How does Windows use the File Allocation Table (FAT) file system and in what situations is it typically used?

[ProfRon]

Windows handles FAT like an old-school map for your files. It keeps track of where stuff sits on a drive. You plug in a thumb drive, and boom, it reads that map quick. I remember formatting my first USB with it years back. It links file pieces in clusters, nothing fancy. You won't see it on your main hard drive anymore, though. NTFS took over for that. But FAT shines when you need cross-platform chit-chat. Think sharing files with a Mac or Linux box. It pops up on SD cards too, for cameras and such. I use it for bootable sticks when fixing PCs. Situations like that keep it alive. You might format a floppy-wait, those are ancient now-for legacy gear. Or external drives that need wide compatibility. I once swapped photos on a FAT-formatted card between my phone and old printer. It just works without drama. Windows supports it natively, so you format right from Explorer. No extra software hassle. But watch the size limits; it chokes on huge drives. I hit that snag partitioning a big external once. Still, for small gigs, it's zippy and simple. You format, copy, done.

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