Live File System

The Live File System ( LFS, German and Live File System) is a for the operating systems Windows Vista and Windows 7, developed by Microsoft file system, the 2.1-5.2 implements the Universal Disk Format (UDF ) of the versions. It is the default file system for writing to CDs or DVDs with all Windows versions from Vista, but can be chosen 9660 before the start of the writing process continues the classic ISO.

Technology

As the underlying standard UDF is provided for recordable optical media LFS. In contrast to ISO 9660 data is not first created and then written, but the data may be transmitted incrementally in the medium. It is similar in the multisession discs of ISO 9660, but avoids some of the limitations.

Due to the similarity of the internal structure of the Unix file system and the referencing of data blocks of inodes the operating system can also write-once media (eg, CD -R, DVD-R) treated as a multi- writable media ( eg USB stick ), but reduced thereby the available capacity, since the original block can not be overwritten. For a modified data block only referencing must be adjusted. Only with rewritable media (eg, CD -RW, DVD -RW) files can be completely erased or overwritten.

As with the ISO-9660 format, the media can not be read if the write operation is not complete. This may in particular occur when the medium is to be ejected too early.

Compatibility

The Live File System is according to Microsoft, only Microsoft Windows XP and later versions of the operating system Microsoft Windows compatible. Other operating systems are not supported. Due to the incompatibility with older Windows versions, Microsoft offers a decision guide for use.

LFS does not implement the measures provided in the UDF standard access control lists, and an implementation is not planned.