Dear Microsoft Software Engineer:
1.0.1 -- Microsoft released versions, year 2008, of exFAT file system ( pending Microsoft patent 016,440 ) for software operator system 64-bit Windows 5-2002XP ( Microsoft / OEM ); and separate versions each for 32-bit Windows 5-2002XP SP2 / SP3 ( Microsoft
/ OEM ), 64-bit Windows 5-Server 2003 ( Microsoft ), 32-bit Windows 5-Server 2003 ( Microsoft ), and finally for IA-64 Itanium edition of Windows 5-Server 2003 SP1 / SP2 ( Microsoft ). Editions of exFAT file system for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows 5-2002XP/2003/Server
2003 lack support for Transaction-safe exFAT ( Microsoft patent 7613738 ) which is a backup file allocation table
( FAT ), and of allocation bitmap included with Windows 6-Vista / Server 2008 ( Microsoft ). ExFAT
( Microsoft ) is also part of extended Secure Digital ( SDHX ) standard for Secure Digital storage hardware devices.
Microsoft. Support -- Description of the exFAT File System Drive Update Package. October 8, 2011 4.0 Revised Edition. Microsoft Knowledge Base article number 955,704. Redmond, Washington: Microsoft, sans date.
http://support.MICROSOFT.com/kb/955704/ . URL accessed November 24, 2011.
Shullich, Robert, author. Sys Admin, Audit Networking, and Security ( SANS ) [ Technology ] Institute, corporate author. Reverse Engineering the Microsoft Extended FAT File System
( exFAT ): pp. 5-6, and 41-41. A SANS Institute Information Security Reading Room Publication. Bethesda, Maryland: Escal Institute of Advanced Technologies / SANS
[ Technology ] Institute; December 1, 2009.
1.1 -- Author and PROGRAMMER is running a copy of Windows XP Professional SP3+
( Microsoft not OEM ) on a Think Pad X40 2382-HCU ( IBM ) ultraportable computer system; with a 32 GB Secure Digital ( A-Data ) flash solid state memory card. PROGRMMER formatted this 32 GB Secure Digital ( A-Data ) flash solid state memory card exFAT
( Microsoft ) file system, during year 2009 or 2010, for backing data on ultraportable computer system up. PROGRAMMER did not assign "read only" attribute to 32 GBS Secure Digital
( A-Data ) volume.
1.2 -- A few days ago in past, PROGRAMMER ran Windows XP Professional SP3+
( Microsoft ) < My Computer < 32 GB A-DATA < Shortcut MENU < Removable Disk DIALOGUE FRAME < Tools PANE < "Error Checking" program for exFAT file system on 32 GB Secure Digital ( A-Data ) flash memory card; but, after all five phases were run, Windows XP Professional
SP3+ ( Microsoft ) reported volume to be "read only." More recently while running "Search" for files and FOLDERs Windows XP Professional SP3+ ( Microsoft ) began to report instead "The device is not formatted. Do you want to format it now ?" Logging out
and powering off seemed to be restoring exFAT ( Microsoft ) file system with interruption, but seemingly without loss of data on drive.
1.3 -- Finally PROGRAMMER began copying data on 32 GB Secure Digital ( A-Data ) flash solid state memory card to other disks and cards; pre-requisite to re-formatting instead with NTFS. Windows XP Professional SP3+ ( Microsoft ), and Path Too Long Utility
( ABTO ) each reported these copy backups to have been successful. True -- this was not a verified backup with a third-part backup software program. Regrettably, while digital files loose in directories ( not in FOLDERS ) are intact; digital files in named
FOLDERS were not copied leaving only empty named FOLDERs -- which is a catastrophic or series loss of data of which any serious PROGRAMMER always makes every effort to avoid ( since PROGRAMMER was in a rush and re-formatted 32 GB Secure Digital flash memory
card ( A-Data )).
1.0.2 -- There is in long run no reason to eschew reliance on NTFS ( Microsoft ) file system instead for exFAT ( Microsoft ) file system; all or many even most releases of UNIX and LiNUX can both write and read NTFS file system, but not exFAT file system.
