We can think of this as a bread crumb trail that will show the next person what order to follow when retrieving the items from the row of boxes. We can place our item into a box in any order we want, as long as the box is empty.Īs we put an item into each box, we put a sticky note onto the same box with the number of the next empty box that we are going to use. Our file is a numbered collection of items that we put into each box, and each item number will correspond with a box number. We can tell if there is space in each box as available space will be represented as an empty box. We can think of the FAT file system as a long row of boxes to simulate blocks on a hard drive. The 'next' column also has information showing the end of the file. The table has a column that shows if a block is populated with data or free to be written to, and another column with a reference to the next file block. If you have ever seen the chkdsk, or scan disk if you ever used Windows 95 and Windows 98 command, running a repair on a FAT file system then you no doubt have seen the program refer to blocks and sectors.Įach file on a FAT32 hard drive is made up of multiple blocks, and each block is indexed in the File Allocation Table of the hard drive. FAT32 stores files as a linked list of blocks in a table. What is FAT32?įAT32 is a type of file system that is used on hard drives and removable storage. However, what are we actually doing when we select FAT or NTFS? What's the difference between FAT32 and ExFAT? Is one better than the other? We'll cover all that and more in this post. Most of us are familiar with the need to format flash disks, hard drives, and SD Cards when they encounter issues. The file system type determines what information is attached to this data such as filenames, permissions, and additional attributes depending on the file system type. An index is created that tells the operating system where to find files in these compartments and how much space is available on the drive. The easiest way to describe a file system is that it is a type of data arrangement that provides a way of organizing a hard drive into virtual compartments in which files are stored. Many of us use computers to get our work done every day, but how much thought have you given to the way in which your files are stored? We have all heard of file systems and know there are different types.

Best filesystem to format flash drive