What is a file allocation table (FAT)?
Q: What is a file allocation table (FAT)?
A: A file allocation table (FAT) is a way that computers look up stored data on a storage device. It is a list of clusters that show where a computer file is stored, and it can be found in the first few clusters of the storage device.
Q: What types of storage devices use FAT?
A: FAT can be used on floppy disks, USB flash drives, SD cards and other high capacity storage devices.
Q: What are the advantages of using FAT?
A: The FAT file system is simple and robust, making it well suited for lightweight uses. Additionally, it is supported by nearly all currently developed operating systems for personal computers as well as many mobile devices and embedded systems, making it ideal for data exchange between computers and devices of almost any type or age from 1981 up to the present.
Q: Are there any drawbacks to using FAT?
A: While FAT works well even in lightweight uses, it cannot deliver the same speed, reliability and scalability as some modern file systems.
Q: Is there always one backup copy of the FAT?
A: Yes - there are always two identical copies of the FAT; one being a backup of the other.
