The Partition Magician May 1997 Thanks again for all of your comments. Frequently Asked Questions Newsletter Subscriptions File Systems vs. Operating Systems. A file system is the disk format your computer uses to store and retrieve information. An operating system is the bottom-level system program that manages use of the computer's resources and provides an environment for application programs. When discussing computer issues with technical support people or store clerks, we need to understand the difference.
Operating systems can support, or use, one or more file systems.
For example, Windows 95 B supports FAT and FAT32. Additionally, while the most common operating systems recognize the FAT file system, you reduce or eliminate certain benefits of the operating system by not running it on the file system for which it was designed. Each file system is unique, with benefits and shortcomings. While one may solve certain problems, others may be caused by such things as cluster storage, partition size limits, speed, or security issues. The idea for EZ-Boot sprang from user feedback to PowerQuest's flagship product, PartitionMagic.