Virtual File Allocation Table

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What Does Virtual File Allocation Table Mean?

A virtual file allocation table (VFAT) is an extension to the file allocation table (FAT) from Windows 95 and onward for creating, storing and managing files with long names. VFAT enables a hard disk drive to store files with names that are more than eight characters long.

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Techopedia Explains Virtual File Allocation Table

A VFAT is primarily an upgrade to the file allocation table (FAT) system, and is installed as a driver on a host computer. After installation, VFAT runs in a 32-bit protected mode VCACHE cache. Unlike FAT, which restricts file names to having no more than eight characters, VFAT expanded that range to accommodate up to 255 characters. VFAT is also supported by other operating systems and is installed as a driver extension for all of them.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.