Hard Dive File System Benefits?

Captain_Xion · 07-07-2008, 07:44 AM

What difference does the file system on your hard drive make as far as speed? Like if you put a game on a drive with a FAT32 file system, would it play differently than if you put it on a NTFS drive?

**manic** · 07-07-2008, 07:54 AM

Doubt you would notice a difference. Fat32 has a 4 gig limit though,
if the game was over that it probably wouldnt install. Thats the way
I understand it anyway. I think your safe, most games arent half that.

Captain_Xion · 07-07-2008, 08:31 AM

Well, I'm trying to install Flight Simulator X (20 GB) to a FAT32 Hard Drive, so I suppose that wouldn't work? Is there a way to change the file system?

I set it to install to the FAT32 Drive, and I had a fatal error that rebooted the computer, then it wouldn't detect the FAT32 drive at all.

**manic** · 07-07-2008, 09:15 AM

Have you looked in disk management? Switching the drive to ntfs,
is not a big deal. Are you sure the drive is ok?

Captain_Xion · 07-07-2008, 09:30 AM

Yeah i got it fixed. I'm changing it to NTFS right now. So now will I be able to utilize its full 30 GB?

**manic** · 07-07-2008, 11:45 AM

Should have been able to anyway. The 4 gig limit I referred to was
a limitation on what fat32 can see. If you have a program or a download
that was over 4 gigs fat32 could not see it fully., if it did it would be
corrupt, etc...but ntfs is fine, most everyone has switched over. There
are advantages to fat 32, lack of security being one of them..

Captain_Xion · 07-07-2008, 11:51 AM

This formatting is taking a really long time...like over an hour.

**manic** · 07-07-2008, 12:16 PM

What are you using to format, and why are you formatting?

Captain_Xion · 07-07-2008, 12:50 PM

Just the windows formatting tool, and I'm formatting to change the file system.

07-07-2008, 07:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
Captain_Xion Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 48 OS: Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 3	Hard Dive File System Benefits? What difference does the file system on your hard drive make as far as speed? Like if you put a game on a drive with a FAT32 file system, would it play differently than if you put it on a NTFS drive?

07-07-2008, 07:54 AM	#2 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 4,904 OS: xp	Re: Hard Dive File System Benefits? Doubt you would notice a difference. Fat32 has a 4 gig limit though, if the game was over that it probably wouldnt install. Thats the way I understand it anyway. I think your safe, most games arent half that. __________________

07-07-2008, 08:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
Captain_Xion Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 48 OS: Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 3	Re: Hard Dive File System Benefits? Well, I'm trying to install Flight Simulator X (20 GB) to a FAT32 Hard Drive, so I suppose that wouldn't work? Is there a way to change the file system? I set it to install to the FAT32 Drive, and I had a fatal error that rebooted the computer, then it wouldn't detect the FAT32 drive at all. Last edited by Captain_Xion; 07-07-2008 at 08:37 AM.

07-07-2008, 09:15 AM	#4 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 4,904 OS: xp	Re: Hard Dive File System Benefits? Have you looked in disk management? Switching the drive to ntfs, is not a big deal. Are you sure the drive is ok? __________________

07-07-2008, 09:30 AM	#5 (permalink)
Captain_Xion Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 48 OS: Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 3	Re: Hard Dive File System Benefits? Yeah i got it fixed. I'm changing it to NTFS right now. So now will I be able to utilize its full 30 GB?

07-07-2008, 11:45 AM	#6 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 4,904 OS: xp	Re: Hard Dive File System Benefits? Should have been able to anyway. The 4 gig limit I referred to was a limitation on what fat32 can see. If you have a program or a download that was over 4 gigs fat32 could not see it fully., if it did it would be corrupt, etc...but ntfs is fine, most everyone has switched over. There are advantages to fat 32, lack of security being one of them.. __________________

07-07-2008, 11:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
Captain_Xion Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 48 OS: Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 3	Re: Hard Dive File System Benefits? This formatting is taking a really long time...like over an hour.

07-07-2008, 12:16 PM	#8 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 4,904 OS: xp	Re: Hard Dive File System Benefits? What are you using to format, and why are you formatting? __________________

07-07-2008, 12:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
Captain_Xion Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 48 OS: Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 3	Re: Hard Dive File System Benefits? Just the windows formatting tool, and I'm formatting to change the file system.