如果您曾经格式化过驱动器，无论是可移动驱动器还是计算机内部驱动器，您都会看到NTFS一词显示为格式化选项。您可能已经问过自己NTFS是什么意思，如果您阅读了这篇文章，那么您正在寻找答案。如果您想知道NTFS 文件系统^{(file system)}是什么以及为什么应该使用NTFS格式化驱动器，请继续阅读：

什么是 NTFS？

NTFS是NT File System或New Technology File System的首字母缩写，是指操作系统^{(operating system)}用来识别文件如何在硬盘驱动器 ( HDD )、固态驱动器 ( SSD ) 上存储、命名和组织的^(SSD)文件系统^{(file system)})、USB 记忆^{(USB memory)}棒、microSD 卡和其他类似的存储设备。

NTFS 是什么时候发明的，是谁发明的？

NTFS是由Microsoft开发的^(Microsoft)文件系统^{(file system)}。它于1993 年 7 月^{(July 1993)}随着Windows NT 3.1的发布而首次推出。因为它是为与Windows NT系列操作系统一起工作而创建的，所以Microsoft将其称为NT 文件系统^{(NT File System)}，它的缩写形式为NTFS。在NTFS之前，Windows操作系统使用FAT32文件系统。但是，FAT32有其局限性，例如它只能处理小于 4GB 的文件和最大为 8TB 的分区。此外，它在断电^{(power outage)}的情况下也没有提供任何数据保护^{(data protection)}。NTFS解决了所有这些问题，甚至更多：它提供了更好的元数据支持、更好的性能，因为它改进了数据结构、更高的可靠性等等。

NTFS作为一种文件系统^{(file system)}在其生命周期中不断发展，因为微软^(Microsoft)在其初始版本上不断改进，并在这些年来发布了一系列更新。主要的NTFS版本如下：

• NTFS 1：当Windows NT 3.1于 1993 年推出时，第一个出现在世界各地的版本。

• NTFS 1.1：于 1995 年与Windows NT 3.51一起发布。

• NTFS 1.2：1996 年与Windows NT 4.0一起推出。^{(Windows NT 4.0)}

• NTFS 3.0：首先在Windows 2000中引入，于 2000 年可供消费者使用。

• NTFS 3.1：2001 年随Windows XP一起发布。虽然它获得了许多新功能，但核心NTFS版本从那时起就没有改变。NTFS 3.1曾在 Windows XP、Windows Vista、Windows 7、Windows 8 和 8.1 中使用，并且仍在 Windows 10 中使用。

使用 NTFS 的优点

NTFS是一种文件系统^{(file system)}，具有很多优点。一些最重要的如下：

• NTFS是一个可靠^(reliable)的文件系统。它可以在断电或系统故障的情况下恢复文件系统的一致性。它还可以通过将可恢复数据从此类扇区移动到健康扇区并将坏扇区标记为不使用来重新映射坏扇区。

• 它通过让您设置文件和文件夹的权限来提供安全性^(security)，这样只有设置的用户和用户组才能访问它们。
• 它支持大容量分区，理论上最大大小高达 16 EiB（exbibytes）减去 1 KB，约为 1152921 TB（TB）！但是， Windows^(Windows)操作系统接受的最大分区大小为 256 TB，这仍然是一个相当大的值。^{(partition size)}

• NTFS支持磁盘配额^{(disk quotas)}，这是一种控制驱动器或分区上可用存储空间的方法。它们允许管理员设置每个用户可以在特定驱动器或分区上存储的信息量。如果您想知道如何在自己的 Windows 计算机上执行此操作，请阅读本指南：简单问题：什么是磁盘配额以及如何在 Windows 中设置它们？。

• 它可以使用文件压缩^{(file compression)}来增加磁盘上的可用存储空间^{(storage space)}。但是，对于家庭用户^{(home user)}来说，收益被系统性能损失^{(system performance loss)}所掩盖：每次访问压缩文件时，操作系统^{(operating system)}都必须对其进行解压缩，并且每次使用完它们时，它都必须重新压缩它们。
• 它允许您使用挂载的卷^{(mounted volumes)}，这意味着您可以将磁盘^{(access disk)}卷作为文件系统中的常规文件夹进行访问。

• NTFS可以通过监视磁盘上文件中连续大面积的零来从稀疏文件^{(sparse files)}中重新获得可用空间。可以用元数据替换文件的这些区域，而不是让磁盘空间被空信息占用，元数据告诉操作系统在那里找到了空空间。

