exFAT

What is exFAT?

Extended File Allocation Table, or exFAT for short, is the improved version of the FAT file system. Technically, this is a particular type of file system that is designed for and used by USB flash drives.

Understanding exFAT

What is exFAT

The Extended File Allocation Table is a file system designed by Microsoft and launched in 2006 with Windows Vista and Windows CE.

The salient feature of this file system is the increased maximum file size in Windows from 4 GB, as it is in FAT32, to practically unlimited.

Apart from Windows, exFAT also supports Macs and Linux operating systems, which is why it is generally used as a sharable and common format for USB flash drives.

The most significant features of this file system, that makes it quite different, if not better than FAT32 and NTFS, are as follows:

Apart from that, in the mobile Windows versions only, the file systems also offer the following:

Most importantly, exFAT is highly compatible, being able to work with different types and versions of operating systems apart from Windows, such as:

Some other features, specifications, and requirements of the exFAT file system are as follows:

All these features and functionalities of the exFAT file system offer improved performance allowing proper allocation of free space and deletion.

The exFAT file system is used by several manufacturers today and many users of both Solid State Drives (SSDs) and Universal Serial Bus (USB) sticks.

Can You Change exFAT to NTFS?

Yes, you can change exFAT to NTFS (New Technology File System) quite easily by using the Command Prompt, Disk Management and File Explorer by following a few simple steps.

To change exFAT to NTFS by using Command Prompt, the steps to follow are:

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To change exFAT to NTFS by using Disk Management, the steps to follow are:

(Alternatively, you may go to This PC, right-click on it, select Manage, and go to Disk Management)

To change exFAT to NTFS by using File Explorer, the steps to follow are:

Can You Change exFAT to FAT32?

Yes, you can change exFAT to FAT32 in a few simple processes including via Disk Management, Command Prompt and even through a third-party exFAT to FAT32 converter.

However, before you start with the conversion process, you should make it a point to create a proper backup of the data. Once you have done that, these are the steps to follow.

To switch the file system from exFAT to FAT32 by using Disk Management, the necessary steps to follow are as follows:

To switch the file system from exFAT to FAT32 by using the Command Prompt, the necessary steps to follow are as follows:

To switch the file system from exFAT to FAT32 by using third-party software, the necessary steps to follow are as follows:

Is Formatting to exFAT Safe?

Yes, formatting a flash drive to exFAT is pretty safe if you work on Windows and Mac computers often.

It is compatible with both and allows easy transferring of files between these two operating systems. You will not need to reformat it every time or keep backup constantly.

However, the safety aspect largely depends on whether or not you format it correctly. If you are not sure about it, here are four easy ways to go ahead with it.

You can format your flash drive to exFAT by using File Explorer. The steps to follow are:

You can format your flash drive to exFAT by using Disk Management. The steps to follow are:

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You can format your flash drive to exFAT by using the Command Prompt. The steps to follow are:

You can format your flash drive to exFAT by using Windows PowerShell. The steps to follow are:

Can Any Flash Drive be exFAT?

Yes, any flash drive can be exFAT but it does not make any sense to format a small USB flash drive, say, 4 GB, to exFAT.

This is because you will not be able to store files larger than 4 GB in it, ever. Ideally, it is best for drives equal to or greater than 32 GB.

Actually, you should format a flash drive to exFAT when:

Advantages

Disadvantages

exFAT Vs NTFS

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Questions & Answers:

Why exFAT Takes Up More Space?

The exFAT file system takes up more space mainly due to its design which supports large files in excess of 4 GB and a higher cluster size and volume size. Moreover, the default allocation unit size is also large.

Typically, in an exFAT system even a file of 100 bytes may take up one cluster, as opposed to other file systems such as NTFS that can store small files as an internal attribute in the Master File Table.

Can Windows 10 Run on exFAT?

Yes, exFAT is compatible with Windows 10. In fact, it is widely supported on a wide variety of operating systems apart from most mainstream Windows versions, such as MacOS X and even Linux, with additional software.

However, the degree of support may vary between different versions. Typically, for Windows 10, you will probably be better off using it on the NTFS file system.

Is exFAT Good for Large Files?

Yes, exFAT is good for large files because it is specially designed for them. Therefore, you can use it to handle really large file sizes such as the ones that are used for audio and video.

It will allow you to exchange files seamlessly between removable storage devices, regardless of the type or the operating system. As a matter of fact, the maximum file size limit of exFAT is pretty high, at 16 EiB (Exbibyte).

Is exFAT Good for SD Cards?

Though it is advertised that exFAT supports regular memory cards, it is better not to use it with an exFAT-formatted memory card.

Typically, it is found that the product does not offer support for the Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) memory cards especially, or even the exFAT format in which these cards are formatted. There is a high possibility of data loss and damage to the card.

Should You Use exFAT?

Yes, you may use exFAT in place of NTFS especially if you want to use a storage device on both Windows and Mac systems.

It is surely a good and reliable format and is probably the best one to use for larger portable storage devices. It is quite flexible and allows hassle-free exchange of files between two systems.

Does exFAT Affect Performance?

Yes, when you compare exFAT with other file systems such as FAT32 and NTFS, you will see a notable increase in performance.

In fact, exFAT will offer up to about 9% performance gain in comparison to 5% of the other file systems, when you read a medium-sized file from a USB flash drive.

Conclusion

As you can see, exFAT is one of the best formats for storage devices, especially for the portable storage devices, with Windows operating systems.

It offers more power efficiency and helps with better memory management.

The most significant aspect of it is that you can use it for both Windows and macOS.