The Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) is a Microsoft proprietary file system designed for portable drives (such as USB flash drives and SD cards) that overcomes the limitation of the old FAT32 standard and where NTFS is a not a feasible solution.
However, because Microsoft owns various patents of the file system design, up until now, Linux users needed to go through workarounds to access devices formatted using exFAT. But now things are changing, as the software giant has published the technical specifications of the file system publicly for the first time and announced that it’s supporting the integration of exFAT into the Linux kernel.
Furthermore, the company says that also supports exFAT on the Linux kernel become part of the Open Invention Network (OIN) Linux definition, which once accepted, it’ll benefit the entire Linux community.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].