Before data can be written to a partition, it must be formatted with a file system. The file system is the way the OS is going to categorize and store files that will be used on the storage device.
Windows expects data to be written in the FAT32 or NTFS file system. Many operating systems can read and write multiple file system types. Windows can read or write FAT, FAT32, NTFS, exFAT, etc.
ExFAT
ExFAT stands for Extended File Allocation Table. ExFAT is used on flash drives. With exFAT you can have files that are larger than 4 GB.
FAT32
FAT stands for File Allocaiton Table. FAT32 allows for larger (2 TB) volume sizes compared to the original FAT. FAT32 has a maximum file size of 4 GB.
FAT32 can support up to 16 TB partitions but Microsoft limits FAT32 file systems to 32 GB. FAT32 was the 32 bit file system used in WIndows 95 through Windows MNillennium Edition (ME).
NTFS
NTFS is used on most Windows systems. NTFS stands for NT File System. NTFS improves upon FAT32. For example, NTFS can have larger partitions and larger files sizes. NTFS also allows for quotas, file compression, permissions, encryption, symbolic links, large file support, security, and recoverability.
CDFS
CDFS stands for Compact Disk File System. CDFS is what is used for CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drives. It is an ISO 9660 standard. All operating systems can read the CD.
NFS
NFS stands for Network File System. If your operating system is storing files on a storage device across the network, then you may be using NFS. NFS allows you to access files across the network as if they were local files. NFS clients are available across many operating systems.
ext3, ext4
Ext3 stands for third extended file system. Ext4 stands for fourth extended file system. Ext3 and ext4 are commonly used by the Linux operating system. Android OS also uses ext4.
Ext4 provides the following benefits over ext3:
- 16TB max file size vs 2 TB
- 1 EB max partition size vs 32 TB
- Up to 64,000 subdirectories in a directory vs 32,000
- Backward compatibility with ext3 file system
- Performance increase
Ext3 has the benefit of being able to share an ext3 partition with Windows. If you multiboot your system, you can then use an ext3 drive which can be accessed by both Windows and Linux.
HFS
HFS stands for Hierarchical File System. HFS is used by the Mac operating system. HFS is also called Mac OS Extended. However, beginning from macOS High Sierra (10.13), the macOS file system has changed to the Apple File System (APFS).
DFS
DFS stands for Distributed File System. It’s a service implemented on Windows Servers that hides the complexity of the network from end users. It makes files that are distributed across multiple servers, appear as if they are in one place.
NFS
NFS stands for Network File System. It’s a distributed file system protocol that allows a client computer to access network storage locations.
