How Big Are Partitions for Windows XP?

Windows XP can be partitioned in two different ways. The first way is called "Fat32," and the second method is "NTFS."

FAT32

FAT stands for "File Allocation System." The partition size for FAT32 for Windows XP has a maximum size of 32 gigabytes. It also has a maximum individual file size of 8 gigabytes.

NTFS

NTFS stands for "NT File System" and was originally developed for use with Windows NT. NTFS partitions can range up to 2 terabytes in size.

Advantages to FAT32

FAT32 is not as secure as NTFS, nor can it recover from a crash as well as NTFS. However, there are good reasons to use it. For example, if your Windows XP computer is on a network with older versions of Windows, such as Windows 98, than FAT32 is recommended. This will make transferring files and data considerably easier since Windows 98 uses FAT32 as well.

Advantages to NTFS

In most cases, however, NTFS should be used. It supports a larger disk size, and it has increased security and crash recovery tools. It can also be used with all versions of Windows from Windows 2000 and up.

Partition Sizes

No matter how large or small your hard drive, either method allows you to set the size of the partitions on your drive. There is no standard size. It is always based on the size of your hard drive and if the drive was formatted with FAT32 or NTFS.

References

• FAT and NTFS File System in Windows XP
• Windows XP:: Formatting and Partitioning Disks