What is the NTFS file system, and do I need it? [See answer here]

Whenever you set up a new hard drive, external hard drive, or USB drive, you're faced with the question: which file system should I format my drive with? In many cases, NTFS is the default, recommended, and used file system for all sorts of storage devices.

But do you know what the NTFS file system is? What are its pros and cons? And when to use NTFS on a drive? In this article, we'll give you a complete guide on the NTFS file system. Let's get started.

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What is NTFS File System - Definition

Definition: According to Wikipedia, NTFS is a file system that Microsoft developed in July 1993 and is widely used by many platforms including Windows, Linux, and BSD. NTFS surpasses the FAT file system format and has better reading and writing support. Users can also use certain conversion commands to change the NTFS file system to other formats, for example, to convert NTFS to FAT32 or vice versa.

Here is a table with more detailed information about the NTFS file system. Please refer to the details:

So, how does an NTFS file system partition store data to make it accessible to Windows or any other platform? In the next section, we'll show you the structure of the NTFS file system and how an NTFS drive stores its data.

NTFS (New Technology File System) File System Structure - How NTFS Stores Data

In this section, you will learn about the structure of the NTFS file system and how an NTFS partition stores and saves data. Let's first take a look at how NTFS organizes and structures its data.

The NTFS structure consists of five components: the operating system boot record, MFT 1, MFT metadata, MFT2, and the data area.

See how each part works:

• Partition Boot Sector: Also known as PBS, it stores boot information.
• Main File Table: Abbreviated as MFT, it is a directory that stores metadata, such as file names, creation dates, access permissions, sizes, and more.
• Metadata Files: These help define and organize the file system, back up critical file system data, buffer changes to the file system, manage allocation of free space, and construct metadata structures more efficiently.
• Data Area: The unit where files and data are stored within a partition or external drive.

You can also refer to the image of the NTFS file system structure for more details:

Do I need to use the NTFS file system on Windows or a storage device? The answer is in the next section.

Do I Need the NTFS File System on Windows - Benefits of NTFS

So, do I need to use the NTFS file system on my computer or external storage device? When should I use NTFS? We'll discuss these questions in the article below. Let's dive into the details:

Advantages and Benefits of NTFS (New Technology File System):

• Fault tolerance: The NTFS file system can automatically fix file and folder issues caused by power failures or other errors.
• Security: The NTFS file system lets you set access permissions for certain local files and folders. In other words, you can make certain sensitive files inaccessible to other users.
• Compression: NTFS supports file compression, allowing you to compress files and folders to speed up your system's performance.
• Compatibility: The NTFS file system format is widely compatible with many operating systems, including Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP, Linux, and even macOS.

Note that the NTFS file system is read-only on a Mac. You need to enable NTFS on your Mac to access it.

• Large file transfer: NTFS supports saving large files. You can also use it to transfer and store huge video files on an NTFS drive.

When do you need NTFS and what can you use it for:

• Create new NTFS (default) partitions on Windows disks.
• Format USB, microSD cards, HDDs, and SSDs.
• Store and transfer large files, like games, videos, movies, and more.
• Install the Windows OS, apps, and games on NTFS partitions with MBR or GPT disk types.
• NTFS keeps a log of files added, modified, or deleted on the drive.

Which is better, NTFS or FAT?

Maybe some of you want to know more about the differences between NTFS and FAT, or are unsure which one to choose for your hard drive or USB format, right?

To understand the difference, we first need to look at FAT32, an older standard file system format that was used before NTFS and is compatible with all operating systems.

So, which is better, NTFS or FAT32? Here is a comparison chart of NTFS vs FAT32 for your reference to learn about their differences:

And you can see, from this picture, very clearly that:

- NTFS supports larger volumes and files than FAT32. - In addition, NTFS has error-correction capabilities to handle sudden errors. - NTFS allows files to be compressed. - FAT32 is more compatible with various operating systems than NTFS is. (Note that on MacOS X and macOS, NTFS can only be accessed in read-only mode.)

