How does a file system format affect data compatibility?

A file system format plays a crucial role in determining data compatibility because different formats are designed to work with specific types of storage media and operating systems. Each file system has its own set of rules for organizing and managing files on the storage device. For example, NTFS (New Technology File System) is commonly used in Windows environments, while ext4 is prevalent in Linux systems. If a workstation is equipped to read a particular file system but is presented with a different format that it does not recognize, it will be unable to access or interpret the stored data.

File systems also define how files are named, managed, and stored, which can limit the types of media a workstation can read. A workstation configured to use FAT32 might struggle with larger files that exceed the 4GB limit, while a machine relying on exFAT could seamlessly handle larger files but may not be compatible with certain operating systems' native capabilities. Therefore, the correct answer highlights the impact that file system formats have on compatibility across different environments and devices.