTFS)
Although other file systems, such as OS/2's High Performance File System (HPFS), are in use on PCs, these are the two you're most likely to find on a Windows-based PC. Consequently, this chapter focuses mainly on FAT and NTFS.
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