exFAT

exFAT (Extensible File Allocation Table) is a <a href="/facts/File_system/FdPm90uc">file system</a> optimized for <a href="/facts/Flash_memory/Cn8JsStx">flash memory</a> such as <a href="/facts/USB_flash_drive/Jv0qmTCF">USB flash drives</a> and <a href="/facts/Secure_Digital/RLL9UTly">SD cards</a>, that was introduced by <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> in 2006. exFAT was <a href="/facts/Proprietary_format/9j6BjD7t">proprietary</a> until 28 August 2019, when Microsoft published its specification. Microsoft owns <a href="/facts/Patent/LjT2bG3A">patents</a> on several elements of its design.
exFAT can be used where <a href="/facts/NTFS/dryNM3BK">NTFS</a> is not a feasible solution (due to data-structure overhead), but where a greater <a href="/facts/Large_file_support/sLFofvb7">file-size limit</a> than that of the standard <a href="/facts/FAT32/uFvpmWxa">FAT32</a> file system (i.e. 4 <a href="/facts/Gigabyte/s2hb2SEg">GB</a>) is required.
exFAT has been adopted by the <a href="/facts/SD_Association/NR9ACpG6">SD Association</a> as the default file system for <a href="/facts/SDXC/RLL9UTly">SDXC</a> and <a href="/facts/SDUC/RLL9UTly">SDUC</a> cards larger than 32 <a href="/facts/Gigabyte/s2hb2SEg">GB</a>.
Windows 8 and later versions natively support exFAT boot, and support the installation of the system in a special way to run in the exFAT volume.

exFAT open-in-new

exFAT