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ClusterWhen a file is stored on a hard disk it is broken up into many pieces. These are called clusters. A cluster is the minimum space that can be allocated on the hard disk. So if your file is 3.5 times the cluster size it will still take up the space of 4 clusters. Therefore the smaller the size of the clusters in a partition the more efficient the use of storage space. However generally, the smaller the cluster size the longer it takes to access files. Extended DOS PartitionThis is a special partition that can contain other partitions. Partitions created within an Extended DOS Partition are called Logical DOS drives. FdiskStands for Fixed Disk Maintenance Utility. A utility provided with MSDOS based operating systems (Windows 95/98) to create and delete partitions. File SystemThis is how the operating system keeps track of what clusters a file is stored in. Different operating systems understand different file systems. Logical DOS DrivesThese are partitions created in an Extended DOS Partition. They allow MSDOS based operating systems (Windows 95/98) to use more than one partition. They will normally be assigned drive letters from D: upwards PartitionThese are organizational units on a hard disk. The drive letters that you see in the operating system are actually partitions. When you format C: you are in fact formatting the partition that has been assigned the drive letter C. There are many types of partition, Primary Partitions, Extended DOS Partitions and Logical DOS Drives are the ones that you are most likely to encounter. Primary PartitionYou can have up to 4 primary partitions on a single physical hard disk. However, MSDOS, Windows 95 and Windows 98 only understand the first primary partition. To use more than one partition in these operating systems you must create an Extended DOS Partition. The above operating systems will normally assign the drive letter C: to the primary partition that they can see. |