2.1 -- PROGRAMMER in not denying that, with release date of exFAT for Windows 5-2002XP / Server 2003 ( Microsoft ), Microsoft did mention greater unreliablility of exFAT ( Microsoft ) for inter alia Windows 5-XP SP2 / SP3 ( Microsoft ) than NTFS, or forTransaction-safe
exFAT
( Microsoft ) which nonetheless only rarely results with failure of exFAT ( Microsoft ) file system. Impute that consequence of a known but undocumented defect and failure of exFAT
( Microsoft ) file system for inter alia Windows 5-XP Professional SP3+ ( Microsoft ) is that Microsoft decided to make exFAT ( Microsoft ) Transaction-safe for Windows 6-Vista / Server 2008 ( Microsoft ); but not to warn exisiting customers of earlier editions
of Windows that exFAT ( Microsoft ) without transactional support in fact actually is unreliable; while circumstance is imputed by Shullich, published during month of December, 2009.
2.2 -- For those curious PROGRAMMER may also relate that many business organizations offering public access 32-bit Windows 5-2002XP/2003/Server 2003 ( Microsoft ), are refusing or failing to include exFAT file system for customers whom rent time on public
access computer systems running referenced edition of software operator system Windows by Microsoft; no true explanation for omission unless those insider information technologists whom install and maintain software on those public access terminals know that
exFAT is not reliable without transactive support.
1.4 -- Individually this PROGRAMMER decided today -- never in future to install released version of exFAT file system for Windows XP SP3 ( Microsoft / OEM ) which is not Transaction-safe exFAT on any new install of Windows XP Professional SP3+ ( Microsoft
/ OEM ) -- no matter how many backups are available, that is not even on RAID-capable storge systems. One inexplicable failure of exFATfile system for Windows 5-XP Professional
( Microsoft not OEM ) did occur with loss of data in addition to experience related independently three months earlier by G. Katsillis with same version of exFAT file system for Windows XP
( Microsoft / OEM ). Another possibly relevant complaint could be:
Walcherich, Pseudonym; and Jessen P. , Microsoft Software Engineer. Problems with DATATYP exFAT. In Microsoft Answers. July 5, 2011. July 6, 2011 Supplemented Edition.
http://answers.microsoft.com
/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-hardware/problems-with-datatyp-exfat
/0dbb39c0-fc45-449f-9d6f-0eac05e60a3e/. URL accessed November 24, 2011.
2.1 -- Regrettably this PROGRAMMER will not be, since April 13, 2009, paying Microsoft for Extended Hotfix Technical Support contract whereby a technical support case will immediately be opened to result with hotfix, and transactional exFAT for 64-bit and 32-bit
Windows XP 5-2002XP /Server 2003
( Microsoft ). in spite of indication of unacceptable, and unpredictable risk, or even very small probability of loss of data digital files in FOLDERS -- "[ which ] should no happen[,]" yet it did occur. Regrettably documentation of defective file system
is beginning to appear, only within past four months ( after duration of whole thirty months ). Microsoft can eventually include transactional exFAT with a hypothetical yet not projected SP4 for Windows XP 5-2002XP / Server 2003 ( Microsoft ), year 2014;
no promise that Microsoft will do.
Protalinski, Emil. Windows XP Mainstream Support Retired, But No Need to Worry. One Microsoft Way
( 1/One MW ) - The Microsoft Ecosystem. April 14, 2009. Boston, Massachusetts: Conde Nast imprint of Advance, 1998.
http://ARSTECHNICA.com/microsoft/news/2009/04
/windows-xp-mainstream-support-retired-but-no-need-to-worry.ARS/ . URL accessed November 24, 2011.
***** FOR REPLY =------> This does not stop anyone else to include Microsoft Software Engineer from suggesting to Microsoft that a Transaction-safe exFAT hotfix be developed for SP4 for Windows XP Home / Professional ( Microsoft ); nonetheless this would
not in retrospect be a thank you note.
EnD OF MessagE.
