The All-Important NTFS Format


Windows 2000 and Windows XP support three formats of file systems: FAT, FAT32, and NTFS. FAT and FAT32 are file systems used by the Windows 95, 98, and ME operating systems to organize and manage files. The file allocation table (FAT) is a data structure that Windows creates when you format a drive partition (which I will call a volume from now on) by using the FAT or FAT32 file systems. Windows stores information about each file in the FAT so that it can retrieve the file later. NTFS is an advanced file system written specifically for Windows NT, the original source of Windows 2000 and Windows XP. It provides, according to Microsoft, performance, security, reliability, and advanced features not found in any version of FAT. For the purposes of this book, we are interested in the advanced NTFS features, such as file and folder permissions and, to a lesser extent, file encryption.

The reasons why we are interested in NTFS volumes instead of FAT volumes follow:

  • On a NTFS drive, if you grant read/write permissions for a user group for a folder like \\wg1\myfiles\ , you will then be able to vary permissions for that same group for a subfolder, like \\wg1\myfiles\dbase\ . On a FAT volume, you cannot vary permissions for subfolders .

  • To protect a database by storing it in the personal profile areas of the Documents and Settings folders, you need to use NTFS because on a FAT32 volume, any user of the computer can read any other user's personal information.

  • Windows XP and 2000 will provide protection for important folders such as the top level of the C: drive, the Windows folder (all the system files), and the Program Files folder.

  • To share a volume between a new operating system and a Windows 98 or ME operating system, you will need to use a FAT volume because those older operating systems do not support NTFS.

  • With Fat32 volumes, lower level folder network shares inherit the permissions from higher up the folder tree, which thereby renders any additional protection on the folder worthless unless you upgrade to NTFS.

Caution  

Never set up a network share for a complete C: drive or any drive that has the operating system on it. Windows XP and 2000 will probably cover you for this issue, but not if you are running a FAT32-formatted drive.

Finding Out Whether Your Drive Partition Uses NTFS

To use NTFS, you will need to be using Windows XP or Windows 2000 because Windows ME or Windows 98 only supports volumes formatted with FAT or FAT32. To find out whether your drive partition uses NTFS:

  1. Open Windows Explorer or double-click My Computer on your desktop.

  2. Find and right-click the Drive Volume, such as C: or D: drive.

  3. Choose Properties.

  4. You will find the file system in the General tab.

Converting From FAT Volumes to NTFS

To convert a file from FAT to NTFS, you should search your Windows 2000 or Windows XP help for NTFS. You will find the help that you need under the topic "To convert a volume to NTFS from the command prompt." You can also find this information at the following address:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/itpro/managing/convertfat.asp

It goes without saying that you should make sure that you have your backups in order before you convert the volume.




Real World Microsoft Access Database Protection and Security
Real World Microsoft Access Database Protection and Security
ISBN: 1590591267
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 176

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