This limit is defined by the maximum number of clusters that can be addressed by the file system, which is determined during the formatting process. For Windows versions prior to Windows 10 (version 1709) and Windows Server 2016, the maximum NTFS volume size was 256 TB.
Addressing Fragmentation Challenges for Large Files on NTFS
The cluster size, in turn, depends on the volume size. This means that any file, no matter how small, will consume at least 4 KB of disk space.
Video editing software, database engines, and even the Windows operating system APIs have their own limitations. However, when it comes to storing large files, such as high-resolution video footage, massive database files, or extensive virtual machine images, the specific limitations and capabilities of NTFS become critical factors.
Addressing Fragmentation Challenges for Large Files on NTFS
However, with the introduction of Windows 10 (version 1709) and Windows Server 2016, Microsoft increased this limit to an astonishing 8 petabytes (PB). If you have a 10 KB file stored on a volume with a 4 KB cluster size, it will occupy two clusters, using 8 KB of space.
More About Ntfs file size
Looking at Ntfs file size from another angle can help expand the discussion and give readers a second clear paragraph under the same section.
More perspective on Ntfs file size can make the topic easier to follow by connecting earlier points with a few simple takeaways.
