What is FAT? How FAT Recovery Works?

FAT (File Allocation Table) is a file system that tracks clusters on storage volume. It is used and supported by different operating systems to store and manage files on drives and other systems. A FAT file system is generally used in digital cameras, flash memory, portable devices, etc. There are three different versions of FAT: FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32. Further, let’s understand a bit more about them.

Versions of FAT

These are as follows:

• FAT12: The initial version of FAT is referred to as FAT12. It was basically designed for floppy disks and limits the cluster addresses to 12-bit value only. In addition, it can have a maximum cluster count of 4087. It contains 1.5 bytes per cluster within the allocation table.
• FAT16: In this cluster addresses increased from 12-bit to 16-bit and can have the maximum cluster count of 65526 per volume. FAT16 is much more flexible than FAT12. But still, it fails to meet the requirements of increasing memory in today's world. It contains 2 bytes per cluster within the allocation table.
• FAT32: The most widely known version of FAT is FAT32. This version is much superior to the earlier version of FAT i.e. FAT12 and FAT16. This file system can address clusters up to 32-bit value. The maximum count is 268,435,456. It is mostly used in portable devices like iPods, memory cards, etc. It contains 4 bytes per cluster within the allocation table.

Well since we know all about the FAT file system. It is important to understand that these file systems can also get damaged or corrupted. And, if this happens, the data becomes inaccessible. In such a case, FAT recovery is essential.

How FAT Recovery Works?

Generally, there is a manual way for FAT recovery, i.e., by finding directory entries marked as deleted. Or searching partition tables for any damage or error, resulting in corruption. However, it is too lengthy and complex, and users must have technical knowledge for it.

Therefore, for an instant and risk-free FAT file recovery, expert-recommended professional software is the best choice. It is the SysInfo Windows Data Recovery Tool. This software recovers all lost documents, emails, images, videos, and more in the original state within seconds. Furthermore, it also provides advanced recovery options and unique features for the recovery. Therefore, it is an optimum solution to recover data on Windows without any size limitations or other restrictions.