What is NTFS?
NTFS, short for New Technology File System, is a file system that was introduced by Microsoft in 1993 with Windows NT 3.1.
NTFS is the primary file system used in Microsoft’s Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows NT operating systems.
The Windows Server line of operating systems also primarily use NTFS.
Theoretically, NTFS can support hard drives up to just under 16 EB. Individual file size is capped at just under 256 TB, at least in Windows 8 and Windows 10, as well as in some newer Windows Server versions.
Alternatives to NTFS
The FAT file system was the primary file system in Microsoft’s older operating systems but it is still supported today along with NTFS.
The exFAT file system is a newer file system but is designed to be used where NTFS doesn’t work well, like on flash drives.
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