Detailed linux and win partition format

Computer shop news There are three commonly used partition formats: FAT16, FAT32, NTFS. There are four formats in the Linux operating system: Ext2, Ext3, Linux swap and VFAT. FAT16:

As a file name, the FAT (File Allocation Table) has been a computer term since its inception in 1981. For the time being, most operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, and multiple Unix versions, support FAT.

This is the disk partition format used in MS-DOS and the earliest Windows 95 operating system. It uses a 16-bit file allocation table, which is currently the most supported disk partition format. Almost all operating systems support this partition format, from DOS, Windows 95, Windows OSR2 to Windows 98 and Windows. Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP all support FAT16, but only supporting 2GB hard disk partitions has become a major drawback. Another disadvantage of the FAT16 partition format is that the disk utilization efficiency is low (see the related material for specific technical details). To solve this problem, Microsoft introduced a new disk partition format ——FAT32 in Windows 95 OSR2. FAT32:

This format uses a 32-bit file allocation table, which greatly enhances the management of the disk. It breaks the limit of 2GB per partition under FAT16. Due to the current production cost of the hard disk, its capacity is getting larger and larger. After using the FAT32 partition format, we can define a large-capacity hard disk as a partition without having to be divided into several partitions, which greatly facilitates the management of the disk. Moreover, compared with FAT16, FAT32 can greatly reduce disk waste and improve disk utilization. Currently, Windows 95 OSR2 and later operating systems support this partition format. However, this partition format also has its drawbacks. The first is a disk partitioned in FAT32 format. Due to the expansion of the file allocation table, the running speed is slower than that of the disk partitioned by FAT16 format. In addition, since DOS and Windows 95 do not support this partition format, DOS and Windows 95 systems will no longer be available with this partition format. NTFS:

To compensate for the flaws in FAT functionality, Microsoft created a file system technology called NTFS. It has the advantage of excellent security and stability, and it is not easy to produce file fragments during use. And it can record the user's operation. By restricting the user's authority very strictly, each user can only operate according to the authority given by the system, which fully protects the security of the system and data. This partitioning format is supported by Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows XP. Ext2:

Ext2 is the standard file system in GNU/Linux systems. This is the most widely used file system in Linux. It is designed for Linux and has extremely fast speed and minimal CPU usage. Ext2 can be used for standard block devices (such as hard disks) as well as mobile storage devices such as floppy disks. Ext3:

Ext3 is the next generation of Ext2, which is the same as the format of Ext2. Ext3 is a Journal File System. The biggest feature is that it records the entire disk write operation on an area of ​​the disk so that it can be traced back when needed. When a process is interrupted, the system can directly backtrack and reorganize the interrupted parts based on these records, and the resizing speed is quite fast. This partition format is widely used in Linux systems. Linux swap:

It is a swap file system for swap partitions in Linux. Linux uses this entire partition as the swap space. Generally, the swap partition of this swap format is twice the main memory. When there is not enough memory, Linux will write some data to the swap partition. VFAT:

VFAT is called the long file name system. This is a Linux file system compatible with Windows systems. It supports long file names and can be used as a partition for swapping files between Windows and Linux.