| Platform SDK: Files and I/O |
A volume is a storage device, such as a fixed disk or floppy disk, formatted to store directories and files. Each volume has a root directory. Directories and files on the volume are organized in a tree structure that starts at the root directory. Each directory entry identifies the name, attributes, location, and size of a file or subdirectory.
A large volume can be divided into more than one logical volume, also called a partition. To the user and to the operating system, each partition appears to be a separate volume.
A file system is operating system software that manages the low-level organization of files on a volume. The operating system supports one or more of the following file systems:
The type of file system defines the file name conventions on a volume and may also provide specific file system features, such as security, recoverability, and high I/O performance. Each volume can use a different file system.
For more information on FAT and NTFS, see File Systems.