"Deep
in the sea are riches beyond compare.
But if you seek safety, it is on the shore."
What
is FAT (File Allocation Table):
The FAT is a roadmap, or index, that points to the location where
all the information in files is stored on a floppy disk or hard
drive. The FAT is extremely important because the system uses
it to store and retrieve files containing information.
When you save a file in Windows, it is stored
in multiple pieces (in clusters made up of multiple sectors) on
the disk. Windows also saves the roadmap, or index, that points
to these clusters in two copies of the FAT (File Allocation Table).
The FAT contains the directions to all the pieces of your files,
so that applications can find them again later.
FAT An Introduction :
The existing File Allocation Table (FAT) file system was invented
in 1977 as a way to store data on floppy disks for Microsoft stand-alone
Disk Basic. Although originally intended for floppy disks, FAT
has since been modified to be a fast, and flexible system for
managing data on both removable and fixed media. In 1996 Windows
95 OSR2 came out with FAT32 a new and improved FAT.
A new generation of very large hard disks will
soon be shipping, and the existing FAT data structures have finally
reached the limit of their ability to support ever larger media.
FAT currently can support a single disk volume up to 2 Gigabytes
in size. FAT32 is an enhancement of the FAT file system that supports
larger hard drives with improved disk space efficiency.
FAT32 is an enhancement of the File Allocation
Table file system that supports large drives with improved disk
space efficiency. FAT32 is only currently supported by two operating
systems:-
OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) of Microsoft Windows
95 (commonly known as Windows95b). This release of windows was
released in the fall of 1996, and is only available with new PC's.
Windows 98, FAT32 is included in the final release
of the Windows 98 operating system. It also includes a FAT32 converter
so you can convert an existing FAT drive to FAT32 without data
loss.
The existing File Allocation Table (FAT) file
system was invented in 1977 as a way to store data on floppy disks
for Microsoft stand-alone Disk Basic. Although originally intended
for floppy disks, FAT has since been modified to be a fast, and
flexible system for managing data on both removable and fixed
media. The current generation of large hard disks have finally
reached the limit of the existing FAT data structures. FAT currently
can support a single disk volume up to 2 Gigabytes in size, with
the increasing size of new hard drives this is an increasing problem.
Does my computer come with FAT32?
This generally depends on the computer and its
manufacturer. Most manufacturers now set up FAT32 on computers,
but some may not. There are two ways to know whether or not your
computer is set up for FAT32:
1. Go into the Start menu, select Programs/Accessories/System
Tools, and then select Drive Converter (FAT 32). When you run
the program, it will display the status of your hard drives. If
any of them say ALREADY FAT32, then they are set up for FAT32.
If any say FAT or FAT16, then they need to be converted to FAT32.
(Only for windows 98 users)
2. Go into My Computer and right-click on a hard
drive icon. Select Properties. In the General section, the drive
will be listed either as FAT or FAT32. |