OS Fundamentals
Partitioning/Formatting/File System
FAT File allocation table refers to a disk format, which is a
way of organizing the storage space on a hard disk. The table
organizes information about the files on the hard disk, representing
each one as a chain of numbers that identifies where each part of a
file is located. The operating system uses it to look up a file and
find which clusters that file is written to on the hard disk.
FAT16 Supports drives up to 2 gigabytes in size. Fat16 is the
most compatible file system, not only can all windows versions use
it but many other OS's also.
FAT32 Supports drives of up to 2 terabytes in size. FAT32
also reduces the cluster size on large drives, freeing up more
space.
Cluster sizes of FAT16 and FAT32
Drive
|
Fat 16
|
Fat 32
|
256 MB – 511 MB
|
8 KB
|
Not supported
|
512 MB – 1023 MB
|
16 KB
|
4 KB
|
1024 MB – 2 GB
|
32 KB
|
4 KB
|
2 GB – 8 GB
|
Not supported
|
4 KB
|
8 GB – 16 GB
|
Not supported
|
8 KB
|
16 GB – 32 GB
|
Not supported
|
16 KB
|
>32 GB
|
Not supported
|
32 KB
|
|
