The stick that would not take a film
A user copies a 6 GB film to a memory stick. The computer says: "File too large." The stick has 32 GB free.
The reason is not the stick. It is how the stick was formatted. Each file system has its own rules.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| File system | the way a drive organises and names files |
| Format | to prepare a partition with a file system so it can hold files |
| Quick format | a fast format that clears the file list but not the data |
| Full format | a slow format that writes over the data and checks for bad sectors |
| Bad sector | a damaged part of a drive that cannot be trusted |
| Journal | a log that helps a file system recover after a crash |
| Swap | drive space used as extra memory when memory is full |
| Share | a folder or drive offered for other computers to use |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can name common file systems, say where each is used, and compare a quick and a full format.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsHave a go: your answers are marked here and then forgotten. Sign in if you would like your score kept, and to pick up where you left off.Sign in to keep your score
Your answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
File systems and where they are used
| File system | Where used | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| FAT32 | Small USB sticks, old devices | Works almost everywhere, but a file may not be over 4 GB |
| exFAT | Flash drives and cards | Works on Windows and Mac, and allows very big files |
| NTFS | Windows system drives | Has permissions and a journal |
| ReFS | Windows Server storage | Built to resist damage to data |
| ext3 | Older Linux | Has a journal |
| ext4 | Modern Linux | The successor to ext3: bigger, faster |
| HFS | Older Apple Macs | Apple's older file system, since replaced by newer Apple formats |
| NFS | Servers and shares | It shares files across a connection and is not a drive format |
| Swap partition | Linux | Not for files: extra memory on the drive |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check: file systems
Have a go
Check: file systems
4 questionsHave a go: your answers are marked here and then forgotten. Sign in if you would like your score kept, and to pick up where you left off.Sign in to keep your score
Your answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.