Windows 7 and 8 come pre-installed with a default installation on a partition formatted as NTFS. If you want to use an existing Windows 7 or 8 installation on an NTFS partition, you will need to reformat the partition as FAT32. ..
If you are new to working with partitions, then you may wonder what the differences between the different types are, and which ones you can install newer Windows systems on. With that in mind, today’s SuperUser Q&A post looks at a curious reader’s partition question.
Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites.
The Question
SuperUser reader 09stephenb wants to know if Windows 8 has to be installed on an NTFS partition:
Is an NTFS partition necessary for Windows 8 or not?
The Answer
SuperUser contributors kinokijuf and LPChip have the answer for us. First up, kinokijuf:
Followed by the answer from LPChip:
Besides, allowing users to install on FAT and FAT32 partitions in previous versions provided a false sense of security since these file systems do not support access control. Remember, one of the much-touted features of Windows Vista was increased security.
Have something to add to the explanation? Sound off in the comments. Want to read more answers from other tech-savvy Stack Exchange users? Check out the full discussion thread here.
As for copying files, that is a no. Windows needs to be installed in order for the installer to configure your boot order properly. Just copying files will not do it.
