NTFS or FAT32?

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My copy of Windows is coming in on Wednesday, just ordered it, but when I install, should I run it using NTFS or FAT32? With NTFS, I get better reliability and security, but I can't write or save files onto the windows segment. With FAT32, I get better compatibility and I can write and save files onto the disk, but it's less stable and less secure. Which way should I go? The only reason I'm really gonna use the Windows partition is for gaming.
 
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Just for the sake of asking how is FAT 32 less stable and secure than NTFS. I understand the whole file size limitation and how FAT 32 and NTFS compare in that area, but I'm curious about the stability and security that you mention. Is Windows less likely to crash on NTFS? Is NTFS less prone to viruses or malware?
 

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I think this will help explain the NTFS Security part,

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/viewfaq.html?i=63

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/russel_october01.mspx

As far as the OP's question, I would go with FAT32 as it would cause problems for me to not be able to read and write to the Windows drive in OSX.

How much are you going to be using XP on the Mac? Just for some gaming and a few things? Will you be using OSX for most of your work? If so I would go with FAT32 so at least OSX can read and write to the Windows partition. OSX can read an NTFS Partition but not write to it. Windows without an external program can not read nor write to the OSX side.
 
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Got the security bit now, Thanks.
 
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BlindingLights said:
My copy of Windows is coming in on Wednesday, just ordered it, but when I install, should I run it using NTFS or FAT32? With NTFS, I get better reliability and security, but I can't write or save files onto the windows segment. With FAT32, I get better compatibility and I can write and save files onto the disk, but it's less stable and less secure. Which way should I go? The only reason I'm really gonna use the Windows partition is for gaming.

I should know the answer to this as a long time Windows user, but I'm not certain. Here goes though:

Will XP SP2 even allow you to format a local drive FAT32? It may at installation, but from experience, every drive I've added to my XP SP2 box has had to be formatted NTFS. No FAT32 option at all from Disk Management. Maybe it's the size of the drives I used . . I'm not sure. But I recall actually having to use my Mac to format a drive (single partition) as FAT32. XP wouldn't do it.

Mark
 
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interesting... thanks for the input there...

No, I'm really not gonna be using my Windows partition for much... mostly HOURS of gaming.
 

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There is a limit with the built in formatter in XP how large a partition it will format Fat32. There are other way to format FAT32 though. Somehow 32GB sticks in my head but I will check to be sure. You can make the FAT32 part any size you want, it's just with XP they have a limit how large it will make the partition.

Edit: Here you go.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q314463
 
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thanks dtravis7, I'll think about that...

So, looks like NTFS for me simply because I'm just gonna do gaming, so it seems stabler.
 
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IIRC, when you go to set the partitions you should still be able to define NTFS or FAT32. I think it's when you install it without concerns of partitions that it just uses NTFS as default.
 

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