In operating systems, which family of operating systems commonly uses the NTFS file system by default on its system partitions?

Introduction / Context:
File systems define how an operating system organizes, stores, and retrieves data on storage devices. Different operating system families tend to prefer specific file systems that are optimized for their design goals. NTFS, which stands for New Technology File System, is strongly associated with the Microsoft Windows family. This question tests whether you can correctly identify which operating systems commonly use NTFS by default on system partitions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• NTFS is a file system originally introduced by Microsoft.
• Windows operating systems need a reliable, secure, and feature rich file system for system and data partitions.
• Other operating systems such as macOS and Unix like systems have their own native file systems.

Concept / Approach:
NTFS was designed as the primary file system for the Windows NT line and all later versions derived from it, including Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, and Windows 11. It supports advanced features such as access control lists, file compression, encryption, journaling, and large file support. macOS historically used HFS and HFS Plus and now uses APFS by default. Unix and Linux systems use various file systems like ext3, ext4, XFS, and UFS. While these systems may include drivers to read or even write NTFS volumes, they do not typically use NTFS as the default system file system.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that NTFS was introduced as part of the Windows NT project to replace older FAT file systems for system partitions.Step 2: Note that current consumer and server versions of Windows format their system drives as NTFS by default.Step 3: Remember that macOS uses APFS or previously HFS Plus, not NTFS, for its internal drives.Step 4: Recognize that Unix and Linux distributions prefer ext family file systems or UFS, not NTFS.Step 5: Conclude that the correct choice is the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems.

Verification / Alternative check:
When installing a modern Windows version, the installer automatically suggests NTFS for the system partition. System utilities such as Disk Management also create NTFS partitions for internal disks by default. In contrast, macOS Disk Utility defaults to APFS for system volumes. Linux installers offer ext4 or similar file systems as the default option. These practical observations agree with the idea that Windows is the main operating system family that uses NTFS by default for system partitions.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B: macOS can sometimes read NTFS through additional software, but its native and default file systems are HFS Plus and APFS, not NTFS.Option C: Unix like systems such as Linux and BSD use ext, XFS, ZFS, or UFS and do not adopt NTFS as their main on disk format.Option D: Suggesting that all major operating system families use NTFS as default is incorrect because they each have their own preferred native file systems.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the ability of an operating system to access a file system with using it as the default for internal disks. Many systems can read and write NTFS volumes for compatibility, especially on removable drives, but that does not make NTFS their primary or native format. Always distinguish between native file systems and those supported via additional drivers or tools.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Microsoft Windows family of operating systems such as Windows 10 and Windows 11.