CompTIA Tech+ (FC0-U71)Applications and SoftwareMedium
A user frequently works with large video files, some exceeding 6GB in size, and needs to transfer them between their Windows desktop and a portable external hard drive. The external drive is formatted with the FAT32 file system. The user reports an error when trying to copy any file larger than 4GB to the external drive. Which file system should the technician recommend for the external drive to resolve this issue while maintaining compatibility with Windows?
- AAPFS
- BNTFS
- Cext4
- DHFS+
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. NTFS
FAT32 has a limitation of a 4GB maximum file size. NTFS (New Technology File System) is a Windows-native file system that supports much larger file sizes and is the standard for modern Windows installations. ext4 is for Linux, and HFS+/APFS are for macOS, neither of which are ideal for Windows compatibility without additional software.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. APFS is Apple File System, used by newer macOS versions, and is not natively supported by Windows.
- C. ext4 is primarily used by Linux operating systems and would require third-party software for full read/write access on Windows.
- D. HFS+ is the Apple Hierarchical File System, used by older macOS versions, and is not natively fully supported by Windows.
NTFS (New Technology File System)
The standard file system for Windows NT and later operating systems, offering advanced features like security, journaling, and support for very large files and partitions.
- Supports file sizes up to 16 exabytes.
- Provides file-level security and compression.
- Includes journaling for data recovery.
Memory trick: FAT is old and small, NTFS is new and huge, ext4 is for Linux, HFS+/APFS for Mac.