File Allocation Table, Types, Uses, Best Advantages & How Does the File Allocation Table Work?

file allocation table : The full name of FAT is File Allocation Table, it is called File Allocation Table.A file allocation table is a table in the file system to describe the link relationship between the allocation status of the cluster and the file contents. This is a table in which the file is located.

What is File Allocation Table?

The FAT file system is a simple file system originally designed for smaller disks and simpler folder structures.

FAT was used in all of Microsoft’s consumer operating systems from MS-DOS to Windows ME. Although FAT is still a supported option on Microsoft’s newer operating systems, the primary file system used today is NTFS.

Types of File Allocation Table

The file allocation tables are as follows:-

  1. FAT12
  2. FAT16
  3. FAT32

File Allocation Tables are used for

The file allocation table is an important part of the FAT file system, and is also very important for hard disk usage. If the file allocation table is stray or lost, the all data on the hard disk cannot be finded as well as cannot be used.

Advantages of FAT

  1. Uses entire disk blocks for data.
  2. Random access is provided in this, although it is not very fast.
  3. Each file operation only needs to test FAT.

How File Allocation Table works?

  • A structure based on the FAT file system that maps the locations of the cluster in which files and folders are stored on disk.
  • Records the location of each cluster that makes up a given file and the order in which it is stored.

Conclusion

I think from this post, what is file allocation table (What is FAT), how many types are there, what is the use of file allocation table, what are the benefits of file allocation table and how does file allocation table work, about all this Well got information.

If still you have any other question regarding File Allocation Table then you can ask us by commenting.

FAQ’s

Q-1 : Which file allocation table does Android use?

Ans: Most of the modern Android devices support the exFAT file allocation system.

Q-2: Which table is used for linked list allocation in MS DOS?

Ans: FAT table is used in MS DOS for linked list allocation.

Q-3: How many types of FAT are there?

Ans: There are three types of FAT, FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32.

Q-4: What is Cluster in File Allocation Table?

Ans: In computer file system, cluster is sometimes also called allocation unit or block, it is a unit of allocating disk space for files and directories.

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