Computer Info – June 5, 2002

 

This Week’s Meeting

            Guess what!  Meetings are starting again this week (June 5th).  The library has finished the carpeting.  We will be bringing in the new computer this week --- and the program will consist of questions and answers that deal with Windows XP – pictures – writing to a CD – because we have all of this on the new computer.

           

Fat vs. NTFS – Windows XP

(info from Smart Computing – July, 2002)

            This is the first Microsoft operating system to feature an integrated Windows XT and Windows 98 kernel (the core programming code of an operating system). 

            Previous versions of Windows used either FAT-16 or FAT-32 file systems.  Both versions of FAT are simpler and more direct than NTFS but not as reliable or secure.  Because of its reliability and security, NTFS has long been the file system of choice in corporate environments.  Using NTFS, system administrators can exercise some control over what users do on a workstation.  When problems do occur, NTFS is better able to recover without losing data. 

            The inclusion of NTFS support in Windows XP may convince home users to make a switch.  Although securing sensitive documents isn’t as important at home as it is for a billion-dollar company, home users might enjoy the extra security and reliability NTFS provides.

            The most basic Windows file system is known as FAT (meaning File Allocation Table).  The FAT keeps track of every file saved on its drive.  When you save data to the hard drive, the system consults the FAT to find empty clusters.  When a new file is added or a file is edited, the FAT saves the name of the file and the clusters it saved the file to. 

            FAT16 is a 16-bit file system.  Since FAT16 only supports 65,536 clusters, you can’t use FAT16 on a partition larger than 4GB.

            FAT32 is a 32-bit file system and can address more clusters than FAT16.  FAT32 can use smaller clusters for better storage efficiency.  FAT32 can support partitions up to 8TB (terabytes) in size.

            If NTFS has any similarities to FAT, it’s the MFT (Master File Table).  MFT is very close to the file allocation table in FAT, only much more complicated.  The MFT stores file attributes for every file stored on the NTFS partition including the file name, location and security information.  The MFT is known as a metadata file.  It is essentially data about data. 

            One of the major benefits of NTFS is its support for file and directory permissions.  This security feature allows you to grant one user complete access to a directory while preventing another user from even viewing its contents.

            Anyone installing Windows XP will have to decide whether to install NTFS or FAT32.  In most cases, NTFS will be the most efficient choice and offers a range of advanced features.  If you install Windows XP on a FAT16 or FAT32 partition and decide you want to upgrade to NTFS, the Convert.exe utility will let you do just that.  To convert a partition, click START, point to ALL PROGRAMS and click ACCESSORIES and then COMMAND PROMPT.  Type CONVERT.EXE C: /FS:NTFS (this will convert your C: drive).

            The conversion process does everything possible to protect your data.  It doesn’t overwrite any FAT clusters until the NTFS file system is in place.  This means if you experience an error during the conversion process, the system should fall back to the FAT file system without losing any data.    Converting to NTFS is a commitment.  Once the conversion is complete, the only way to return to a FAT file system is to reformat the hard drive.

            Size Matters.  Smaller clusters can squeeze more data onto a drive, but large clusters provide better performance.  Generally, 4KB clusters provide a nice balance between performance and storage efficiency.

            Partition Size                          Cluster Size

FAT16

            512MB-1023MB                                 16KB

            1024MB-2048MB                               32KB

            2048MB-4096MB                               64KB

FAT32

            512MB-8191MB                                 4KB

            8192MB-16383MB                             8KB

            16384MB-32767MB                           16KB

            32767MB+                                          32KB

NTFS

            513MB-1024MB                                 1KB

            1025MB-2048MB                               2KB

            2049MB+                                            4KB

 

Manage User Accounts – Windows XP

(info from Smart Computing – July, 2002)

            Windows XP Home has two types of accounts that give users either unlimited access to the computer or severely limit what they may do.  The first is the Administrator account and it gives the user the power to create and delete existing accounts, make any changes to the system and install or remove any software.  The second type of account is called Limited, and as the name suggests, it restricts the user from doing very much of anything.  A user can change his own password, personalize the settings on his Desktop, and access files that he has created (along with any files in the Shared Documents folder).  What he can’t do is install software, remove software or access any other users’ files.

            Click START – CONTROL PANEL – USER ACCOUNTS.  This screen lets you add new accounts to the computer or modify existing accounts.