The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Should I convert to NTFS

    Discussion in 'Asus' started by apes, Jun 16, 2006.

  1. apes

    apes Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    281
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Just got my V6Va and the desktop has an icon to convert to NTFS.
    I'm not that computer savy but what is the difference between NTFS and FAT and should I convert to NTFS? Is it as simple as double clicking the convert icon, will it change anything I have installed?
    Sorry for the simplistic questions but I have searched the forum and can't find a good explanation.

    Thanks
     
  2. mckam826

    mckam826 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    192
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    convert.

    i have no idea why, but NTFS is more commonly used, and its newer.
     
  3. MysticGolem

    MysticGolem Asus MVP + NBR Reviewer NBR Reviewer

    Reputations:
    145
    Messages:
    1,047
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Yes, convert, MS prefers people to change to NTFS for windows users, it offers better file management and stuff like that. You many not directly see teh benefits, but it's there in the back.. lol.

    Thanks,

    MysticGolem
     
  4. ClearSkies

    ClearSkies Well no, I'm still here..

    Reputations:
    1,059
    Messages:
    2,633
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    NTFS is also supposed to allow you to use files >4GB in size, which I think was a limitation of FAT32.

    The conversion will not change anything you have on the notebook currently. Do a search through the forum for multiple other threads on the NTFS conversion topic.
     
  5. Big.P

    Big.P Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    57
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    NTFS also allows multiple user accounts on your computer and privitizing of files, if more than one person uses your computer. FAT32 doesn't.
     
  6. kierkegaard

    kierkegaard Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    5
    Messages:
    454
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    FAT32 won't let you transfer anything over a 4 gig file but is a little bit faster (supposedly).
     
  7. noodles12

    noodles12 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    2
    Messages:
    235
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    30
    you should convert like everyone says.
     
  8. coriolis

    coriolis Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,319
    Messages:
    14,119
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    455
    Fat32 is faster, but lacks the 4gb< file restriction. Usually, its nothing really big, so I tend to leave it.
     
  9. kn1ghtrydr

    kn1ghtrydr Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    16
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    What's up,
    That's some helpful info there. If I saw that icon on my computer I would probably be too scared to click on it haha! I would think that having your computer transfer your system to NTFS would be important to a person who often moves large media files (like home videos) to and from external storage devices right?
    Jake
     
  10. Insane

    Insane Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    62
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I find the main thing is after a forced restart you dont need to do a check disk. And performing a defrag is way way faster!!
    NTFS can see another PC's FAT32 and NTFS drives, but fat32 cant see a NTFS drive.


    insane
     
  11. MilestonePC.com

    MilestonePC.com Company Representative

    Reputations:
    160
    Messages:
    1,973
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    NTFS is better than FAT32. It can support security and file compression. NTFS take a little bit more space(cluster) than FAT32. When you run a defragmentation, you can feel than NTFS will not take much time than FAT32.
     
  12. gusto5

    gusto5 Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    54
    Messages:
    760
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Lies. All fat32/ntfs partitons are cross-readable and cross-writable.
     
  13. Insane

    Insane Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    62
    Messages:
    506
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30

    You're right my statement was not entirly correct, thank for the heads up, BUT not all Win9x versions can read/write to NTFS. So not all.


    insane