4G usb flash drive is FAT32; best choice FAT32 or NTFS?

full guide on converting your flash drive from FAT32 to NTFS:
http://www.ntfs.com/quest22.htm
but why choose one over the other?
help me choose
Answer #1
NTFS could mount a single file in bigger size than FAT32..
Surely I prefer NTFS..
I use NTFS on my 8G
Answer #2
thanks for your input
I was already thinking NTFS, but I also need to keep ‘optimize for quick removal’ enabled on this drive.. would that make any difference as to which of the two formats I should choose?
(‘optimize for quick removal’) explained in the above guide I posted..
Answer #3
If your flash drive is only 4G, leave it as fat32.
Ntfs handles singles files over 4G (which you don’t need as the flash is max 4G, formatted space will be 3.9G or so).
Ntfa has it’s own extra overhead of space (master file tables, etc) that eats into this 4G (not much, true, but it still eats at it).
Ntfs is slower than fat32 (yes, it’s true) because it’s a journalling files system, it writes logs of what’s happening and such before doing them, so that errors can be tracked and reversed (it never has worked for me, but that’s what it’s supposed to do).
Fat32 won’t handle files over 4G, so if your flash is 8G, use ntfs.
BUT – note that some tools (win98 and less, 99.99% of standalone dvd players with usb ports) won’t understand ntfs, and will not read the flash drive.
Answer #4
thanks for your input
I was already thinking NTFS, but I also need to keep 'optimize for quick removal' enabled on this drive.. would that make any difference as to which of the two formats I should choose?
('optimize for quick removal') explained in the above guide I posted..
Quick removal? Do you mean “Safely Remove Hardware” or “Eject”?
Just the same dude, it take less then 3 secs.. :mrredhat:
Answer #5
‘optimize for quick removal’ – means that the flash drive doesn’t use buffer memory in moving files to/from it, they go direct. It’s slower, but you can just pull the drive out when the file transfer has stopped.
the other setting uses memory to buffer the transfer – it’s faster but, because the transfer dialog closes when the file is transferred to MEMORY (not all to flash), you lose data if you just “whip it out” (as the actress said to the bishop) – you HAVE to use the ‘safe eject’ functions.
Answer #6
The only real disadvantage to NTFS in practice is that it isn’t always compatible with systems that aren’t running recent version of Windows. NTFS is slower in some cases, but most people don’t notice that outside of benchmarks. The “Optimize for quick removal” setting works fine. So unless you need to be able to write to this drive from a Mac or something like that (even recent Linux systems won’t have problems), just go with NTFS.
Answer #7
thanks for all the input everyone
I’ve made my choice
might as well leave this here for anyone else wondering in the future :p
Answer #8
You should pick FAT32 over NTFS. True, you cant pull it out like you can pull out NTFS drives after a data transfer, but FAT32 will considerably increase your flash drive’s life. This is because NTFS is a file journalling system ( and that’s going to put in more read and write cycles, and so faster wearing down) where as FAT32 is not. A flash drive’s life is determined by the number of write cycles, so FAT32 is the logical choice.
Hope this helps. Cheers!
Answer #9
Also NTFS offers security where FAT16/32 does’nt – depends on what you use your USB stick/HDD for.
I have my 8GB set to FAT32 because the PS3 will only see FAT and not NTFS, I use it for films.
Alternatively get two drives and have one FAT and one NTFS…