File systems allow to manage access, organize content and manage memory. There are several formats available. In the case of choosing the disk format, they are the same as the formats of a pendrive, although we must take into account several characteristics when choosing one or the other.
What should we consider
When choosing between one or the other, a series of aspects and technical characteristics that differentiate them should be taken into account. There may be some that are considered the best globally, but it is convenient to take into account several aspects when choosing.
- Operating system you use
It is essential because it will not help you to use a format if it is not compatible with your operating system. Not all formats are compatible with all systems. We must take into account if you have Windows or macOS, for example.
We do not need the same format for a microSD as for a hard drive, for example. We must take into account the type of device when choosing.
We must look at the security features of each of them.
Maximum volume of gigs or TB that “supports” this system or format.
Available formats
There are several formats that we can choose from …
NFTS
NTFS (New Technology File System) is the file system that Windows uses by default, and the one used for hard drives and SSD drives. Windows can only be installed on a drive with this system, so if you are reading this from Windows your computer is using this file system. There are several reasons why this file system is used for computers.
Among the reasons or characteristic reasons why we choose this system is because your file limit is 16TB and volumes can reach 264 TB each. This is an advantage when using it on computers: we can have files of tens of GB, so it is not something to worry about because the largest hard drives have 18 TB of storage, and SSDs 60 TB. Another advantage or feature is that we can configure access permissions to a file or we can encrypt files. In addition, it also allows file names to be long without any problem.
Is it compatible with other operating systems? It depends. In the case of Mac we can use NTFS to read files but cannot be written. It is something that we must take into account if we have several devices. On Mac operating systems NTFS can be read, but not written. If you use both platforms, NTFS is not the best option. Sony consoles cannot write either, although they can read in the case of PS3 and PS4. Xbox 360 couldn’t even read it, but Xbox One could.
FAT32
This file system is The oldest which is still used today, and is usually the one that comes by default included in USB memories to maximize its compatibility. Being so old (it dates from 1995 when it was introduced in Windows 95), its compatibility with all operating systems is very wide, being able to be used in Windows, Linux (and Android) and Mac OS, as well as in devices such as televisions or consoles.
Among its drawbacks we find that the size of the files cannot exceed 4 GB (or 8 TB partitions), which is uncomfortable in some action cameras in which the videos are cut, or if we want to pass movies on a USB memory. . Thus, exFAT was created.
exFAT
This file system is the most recent, and has 10 years behind it since it was released in Windows Vista (with a compatible version for XP). Although it took a few years In starting to be used massively, it is currently the best option for USB memory sticks.
The most important reason is that exFAT eliminates all limitation problems of FAT32, so files larger than 4 GB can be copied. The file size limit on this system is 16 exabytes (16 million terabytes). Compared to NTFS, it has advantages such as being lighter without all the extra functions that NTFS offers. In addition, MacOS allows writing and reading of this format unlike NTFS, which only allows reading. On Linux it can be used with appropriate software, and on Android it can be used to read and write to SD cards and USB sticks via OTG. On consoles, the most recent ones support them.
This file system is the latest, and he has 10 years behind him since it was released in Windows Vista (with a compatible version for XP). Although it has taken a few years to become widely used, it is currently the best option for USB memory sticks.
Is it recommended for the hard drive? It is not the most recommended or it is not the most appropriate in these cases. Where else to use exFAT is on SD cards if our camera or mobile is compatible, as well as USB memories. Despite this, we must bear in mind that the file system may not be read by some devices, so if we are going to insert a USB memory into an old computer, it is better to ensure compatibility with FAT32.
Other formats
Other file systems are ext4, used in Linux, and therefore also in the Android mobile operating system. The advantage of this storage system is the well-known “journaling”, which allows better data integrity by not modifying them in real time, but rather they are recorded and ordered before they are carried out.
Mac uses its own file system, called MFS or Macintosh File System. Starting with the new versions of iOS 13 and macOS 10.12.4, Apple has introduced APFS or Apple File System, which will unify the file systems between all Apple operating systems: macOS, iOS, tvOS and watchOS, with great advantages of latency and encryption. It is available from macOS Sierra and later and in recent versions of iOS, tvOS, or WatchOS. The main advantage of this format is that it allows us to improve writing and reading speed as well as space on the devices. It has native support for data encryption, it is optimized for use with SSD drives …
Conclusion, what to wear?
We must take into account a series of aspects that we have mentioned in previous paragraphs. There are good formats that are recommended for specific devices such as USB sticks and SD cards, such as FAT32. But not a good format is recommended for everyone. In this case, NTFS is the best choice for hard drives and SSD drives, both external and internal. It is advanced and modern, it is safe and has security systems: we can encrypt the content, assign permissions on saved files, compress or create backup copies.
Although NFTS may be the most recommended for hard drives, it is mandatory that you use the Apple File System if you have an Apple computer. It is the only option you have so we will not be able to choose which is better or worse but it is essential that you use this system if you want the Mac computer to read it.