NTFS or not NTFS that is the....??

[Debbie]

Apart from the large file size, is NTFS worth formatting to ??

Debbie

[Patrick]

For video capture it certainly is!

[Dr Mordrid]

It allows you to create files >4 gigs in size, wihch is very important for capturing long sequences, editing long projects or exporting DVD content.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jkun]

And for the OS partition, NTFS or Fat32?

Jkun

[Flying dutchman]

... You mean for the OS __DRIVE __!

You definitely need separate drives for Windows and Video. Separate partitions just isn't good enough if you want to prevent dropped frames.

And yes, NTFS is the system of choice for the OS as well.

It helps if you have a bootable CD with a tool such as "NTFSDOS pro". Otherwise you'll have a hell of a hard hard time repairing Windows if it ever refuses to boot.

[Elie]

Well here is my take and experience on OS bootable drives being NTFS.

NTFS in it's nature is a file system that is extremely secure, it adds overhead, it is very difficult to trouble shoot unless you have the right tools.

Let's say your C drive is formatted NTFS and it crashes, so you loose the boot sector etc. you simply cannot boot with a DOS diskette and recover, and I don't even know if there are such tols to recover unless you create emergancy diskettes from WinNT 4.0 or 2K. And if you don't have such utilities, all the files on your hard drive cannot be accessed period.

With a Fat32 formatted drive, in case of an event you could at least boot to dos, perform a "sys C:" recover the boot sector.
You can view your files you can copy them to another drive, especially if you want to get at an important document like a resume or something.

So to recap, FAT32 is safer if you are not PC savey.
Make all your other audio/video drives NTFS, which allows you to create files larger than 4 gig.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Elie

[Patrick]

Do we have an opinion from the Congo?

I agree with the Dutchman about the need for two drives, but I agree with the Canadian in regards to keeping the boot drive Fat32. I've also heard that Fat32 is a little faster than NTFS, so I believe having the boot drive formatted as Fat32 and the capture drive formatted as NTFS provides the best of both worlds.

[Dr Mordrid]

I too agree with the Canuks that the boot drive is best left to FAT32 for the reasons stated.

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian Ellis]

Originally posted by Elie
unless you create emergancy diskettes from WinNT 4.0 or 2K. And if you don't have such utilities, all the files on your hard drive cannot be accessed period.

Whether FAT32 or NTFS or whatever, a set of rescue disks is a MUST IMHO

[Flying dutchman]

I have a bootable cd with Ntfsdos so I can access my C: drive (ntfs) just as easily as fat32 if Windows won't boot. But I don't really need to, I have an easier way to get it up and running again.

I use Powerquest Drive Image to make a weekly image of my
C: drive on a server (simply using a bootable network disk). Making the backup takes about 30 minutes (4 gb). PQDI compresses the image and splits it up into 650-mb chunks automatically so I can save important backups on CD if server disk space runs out.

If my drive c: goes bust, I simply replace the drive for an empty one (have a few spares) and have it 100% running again in less than 25 minutes. I use plastic disc caddies so swapping the drives is a breeze. Had to do so three times this year (twice it was my own fault. Windows was to blame only once.).

Needless to say I keep all data, including e-mails, on D: which is backupped (do I spell that right?) separately on tape. My video drive is in a separate caddy so I have to take the data drive out if I want to capture video. Better safe than sorry.

Getting a defective NTFS partition running again can be hell; With my concept, I don't even need to bother with that.

[Debbie]

I think a HD image is a must.

So to conclude it would be best to have the OS + programs on drive C: FAT32 and your data + captured files on drive D: NTFS. ??

At the moment I am using two drives 1 for OS and the other for capturing, both NTFS.

Debbie

[Flying dutchman]

The advantage of having ntfs on C: is that it's simply a better file system. It has journaling functions so it keeps better track of pending writes; Even if you pull the power plug you'll seldom lose any data. I've never had cross-linked or orphaned files on my hard disk since I made the move to NTFS.
Moreover, it can compress files and directories "on the fly" and thus save valuable disk space.

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by Elie
Well here is my take and experience on OS bootable drives being NTFS.

NTFS in it's nature is a file system that is extremely secure, it adds overhead, it is very difficult to trouble shoot unless you have the right tools.

Let's say your C drive is formatted NTFS and it crashes, so you loose the boot sector etc. you simply cannot boot with a DOS diskette and recover, and I don't even know if there are such tols to recover unless you create emergancy diskettes from WinNT 4.0 or 2K. And if you don't have such utilities, all the files on your hard drive cannot be accessed period.

With a Fat32 formatted drive, in case of an event you could at least boot to dos, perform a "sys C:" recover the boot sector.
You can view your files you can copy them to another drive, especially if you want to get at an important document like a resume or something.

So to recap, FAT32 is safer if you are not PC savey.
Make all your other audio/video drives NTFS, which allows you to create files larger than 4 gig.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Elie

Well, I definitely consider myself computer savvy, but I still run FAT32 on my OS drive. I just don't have the prog that can read/write NTFS through "DOS". So screw it. :P

[paulw]

I would agree on that . Retaining Fat32 as the OS drive. Been there done that loosing data on OS drives formated NTFS when they have failed recently at work. Now make all new Win2K and XP machines FAT32

[Flying dutchman]

Your mileage may vary of course - I really don't want to start a war NTFS/FAT32. Both systems get the job done.

Still a reliable backup system is easily more comfortable than having to repair a broken partition. If you've got that, the partition type becomes rather irrelevant.

The "Powerquest Drive Image" I use was included on a CD with a computer magazine - a freebie! So a good backup tool can be quite cheap...