220-1102 Question 530
Single answerStandard formattingA technician is preparing a new 2 TB internal hard drive in a Windows 11 workstation for general data storage. The drive will be used only on modern Windows systems, and the user wants the disk set up using the standard formatting approach for a new volume so it is ready for normal file storage. Which file system should the technician choose during formatting?
- A
NTFS
- B
FAT32
- C
exFAT
- D
ReFS
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
For a new internal hard drive in a modern Windows PC, NTFS is the standard formatting choice. In A+ Core 2 contexts, technicians are expected to know standard formatting and file system selection based on use case. NTFS is preferred for internal Windows volumes because it provides security features, reliability through journaling, and support for large files and partitions. FAT32 is mainly kept for legacy compatibility and is restricted by its 4 GB maximum file size. exFAT is better suited to removable media that may be shared across operating systems. ReFS exists for specialized use cases and is not the normal default for standard workstation storage formatting. Microsoft documentation and common Windows deployment practices identify NTFS as the default and recommended file system for standard Windows internal volumes.
- A. Correct.
Correct. NTFS is the standard file system used for formatting internal Windows volumes intended for normal everyday use. It supports permissions, encryption, compression, quotas, journaling, and large files and partitions, making it the default and best-practice choice for an internal data drive on Windows 11.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. FAT32 is an older file system with broad compatibility, but it has major limitations, including a maximum file size of 4 GB. It is typically used only when compatibility with older systems or devices is required, not as the standard choice for a modern internal Windows storage volume.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. exFAT is commonly used for removable media such as USB flash drives and external drives when cross-platform compatibility is needed. Although it supports large files, it is not the standard formatting choice for an internal Windows system drive or general internal data volume compared with NTFS.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. ReFS is a Microsoft file system designed for specific enterprise and resiliency-focused scenarios. It is not the typical standard formatting option a technician would select for a basic internal storage drive in a normal Windows workstation deployment.