• NTFS具有日志^(journaling)功能，这意味着它会记录在驱动器上添加、修改或删除的文件。

使用 NTFS 的缺点

NTFS文件系统的缺点是：

• 许多移动设备（如Android智能手机和平板电脑）不支持开箱即用的NTFS 。

• NTFS格式的驱动器可以被 Mac OS 计算机读取，但只能在第三方软件的帮助下写入。

• 一些较旧的一些较旧的媒体设备，例如DVD播放器、电视^(TVs)或数码相机，也不提供对NTFS存储设备的支持。
• 它不包括像其他较新的文件^{(file system)}系统那样保证文件系统的^{(file system)}性能和带宽^{(performance and bandwidth)}的系统。
• 它不能像其他文件系统那样处理无限数量的子目录。单个目录中限制为 16.000 个文件夹。对于大多数用户来说，这并不代表问题。

NTFS 是如何使用的？

NTFS是自Windows XP以来^{(Windows XP)}Microsoft操作系统使用的默认文件系统^{(default file system)}。自Windows XP^{(Windows XP use)}以来的所有Windows版本都使用NTFS版本3.1。NTFS也是一个极好的选择，也是具有大存储容量的外部硬盘驱动器上的流行文件系统，因为它支持大分区和大文件。^{(file system)}

NTFS不常用于 SD 卡和存储容量^{(storage capacity)}较小的USB 记忆^{(USB memory)}棒。在这种情况下，首选FAT32或exFAT，因为与媒体设备的兼容性更好。

如果您想了解有关用于格式化各种设备的最佳文件系统的最佳实践的更多信息，您应该阅读本指南： ^{(file system)}FAT32 还是 NTFS^{(FAT32 or NTFS)}？如何格式化 SD 卡、记忆棒和硬盘。

NTFS比FAT32快还是慢？

NTFS文件系统应该比FAT32更快。为了确定这是否属实，我们使用CrystalDiskMark运行了一些基准测试，在我们办公桌上的一些存储设备上使用这两个文件系统。我们用了：

1. 256GB Samsung NVMe M.2 PCI Express X4 SSD在我们的Lenovo Legion Y520 笔记本电脑^{(Lenovo Legion Y520 laptop)}中找到（由数字 1^{(number 1)}表示），
2. 一个 250GB SATA III 三星 750 ^{(SATA III Samsung 750)} EVO SSD（由数字 2^{(number 2)}表示），
3. 金士顿 DataTraveler microDuo 3C^{(Kingston DataTraveler microDuo 3C)}（由字母3^{(letter 3)}表示），
4. IronKey D300（由字母4^{(letter 4)}表示），以及
5. SanDisk Ultra Fit （由字母 5 表示）。

以下是我们使用NTFS文件系统格式化它们时测量的速度：

以下是我们在使用FAT32时记录的所有速度：

通过查看这些结果，您可以看到两个固态驱动器（由数字 1 和 2 表示）在从NTFS 文件系统^{(file system)}读取数据时速度更快，但在写入数据时结果相似。我们在IronKey D300^{(IronKey D300)}（以数字 4^{(number 4)}表示）和SanDisk Ultra Fit（以数字 5^{(number 5)}表示）也看到了同样的情况，它们在使用NTFS时读取数据的速度也是最快的。

我们得出的结论是，如果您想要速度，最好使用NTFS，尤其是在固态驱动器上，与旧的FAT32文件系统相比，读取速度要高得多。

你使用NTFS吗？

如果您拥有一台 Windows 计算机或平板电脑^{(Windows computer or tablet)}，那么您很可能也在使用NTFS。但是，我们很好奇：您是否使用NTFS作为外部硬盘驱动器、 USB 记忆^{(USB memory)}棒和SD 存储^{(SD memory)}卡的首选文件系统？^{(file system)}在下面发表评论，让我们讨论使用^(Comment)NTFS文件系统^{(file system)}的利弊。

Simple questions: What is NTFS and why is it useful?

If you havе ever formatted a drive, be it removable or intеrnal to your сomputer, then you havе seen the term NTFS displayed as an option for formatting. You may have asked yourself what NTFS meant and, if you landed on this article, you are looking for the answer. If you want to know what the NTFS file system is and why you should format your drives using NTFS, read on:

What is NTFS?

NTFS is an acronym for NT File System or New Technology File System and refers to a file system used by the operating system to identify how files are stored, named and organized on a hard-disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), USB memory stick, microSD card and other similar storage devices.

When was NTFS invented and by who?

NTFS is a file system that was developed by Microsoft. It was first introduced in July 1993, with the release of Windows NT 3.1. Because it was created to work with the Windows NT family of operating systems, Microsoft called it the NT File System, which became NTFS in its abbreviated form. Before NTFS, the Windows operating systems used the FAT32 file system. However, FAT32 had its limitations, such as the fact that it could work only with files smaller than 4GB and partitions with a maximum size of 8TB. Also, it did not offer any data protection in case of a power outage. NTFS was the answer to all these problems and more: it provided better support for metadata, better performance because of its improved data structuring, more reliability and so on.

