Final answer:
The main differences between Windows and Linux file systems lie in their structure and compatibility with other systems. Windows uses NTFS, providing strong data recovery and security features. Linux uses ext4 and others, offering performance benefits and efficient disk use, while presenting a learning curve for new users.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main differences between the Windows and Linux file systems stem from their file system structure, compatibility, security, and system performance. Windows typically uses file systems like FAT32 and NTFS, with NTFS being the current standard. NTFS provides support for large files and volumes, file permissions, and encryption. A merit of NTFS is its widespread compatibility with various Windows versions, coupled with its strong focus on data recovery and security features like file encryption. A demerit, however, is that it's less compatible with other operating systems.
Conversely, Linux uses file systems such as ext3, ext4, Btrfs, and XFS. Ext4, the modern standard for Linux distributions, supports journaling to enhance reliability, large filesystems, and a vast number of files. A merit of Linux file systems is their strong performance in handling a large number of small files and efficient disk space use due to advanced journaling methods. A demerit is that Linux file systems might be challenging for users migrating from Windows, as they require learning new commands and file management practices.