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23. FAT12 File Allocation Table


  • FAT table entries are packed so that two cluster entries occupy three bytes with the following general format:

        yz Zx XY
    

    where

    • xyz is the one pointer entry and

    • XYZ is the second pointer entry.

  • E.g., bytes 242-244:

        2d e0 02
    

    refer to clusters 0x02d (45) and 0x02e (46)

  • Primary FAT starts at sector 1, byte 0x200 (shown here)

  • The starting cluster in the directory is also a pointer into the FATs linking to the next cluster in the file

  • Primary FAT sector 1:

      FAT12 Primary FAT sector 1


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