A very important characteristic of file systems such as FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS is the cluster size. This value determines the volume of indivisible blocks into which files are split when they are placed on the media. The smaller the cluster size, the more efficiently the disk space is used, but the less efficient the read and write processes. Therefore, it is worth increasing the cluster size on media intended for storing large files.
It is necessary
- - additional storage device of sufficient capacity;
- - administrative rights.
Instructions
Step 1
Create a directory for temporary storage of data from the media, which will be used to increase the size of the cluster. Use Windows Explorer or your preferred file manager. The temporary directory must be located on a different medium
Step 2
Copy all significant data from the drive to be modified to the temporary directory created in the previous step. Use the same file manager. Keep the folder structure when copying
Step 3
Start Computer Management. To do this, right-click on the "My Computer" icon. In the context menu, select the "Control" item. Alternatively, click the "Start" button on the taskbar, select "Settings" and "Control Panel". In the open window, open the shortcut "Administrative Tools" and then "Computer Management"
Step 4
Select the device and partition or logical drive on which to grow the cluster size. Activate the Disk Management snap-in by selecting the appropriate item in the Storage Devices group in the left pane. Find the drive you want in the lower right pane. Click on the item corresponding to the target partition or disk
Step 5
Open the formatting dialog. Click on the block highlighted in the previous step with the right mouse button. Select the "Formatting …" item in the context menu
Step 6
Set the formatting options for the partition or logical disk in the displayed dialog. Enter the volume label, select the file system type. Enter your preferred cluster size
Step 7
Format the partition or logical disk by creating a file system on it with the specified cluster size. Click OK. Wait for the end of the formatting process
Step 8
Copy or move the data saved in the second step in the temporary directory to the media you just formatted. Use a file manager or explorer
Step 9
Delete the temporary directory with all its contents.
