Virtual FAT (VFAT)

Microsoft incorporated several enhancements into the disk management capabilities of Windows 95. Access to the file system can be done using high-speed, protected-mode, 32-bit drivers, or for compatibility, the older DOS 16-bit routines. Support was added for long file names and also for better control over such matters as disk locking, so utilities could access the disk in "exclusive mode" without fear of other programs using it in the meantime.

Despite the new name and new capabilities, VFAT as a file system is basically the same as FAT is. Most of the new capabilities relate to how the file system is used, and not the actual structures on the disk. VFAT handles standard FAT16 partitions, and under Windows 95 OSR2 or later, FAT32 partitions as well. The only significant change in terms of actual structures is the addition of long file names. Even here, VFAT supports these using what is basically a hack, as opposed to anything really revolutionary.

With the exception of the long file names, Windows 95, using VFAT, shares the same logical disk structures as DOS or Windows 3.x using FAT.

Next: NT File System (NTFS)