NTFS – what is it?

NTFS is a file system developed by Microsoft that has been in use since Windows NT and has replaced older file systems such as FAT.

NTFS is a file system.

With NTFS (New Technology File System), your data is organized on the drive. This way, the computer knows what to do and you can quickly find the stored data. NTFS is the successor to FAT and is characterized by the following features:

• NTFS was released by Microsoft in July 1993 together with the “Windows NT 3.1” operating system.

• Unlike FAT32, it can also manage files over 4 gigabytes. In theory, partitions can be up to 16 exabytes in size, but in practice a limit of 256 terabytes is set on modern systems.

• With NTFS, it is possible to encrypt data (EFS from Windows 2000). It also offers better protection against data loss.

• For Linux, the “NTFS-3G” driver allows you to access drives with NTFS.

• Mac OS X has also supported NTFS file systems since version 10.3. Programs such as “NTFS for Mac® OS X” or “NTFS-3G” give you the write access you need for this.

exFAT or NTFS: Which is faster and better?

When deciding between exFAT and NTFS, it depends on the application, because both file systems have their advantages and disadvantages:

• In terms of speed, exFAT is often faster than NTFS, especially when it comes to working with portable devices such as USB sticks or external hard drives. exFAT is less complex and therefore requires less computing power, which can lead to faster read and write operations.

• NTFS, on the other hand, is optimized for internal hard drives in computers. It can work more efficiently with heavily fragmented files and large amounts of data thanks to its defragmentation functions and journaling system, which can help maintain speed over the long term. Thus, NFTS has a great significance in the computer industry.

• In addition, NFTS offers a variety of advanced features, such as setting file permissions, data compression, encryption, and support for large files and hard drives.

• Due to its simplicity, exFAT is more flexible when it comes to cross-platform file sharing. This makes it ideal for external storage media where you want to exchange files between different devices and operating systems and need to store large files.