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Concept
File Allocation Table
Summary
File Allocation Table (FAT) is a developed for personal computers and was the default filesystem for MS-DOS and Windows 9x operating systems. Originally developed in 1977 for use on floppy disks, it was adapted for use on hard disks and other devices. The increase in disk drives capacity required three major variants: FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32. FAT was replaced with NTFS as the default file system on Microsoft operating systems starting with Windows XP. Nevertheless, FAT continues to be used on flash and other solid-state memory cards and modules (including USB flash drives), many portable and embedded devices because of its compatibility and ease of implementation.
FAT was also used on hard disks throughout the DOS and Windows 9x eras. Microsoft introduced NTFS with the Windows NT platform in 1993, but FAT remained the standard for the home user until the introduction of Windows XP in 2001. Windows Me was the final version of Windows to use FAT as its default file system.
For floppy disks, FAT has been standardized as ECMA-107 and ISO/IEC 9293:1994 (superseding ISO 9293:1987). These standards cover FAT12 and FAT16 with only short support; s with VFAT were partially patented. While FAT12 is used on floppy disks, FAT16 and FAT32 are typically found on the larger media.
FAT is used internally for the EFI system partition in the boot stage of EFI-compliant computers. Hidden FAT filesystems are also used in the UEFI boot partition on modern PCs.
FAT is still used in drives expected to be used by multiple operating systems, such as in shared Windows, Linux and DOS environments. Microsoft Windows additionally comes with a pre-installed tool to convert a FAT file system into NTFS directly without the need to rewrite all files, though this cannot be reversed easily. The FAT file system is used in removable media such as floppy disks, super-floppies, memory and flash memory cards or USB flash drives. FAT is supported by portable devices such as PDAs, digital cameras, camcorders, media players, and mobile phones.
Official source
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