FAT and NTFS

[DrOrgaZmo]

When formatting a floppy, there's an option to choose the file system. But the only option is FAT. I have Windows XP, so i have a NTFS file system. I'm just wondering, does it make any difference if your floppy's a different file system than your HD?

 

[Jeratain]

No - it makes no real difference when it comes to floppy drives. You can even partition your hard drive so that one partition is NTFS and the other is FAT32. They still work together.

 

[DrOrgaZmo]

Alright that's what i though thanks.

 

[CrackedCrystal]

If you are curious of why you cannot. In order to have a NTFS file system, about 2 or 3 MBs need to be used for control. Since a floppy drive cannot hold that much, that is why you cannot format it that way.

FAT only requires about 200KBs. That is why a 1.44MB floppy can only hold about 1.2MB of files.

 

[GenghisK]

Sometimes there are tools to format floppy disk up to 1.72Mb... Overformatting, someway
But well, honestly.. nowadays with 200gigs HD for sale, and blank cd for nothing, who does still use floppy disk
Plus there are Zip...

 

[CrackedCrystal]

The extra space on the disk is a little missleading. Yes, extra data is squeezed in there, but no more is added to the disk. It is the same material after all.

What they do is use parts of the disk that are not supposed to be used to store data. Think of it like carring luggage underneath the hood of your car crammed next to the engine. It works, but that space is ment to be used for other things.

Also, some use compression to fit more on the disk.

 

[Jeratain]

Yeah but the compression info takes up disk space itself, so its useless to use it on a floppy. The best way to fit the most on floppys is through compressing the files in zip or rar. (preferably rar for better compression)

 

[damunzy]

Or ZIPing then RARing. Believe it or not it gets even smaller, sometimes.

Something that amazes me with its compression is UHARC. I think it is onlt used for graphics and/or music...can't remember.