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VFAT, or Virtual File Allocation Table, is a Windows file system that expands on the original FAT system to allow for long filenames (up to 255 characters) while maintaining backward compatibility with older FAT file systems. It was first introduced in Windows 95 and is still commonly used on removable media like USB drives and SD cards, as it is compatible across many different operating systems.

How VFAT works

Long filename support: VFAT stores long filenames in separate directory entries that are marked with a "Volume Label" attribute. These entries are stored before the standard 8.3 (eight-character filename, three-character extension) format entry, ensuring compatibility with older systems.

Backward compatibility: It preserves the original 8.3 format for files, so older systems or devices can still access the files, even if they can't read the longer name.

File table: Like the original FAT, it uses a table to keep track of where files are stored on the disk.

32-bit access: The "Virtual" part refers to its use of a 32-bit protected mode for file manipulation, which made it faster than the older 16-bit FAT file system.