File Systems

In Windows CE .NET, internal file systems can be either RAM-and ROM-based or ROM-only. External file-systems that use storage cards, ATA devices, or flash memory are FAT-based. All three types of file systems use the same Win32-based file APIs for access, and there is a file-size limit of 4 GB.

Windows CE also supports the Compact Disc File System (CDFS) and Universal Disc File System (UDFS), which are used to read compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), and CD-ROMs. CDFS and UDFS use the ATAPI block driver for navigating and audio/video playback. The CDFS follows the ISO 9660 specification for file systems, with the Joliet extension that provides support for file names up to 64 characters in length and Unicode characters.

The Storage Manager is responsible for all external storage items, such as file systems, file system filters, and partitioning.

For information about initializing file systems during system startup, see Filesys.exe Boot Process.

See Also

Migrating from an Open Source Platform to Windows CE | File Compression | File Systems and Data Store

Last updated on Wednesday, April 13, 2005

© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.