What is a file system, and name two common types?

• A. A file system is a network protocol for transferring files; examples include FTP and HTTP.
• B. A file system is a data compression scheme; examples ZIP and RAR.
• C. A file system organizes and stores files on storage; examples NTFS and FAT32.
• D. A file system is a hardware controller for disks.

Answer: (C)

A file system is the way an operating system organizes and stores files on a storage device. It creates a directory structure, assigns names, and keeps track of where the data for each file actually lives on the disk. It also stores metadata such as file size, timestamps, and permissions, and it manages how space is allocated so data can be read and written efficiently, with features that help keep data reliable.

Two common types are NTFS and FAT32. NTFS is used by modern Windows systems and supports large files, detailed security permissions, and reliability features like journaling. FAT32 is older and more universally compatible, but it has limitations such as a maximum file size of 4 GB and simpler metadata.

Other options describe things like network file transfer protocols or data compression formats, which are not how files are stored on a disk.