NTFS as a file system has evolved during its lifetime, as Microsoft kept improving on its initial version and released a series of updates over the years. The major NTFS versions are the following:

• NTFS 1: the first release that came to see the world when Windows NT 3.1 was launched in 1993.

• NTFS 1.1: was released in 1995, with Windows NT 3.51.

• NTFS 1.2: launched with Windows NT 4.0 in 1996.

• NTFS 3.0: was first introduced in Windows 2000, which was available to consumers in the year 2000.

• NTFS 3.1: was released with Windows XP in 2001. Although it had received many new features, the core NTFS version has not changed since then. NTFS 3.1 was used in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1, and it is still being used in Windows 10.

The pros of using NTFS

NTFS is a file system that offers plenty of advantages. Some of the most important are the following:

• NTFS is a reliable file system. It can restore the consistency of the file system in case of a power loss or system failure. It can also remap bad sectors by moving recoverable data from such sectors to healthy ones, and by tagging the bad sectors as not to be used.

• It offers security, by letting you set permissions on files and folders, so that only set users and groups of users can access them.
• It supports large size partitions, with a theoretical maximum size of a whopping 16 EiB (exbibytes) minus 1 KB, which is approximately 1152921 TB (terabytes)! However, the maximum partition size accepted by Windows operating systems is of 256 TB, which is still a considerable value.

• NTFS supports disk quotas, which are a means of controlling the storage space available on a drive or partition. They allow administrators to set the amount of information each user can store on a specific drive or partition. If you want to know how to do that on your own Windows computer, read this guide: Simple questions: What are disk quotas & How to set them in Windows?.

• It can use file compression to increase the free storage space available on a disk. However, for the home user, the gains are overshadowed by the system performance loss: each time you access compressed files, the operating system has to decompress them, and each time you finish working with them, it has to re-compress them.
• It allows you to use mounted volumes, which means that you can access disk volumes as regular folders in your files system.

• NTFS can regain free space from sparse files, by monitoring the consecutive large areas of zeros from files on the disk. Instead of keeping disk space occupied by empty information, these areas of the files can be replaced with metadata that tells the operating system that that empty space is found there.

• NTFS has journaling, which means that it keeps a log of the files added, modified or deleted on a drive.

The cons of using NTFS

The disadvantages of the NTFS file system are:

• Many mobile devices such as Android smartphones and tablets, do not support NTFS out of the box.

• NTFS formatted drives can be read by Mac OS computers, but they can be written to only with the help of third-party software.

• Some older some older media devices such as DVD players, TVs, or digital cameras, also do not offer support for NTFS storage devices.
• It does not include a system for guaranteeing performance and bandwidth to the file system like other newer file systems do.
• It cannot work with an unlimited number of subdirectories like other file systems do. It is limited to 16.000 folders in a single directory. For most users, this does not represent a problem.

How is NTFS used?

NTFS is the default file system used by Microsoft's operating systems, since Windows XP. All Windows versions since Windows XP use NTFS version 3.1. NTFS is also an excellent choice and a popular file system on external hard-disk drives with large storage capacities because it supports large partitions and big files.

NTFS is not often used on SD cards, and USB memory sticks with small storage capacity. In this cases, FAT32 or exFAT are preferred because of the better compatibility with media devices.

If you want to learn more about the best practices regarding the best file system used for formatting various devices, you should read this guide: FAT32 or NTFS? How to format SD cards, memory sticks, and hard drives.

Is NTFS faster or slower than FAT32?

The NTFS file system should be faster than FAT32. To see if that is true, we ran a few benchmarks with CrystalDiskMark, using these two file systems on a few storage devices that we had on our desk. We used:

1. the 256GB Samsung NVMe M.2 PCI Express X4 SSD found in our Lenovo Legion Y520 laptop (represented by number 1),
2. a 250GB SATA III Samsung 750 EVO SSD (represented by number 2),
3. a Kingston DataTraveler microDuo 3C (represented by letter 3),
4. an IronKey D300 (represented by letter 4), and
5. a SanDisk Ultra Fit (represented by letter 5).

Here are the speeds we measured when we formatted them using the NTFS filesystem:

And here are the speeds we recorded on all of them when using FAT32:

From looking at these results, you can see that both solid state drives (represented by the numbers 1 and 2) were faster at reading data from an NTFS file system, but the results were similar when writing data. We also see the same thing with the IronKey D300 (represented by number 4) and with the SanDisk Ultra Fit (represented by number 5), which were also the fastest at reading data when using NTFS.

We conclude that it is best to use NTFS if you want speed, especially on solid state drives, where the reading speeds are higher by a significant margin compared to the old FAT32 file system.

Do you use NTFS?

If you own a Windows computer or tablet, it is most likely that you are also using NTFS. However, we are curious: do you use NTFS as your file system of choice for external hard-drives, USB memory sticks, and SD memory cards? Comment below and let's discuss the pros and cons of using the NTFS file system.

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