Filesystems and Folders

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Exam 70-270 Study Guide
Table Of Contents

Contents 1 File Systems and Folders 2 File Systems 2.1 FAT 2.2 FAT32 2.3 NTFS 3 Converting Between File Systems 4 Compressed Folders 5 NTFS Compression 5.1 Copying and Moving NTFS Compressed Files 6 Hidden Folders 7 Moving Forward 8 Quick Review 9 Answers

[edit section] File Systems and Folders

In this guide, we will take a closer look at the difference between file systems in Windows XP and some of the options related to file systems. We will also examine some folder options in XP and take a look at some of the new features in XP related to folders.

[edit section] File Systems

A file system allows foraccess to and location of files on a disk drive in addition to several other specialized functions. Windows XP allows you to choose between the FAT, FAT32, and NTFS partitions to install on a drive. Note that one file system corresponds to exactly one partition and that two file systems necessarily cannot be installed on a single partition.

[edit section] FAT

• Supported by DOS and above (including OS/2, Windows 95, 98, NT 3, NT 4, 2000, ME, and XP)
• Maximum disk drive size is 4 GB.
• Maximum file size is 2 GB.
• Should be avoided for use on disk drives as it is obsolete and has fewer features; preferred for use on floppies

[edit section] FAT32

• Supported by Windows 95 OSR2 and above (including 98, ME, 2000, and XP); NT 4 and 3.1 cannot access FAT32 partitions* Minimum disk drive size is 512 MB; Maximum disk space is up to 2 TB disk volume size; XP limits to 32 GB.
• Maximum file size is 4 GB.
• Preferable on pre-2000 drives and drives with less capacity; however, removable media cannot be formatted using FAT32

[edit section] NTFS

• Supported by Windows NT 4, 2000, and XP
• Maximum disk drive size 16 to 256 TB
• Maximum file size 16 TB
• Preferable on 2000 and XP systems because it can support large drives and has many features that FAT32 does not offer, including permissions, compression, encryption, quotas, and extended sharing and security

Note that CDFS is another file system reserved exclusively for CD media.

[edit section] Converting Between File Systems

The obvious question should now arise – if you can upgrade from Windows 98 to XP, does that mean you can convert from FAT32 to NTFS? The answer is yes; however, other situations exist in which a direct conversion is not possible. Converting from FAT or FAT32 partitions is easy with the convert.exe utility. Simply use the command structure:

convert [driveletter]: /fs:ntfs

For example, if you wanted to convert the X: drive from FAT32 to NTFS, use:

convert x: /fs:ntfs

However, you cannot easily convert from NTFS to FAT32. In fact, convert.exe does not offer such functionality. One way to move from NTFS to FAT32 would be to back up all data on the NTFS partition using the backup utility and then reformat to FAT32 and restore the backup files.

[edit section] Compressed Folders

A folder is a division of a volume that allows for files or other folders to be stored in. NTFS allows you to create “compressed” or zipped folders that increase free disk space by reducing the size of the folders on the drive through compression technology. Compressed folders are typically used to store files that are large or will not be used for some time. Compressed folders can also be used to store programs, although this is less common as many programs require libraries other than those in the executable itself. To run such programs, you would need to “extract” or copy the files from the compressed folder to another folder. Compressed folders are also usable on FAT partitions through utilities like WinZIP and WinRAR. Compressed (zipped) folders can be password-protected and/or encrypted to ensure maximum security.  Do not get zipped folders and compressed (by attribute) folders confused.

[edit section] NTFS Compression

What if you want to make individual files, or every file and folder, compressed? If you are pressed for disk space, NTFS compression may be a viable option. NTFS compression is a built-in feature of the NTFS file system that allows for an entire drive or individual files and folders to be compressed. When using compressed files and folders, the file is temporarily uncompressed. After the file is closed, it is again compressed to decrease its footprint on the hard drive. NTFS compression is designed for use on static, non-executable files that have a lot of “white space” in them. So, you would compress Microsoft Word files or HTML documents, but you would not bother with compressing the Word executable or Internet Explorer. Similarly, compressing compressed files is a waste of time as there is little else to compress.

Compression is an attribute. This means that files or folders that are compressed have the attribute of being compressed. A file can not be compressed and encrypted simultaneously; that is, a file cannot have the attribute of being both compressed and encrypted.

Compressing a drive is possible during the NTFS formatting of the drive. However, you can also retroactively enable compression on an entire drive in this way:

1. Right click on drive and choose Properties

2. Click General tab

3. Choose Compress to save disk space

Compressing files and folders is also easy:

1. Right-click the file or folder and choose Properties

2. Click Advanced button

3. Choose Compress attribute

[edit section] Copying and Moving NTFS Compressed Files

When you copy a compressed file or folder, it inherits the compression attribute of the target folder. That means that a compressed file that is copied to an uncompressed folder will become decompressed; consequently, an uncompressed file copied to a compressed folder will become compressed.

If a compressed file is moved to a target that is located on the same volume as the original file, it retains its own compression attribute. This means that a compressed file moved across a drive to an uncompressed folder will stay compressed. However, when you move a compressed file to a target on another volume, it will inherit the attribute of the volume it is moved to. This means that a compressed folder copied to an uncompressed folder on another volume will be uncompressed.

[edit section] Hidden Folders

Windows allows you to hide folders from normal view. A hidden folder is the same in every function as a normal folder, with one big exception: by default, hidden folders are not viewable on the Explorer interface. As a result, to access a hidden folder, one must either enter the path to the folder manually or enable hidden folder view in Folder Options. To do so, simply:

1. In an explorer interface, choose Tools -> Folder Options

2. Click on View tab

3. Choose option “Show hidden files and folders”

4. Press Apply

With the “show hidden files” option on, hidden files and folders will now appear in plain view, but will be demarked as hidden by being semi-transparent.

[edit section] Moving Forward

In our next lesson, we will cover some of the basic security and sharing features available on Windows XP. For now, however, we will need to review the information just covered!

[edit section] Quick Review

1. Which of the following would be used to convert drive C: from FAT32 to NTFS?

a. convert.exe c: /fs:ntfs

b. msconvert.exe c:/fs:ntfs

c. convert.exe c:/fs:fat32

d. msconvert.exe /fs:fat32

e. None of the above

2. Which of the following kinds of folders can be encrypted and compressed?

a. NTFS compressed folder

b. ZIP compressed folder

c. WINNT compressed folder

d. Archive folder

e. None of the above

3. Which of the following would be used to convert drive C: from NTFS to FAT?

a. convert.exe c: /fs:fat

b. convert.exe c: /fs:c

c. msconvert.exe c: /fs:fat32

d. convert.exe c: /fs:ntfs

e. None of the above

[edit section] Answers

1. The format for the convert utility is convert [driveletter]: /fs:ntfs. The answer is A.

2. Only a ZIP folder can be compressed and encrypted. NTFS folders can be either compressed OR encrypted. The answer is B.

3. The convert utility cannot be used to convert an NTFS partition to a FAT32 or FAT partition. The answer is E.