---
name: "msdosfs"
section: "4"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/msdos"
---

# msdosfs(4)

MS-DOS (FAT) file system

Part of [msdos(4)](/msdos/4.md).

## NAME

**msdosfs** – MS-DOS (FAT) file system

## SYNOPSIS

**options MSDOSFS**

## DESCRIPTION

The **msdosfs** driver will permit the FreeBSD kernel to read and write MS-DOS based file systems.

The most common usage follows:

```
mount -t msdosfs /dev/ada0sN /mnt
```

where *N* is the partition number and */mnt* is a mount point. Some users tend to create a */dos* directory for **msdosfs** mount points. This helps to keep better track of the file system, and make it more easily accessible.

It is possible to define an entry in */etc/fstab* that looks similar to:

```
/dev/ada0sN		/dos	msdosfs		rw	0	0
```

This will mount an MS-DOS based partition at the */dos* mount point during system boot. Using */mnt* as a permanent mount point is not advised as its intention has always been to be a temporary mount point for floppy and ZIP disks. See [hier(7)](/hier/7.md) for more information on FreeBSD directory layout.

## EXAMPLES

Determine which FAT file system version (e.g, FAT16, FAT32) is a partition formatted with:

```
file -s /dev/da0s1
```

[gpart(8)](/gpart/8.md) may also be used to extract this information.

## SEE ALSO

[mount(2)](/mount/2.md), [unmount(2)](/unmount/2.md), [fsck\_msdosfs(8)](/fsck_msdosfs/8.md), [mount(8)](/mount/8.md), [mount\_msdosfs(8)](/mount_msdosfs/8.md), [newfs\_msdos(8)](/newfs_msdos/8.md), [umount(8)](/umount/8.md)

## AUTHORS

This manual page was written by Tom Rhodes ⟨*trhodes@FreeBSD.org*⟩.