What Is a FAT32 Drive?

FAT32 file systems are more reliable and efficient than their FAT16 precedessors.

The FAT32 is an extension of the FAT16 file system for handling files on a hard drive. It utilizes disk space more efficiently and is more robust by allowing root directory relocation, thereby making it less susceptible to single-point failures.

CheckDrive

Using the CheckDrive utility is a good way to determine the cluster efficiency of converting a FAT16 partition to FAT32. In almost all cases, FAT32 will prove efficient even on partitions that have less disk space.

Conversion

Use a utility like Partition Magic to perform an on-the-fly conversion to the more efficient FAT32 file system without losing data. If, for some reason, you would like to revert back to FAT16, it also supports this feature. When you use the Windows98 FAT32 converter, you will be forced to reformat Windows if you want to uninstall.

Limitations

FAT32 drives cannot dual boot earlier versions of Windows (3.x, 95, NT). Hibernate features will also not work on FAT32 partitions. If you need to compress your drive, it is also advisable to not use the FAT32 file system.

References

• Project 9: FAT32 Resource Page

Resources

• Microsoft: NTFS Vs. FAT