A FAT file system stores date and time stamps in _______, whereas the NTFS file system stores date and time stamps in _______.

In the FAT file system, date and time stamps are stored in local time, which refers to the time configured on the operating system where the filesystem is being used. This means that the timestamps reflect the local timezone settings that are active at the time the file is created or modified.

On the other hand, the NTFS file system uses GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), also known as UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), for storing date and time stamps. This approach allows for uniformity across different time zones, making it easier to handle files that may be accessed or transferred across different geographical locations.

By utilizing local time in FAT and GMT in NTFS, the systems aim to accommodate different user needs while maintaining the integrity of time-based data. Understanding the differences in how these two file systems manage time stamps is critical for forensic analysis and data recovery processes.