Most of us probably rarely notice the type of Flashdisk file systems used belonged to us, whether it is NTFS, FAT32 or FAT. To find out the file system being used, right-click the Flashdisk in Windows Explorer and select Properties. There looks File System type used.
But when we would try to format via Windows Explorer, perhaps there are only menu FAT32 and FAT and no NTFS. How do I format NTFS and what is the difference with FAT32 and FAT?
Why NTFS?
NTFS is the file system format after the latest Windows FAT32, and has several advantages such as the ability to store additional information about files / folders (metadata), security features, data compression, better structure and more.
In addition, NTFS can be used to format a larger size, for only 2 GB FAT, FAT32 8 TB (8,000 GB), while NTFS can be up to 16 EB (16 million TB). Yet still there are shortcomings NTFS, such as unreadable in Win9x and processes of reading and writing to disk more frequently.
Because each file / folder store more information (metadata), then the process of reading and writing each file/folder will more often than FAT32 or FAT type, so to flash, affect the life (durability). Given the Flashdisk memory has a limit read and write. (Article about keeping the flash to be more durable can be read here: Characteristics and Tips to keep Flashdisk to be more durable)
Enabling NTFS format in Windows Explorer
We could format the USB stick with NTFS with the help of HP USB Format Tools. But in fact Windows Explorer can do it. To enable it to follow the steps below
- Open System Properties by right-click My Computer > Properties (or keyboard buttons Win + Break)
- Go to the Hardware tab and then click the Device Manager button
- Select Disk Drive and select the format that you want to Flashdisk with NTFS, right click, select Properties.
- Once open select the Policies tab
- Select Optimize for performance and click OK
- After that try to right click the flash drive in Windows Explorer and select the Format menu, then there should have appeared NTFS File System.
To note is when this option is enabled, any repeal flash should always be through the Safety Remove Hardware. If there is an option "Optimize for quick removal" is actually the flash can then immediately removed, without the Safety Remove hardware
Test between NTFS, FAT32 and FAT
I have tried multiple comparisons (especially the process of copying the data) with different types, and the results are as follows:
- Copy 11 files (each about the size of 170 MB) totals about 1.8 GB
NTFS 4:44 (4 minutes 46 seconds)
FAT32 5:09 (5 minutes 9 seconds)
FAT 04:46 (4 minutes 46 seconds)
- Copy 1,297 files (sizes between 1 KB to 23 KB) with a total of 8.23 MB
NTFS 29 seconds
FAT32 56 seconds
FAT 58 seconds
- Capacity after format
NTFS 2,038,044,672 bytes Used space is 12,937,216 bytes (12.3 MB)
FAT32 2,046,959,616 bytes Used space is 4096 bytes (4.00 KB)
FAT 2,050,686,976 bytes Used Space 0 bytes
Looks copying data with NTFS, relatively quickly, but after the format size is slightly smaller because it needed additional space for larger files/folders (metadata). If the flashdisk is often used for reading and writing process and do not require NTFS features, such as data security, then choose the type of FAT32 would probably be better.
InsyaAllah,the next article will discuss wills utilize NTFS to protect Flahsdisk type of virus that would create, delete or modify Autorun.inf with a simple program that I created "Super Autorun".
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