External HDD NTFS Formatting :Enable Compression?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ron
  • Start date Start date
R

Ron

I am preparing to reformat a new FAT32 120 GB External
HDD to NTFS. I will be using this HDD for the complete
backup of my computer and subsequent incremental backups.

1) Should I check (select) the "Enable Compression" box
in the Format dialog box? Any disadvantages?

2) Also concerning compression, when using Disk Cleanup
should the Compress Old Files box be checked. Any
disadvantages?

Thanks,
Ron
 
Hey Ron,

NTFS inherently supports compression, so it doesn't really
matter if you check the enable compression box. You can
individually compress folders and files by viewing their
properties. Checking that box will makes everything
default to being compressed. I would not check it, and
then compress as needed. Compressing files slows down
access to them, as they need to be decompressed to use
them. Same goes for disk cleanup. If space is or is
becoming an issue, go ahead and do it.

-James
 
Ron said:
I am preparing to reformat a new FAT32 120 GB External
HDD to NTFS. I will be using this HDD for the complete
backup of my computer and subsequent incremental backups.

1) Should I check (select) the "Enable Compression" box
in the Format dialog box? Any disadvantages?
Click to expand...

that is going to result in everything being compressed as it is put on
the disk, whether you want to or not. Consider if this is really a
good idea. It would matter a lot for a partition with the system on it,
but here the only point that really comes to mind is that backup files,
and things like JPG or MP3 or MPEG files are already compressed to the
limits, and further attempts to compress can actually make them bigger.
So see how it fits the pattern of use you expect. You can always
compress specific files or folders even if you do not turn on the
disk-wide compression
2) Also concerning compression, when using Disk Cleanup
should the Compress Old Files box be checked. Any
disadvantages?
Click to expand...

I prefer to decide for myself, but all it means is that should you use
it, then access one of these out of use files, it will take a moment
longer to load it as the decompression is done on the fly. But make
*very* sure you do not let the boot files in the root of C:. or system
components in Windows\system32 get compressed or they may be needed
before the necessary software gets loaded
 
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