So when should you use NTFS, and when should you use FAT32? Here are a few guidelines:

• Use FAT32 on smaller USB flash drives or SD cards (32 GB or less).
• Use FAT32 on external hard drives for Windows and Mac computers.
• Use NTFS on internal hard drive partitions in Windows.
• Use NTFS when transferring large files.

Tutorial: How to Create an NTFS File System Partition on Windows 11/10

How do I create an NTFS file system partition on my computer? Here's a guide to help you through the process:

Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon and select “Disk Management.”

Step 2: Right-click on the “Unallocated” space on your hard drive, and select “New Simple Volume…”

Step 3. Set the new partition's file system to NTFS, specify the volume size, and click Next to proceed.

Step 4: Assign a drive letter, label, etc., then click “Next” and “Finish.”

Create an NTFS partition

Beginners on Windows can also turn to reliable partition managers, such as tools Partition Master, which with just a few clicks can create a new NTFS partition for you.

Step 1. Launch Partition Master. On the main interface, right-click unallocated space on the hard drive or external storage device and select "Create".

Step 2. Adjust the size of the new partition, the file system (choose the filesystem as required), the label, etc., and click OK to proceed.

Step 3. Click the Run 1 Task button, and then create a new partition by clicking Apply.

Watch the following video tutorial to learn how to create partitions on an NTFS, FAT, or EXT file system.

After that, you can use the NTFS-formatted partition to store files, install programs, and even boot Windows.

There may be times when you would also need to change or switch between NTFS and FAT32 file systems. Here are a few tips to try:

Aside from setting the NTFS file system for your hard drive partition format, you might also encounter some unexpected NTFS file system errors, such as a Blue Screen of Death or an NTFS file system error. In the following two guides, we'll show you how to fix these two issues on your own successfully.

Troubleshooting 1: NTFS Stop Code Error - NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM Blue Screen of Death in Windows

The "NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM" stop code error, also referred to as an "NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM" error or a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) error, typically appears with a blue screen error message that displays:

When you see this error, you might also see a message below it that says:

If you want to learn more, you can search for this error online: NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM.

So how do we fix this quickly? There are two solutions:

1. Wait for your computer to finish collecting error information to see if it restarts on its own.

If the computer did not restart, try holding down the power button to force the computer to turn back on.

If the blue screen error persists after a restart, try starting your computer in Safe Mode:

• Hold the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your computer.
• Press the power button to turn on your computer, then hold the power button for 10 seconds to turn it off again.
• Press the power button to turn on your computer. When Windows restarts, hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn it off.
• Press the power button to turn on your computer and let it restart into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
• Select “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Startup Settings” > “Restart.”
• After your computer restarts, press F5 to enter Safe Mode.

After the computer restarts in Safe Mode, follow the detailed steps in this guide to perform the fix:

Solve NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM Blue Screen Error in Windows

If you encounter the NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM blue screen error, refer to this page. You can find reliable methods here to fix and get rid of the NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM blue screen error on Windows 10/8 by yourself.

Question 2: How to fix corrupted NTFS file system

Sometimes, your NTFS file system hard drive partition or external hard disk might encounter device data access errors or file system corruption issues like RAW or others.

To fix errors on an NTFS file system, you can first try using the built-in NTFS repair tool of Windows:

Step 1: Right-click on the damaged NTFS partition

Step 2: Click Properties > Tools, and then under Error Checking, click Check Now.

The NTFS file system is an ideal choice for Windows operating systems and large file storage.

On this page, we delve into the NTFS file system, discussing its pros and cons and the structure of the NTFS file system. From the information provided, it becomes clear that NTFS is an ideal format for Windows hard drives and for storing and transferring large amounts of files.

If you're ready to get this file system on your drive, set up your hard disk now by creating and formatting a hard disk partition or convert FAT32/exFAT device to NTFS immediately with the Partition Master tool, which will help you accomplish all these tasks with just a few mouse clicks.