You can now repair exFAT drives with Linux

Linux exFAT Programs 1.2 allows users to repair corrupted filesystems.

The exFAT filesystem is the successor to FAT32. exFAT was developed by Microsoft and is used by Windows for many types of storage devices like SD cards and USB flash drives.

exFAT is the reason why hundreds of millions of storage devices “just work” when you plug them into your laptop, camera or car. A version of Microsoft’s exFAT is included in the SDXC and SDUC specifications for SD cards.

The exFAT Linux kernel file-system driver has been working out well and continues to be used for routine work with new kernel versions. exFAT Programs 1.2 was recently released for exFAT user-space programs. The release is the first new version in nearly a year.

Using fsck to repair filesystems

The exFAT system supports disks up to 128PB, although 512TB is the recommended maximum. This is a huge amount of data compared to previous FAT versions. It’s important to safeguard data stored, which is precisely what ‘exfatprogs‘ tools ensure.

In addition to the exFAT Linux kernel driver for Microsoft’s exFAT filesystem on Linux, exfatprogs provides various utilities for interacting with the filesystem. The new version 1.2 promises a handy new fsck.exfat command that can repair filesystem damage.

This new version allows fsck.exfat to repair the filesystem on cards used in PCs, cameras, phones, and other devices. The fsck.exfat command restores corrupted entry sets and roots, among other issues. Prior to v1.2, fsck.exfat would only check for inconsistencies instead of repairing corrupted filesystems.

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