| Platform SDK: Files and I/O |
Win32®-based applications rely on file systems to store and retrieve information on mass storage devices. File systems provide the underlying support that applications need to create and access files and directories on the individual volumes associated with the devices.
Each file system consists of one or more drivers and supporting dynamic-link libraries that define the data formats and features of the file system. These determine the conventions used for file names, the level of security and recoverability available, and the general performance of input and output (I/O) operations.