The limit of the filesystem was always 2TB, but Microsoft had this artificial 32GB limit in their built-in format tool. You could easily format a larger FAT32 partition using third-party or Linux-based tools.
I think this was an artificial limit kept in place to ensure exFAT adoption, specifically to ensure manufacturers paid their licenses.
Of course, there is still the 4GB file size limit to contend with, but I've never had a problem using a 256GB FAT32 partition on older devices, for example.
This is just a GUI change. Windows already supports mounting these larger drives and already supports formatting these larger drives on the command line. Nothing about the actual spec is changing.
For PCs of the late 90s and early to mid 00s, yes. 'To promote NTFS.'
For Memory cards?
No.
That's much more closely tied to 'convenience of the memory card consortium'. Specifically, 'It's VERY convenient for the filesystem to have an allocation unit size that is a whole divisible factor of the erase unit size, with 1:1 being *oh so VERY convenient*!'
For devices up to about 32gb in size, this 'convenient coincidence!' Held. Larger devices however, have erase unit sizes far too large for FAT32 to
Just in time for the 21st century.
The limit of the filesystem was always 2TB, but Microsoft had this artificial 32GB limit in their built-in format tool. You could easily format a larger FAT32 partition using third-party or Linux-based tools.
I think this was an artificial limit kept in place to ensure exFAT adoption, specifically to ensure manufacturers paid their licenses.
Of course, there is still the 4GB file size limit to contend with, but I've never had a problem using a 256GB FAT32 partition on older devices, for example.
This is just a GUI change. Windows already supports mounting these larger drives and already supports formatting these larger drives on the command line. Nothing about the actual spec is changing.
All modern OS are now using NTFS for 2 decades now.
Except, you know, everyone who doesn't use Windows.
Incidentally, the XBox 360 couldn't mount NTFS volumes, but HFS+ was fine. I always thought that was odd.
Yes, and no.
For PCs of the late 90s and early to mid 00s, yes. 'To promote NTFS.'
For Memory cards?
No.
That's much more closely tied to 'convenience of the memory card consortium'. Specifically, 'It's VERY convenient for the filesystem to have an allocation unit size that is a whole divisible factor of the erase unit size, with 1:1 being *oh so VERY convenient*!'
For devices up to about 32gb in size, this 'convenient coincidence!' Held. Larger devices however, have erase unit sizes far too large for FAT32 to