File system on WindowsXP

[ITlover]

Recently I installed windows XP on my system with FAT file system.
Some of my friends recommend me to install windowsxp with NTFS file system but others advise me to keep WindowsXP with FAT file system.
With NTFS ,the speed of windows will increase as compared to windows with FAT also as far as I remember their is much strong security on NTFS then on FAT.

Please advise me on it

Regards,

[RJ]

For Windows 2000 and XP, always use NTFS.

The inferious FAT32 is only supported by Windows 2K/XP because of the compatibility. It should only be used if you want to dual boot with a Win9x OS, which needs to have access to your Win2K/XP partition.

FAT32 belongs to the old Win9x, not to 2K/XP. If you only have Windows XP, use NTFS.

RJ

[HyperTF]

I agree with RJ, NTFS allows for more efficient storage, added file and folder security through permissions, file compression and encryption.

You can convert the drive to NTFS ok from FAT, you don't need to reformat, but it is better to start again and reformat with NTFS as performance may suffer from the conversion (from normal NTFS formatting).

If you just want to convert a partition...
Got to Start -> Run - > type cmd -> type convert C: /fs:ntfs (where C: s the drive letter to the partition)

But I would recommend backing up your data and reformatting.

Edit: If you do convert it may ask you to restart the PC for the conversion to take place

[ITlover]

Thanks for your advises, Iam not using my winxp as a server ,Iam just using it as a simple OS even then I have to use NTFS on my system?

I hope my question is clear

[HyperTF]

Server or just stand alone, NTFS is it's preferred file system.

You don't 'have' to use it, but it is just recommended as the preferred file system. Supports FAT for backwards compatibility with older versions of Windows, like as RJ said, for running dual boot systems for example.

[glc]

NTFS is a much more robust file system than FAT32 - it's somewhat "self-healing" and you will have a lot less problems in the long run. NTFS can usually handle a power outage or a forced shutdown where FAT will corrupt, for example.

[mrmister1]

Also, depending on the size of the hard drive, FAT32 won't make use of the entire hard drive.

[glc]

Disagree. FAT32 can go into multiple terabytes - it's just that XP can't *create* a FAT32 partition larger than 32gb - but you can create a LOT of them or use 3rd party partitioning software - or even a patched Win98 FDISK.

[HyperTF]

Is it possible he was meaning in unfilled clusters? relating to inefficiency of storage space?