What is the maximum theoretical partition size that NTFS can support?

The maximum theoretical partition size that NTFS (New Technology File System) can support is indeed 16 exabytes. This is a result of NTFS being designed to handle very large volumes of data, and its architecture supports much larger partition sizes than other file systems, such as FAT32.

NTFS uses a 64-bit address space, which significantly enhances its capability for larger disk capacities and larger file sizes, thereby reaching up to 16 exabytes in total theoretical support. In practice, however, operational limitations and the size of physical disk space offered by hardware can affect actual partition sizes, but those limitations do not reduce the theoretical maximum defined by the NTFS specification itself.

The other options, such as 2TB, 4TB, and 1PB, represent much smaller volume limits than what NTFS is capable of handling. These sizes are relevant for earlier file systems or specific use cases, but they do not reflect the advanced capacities that NTFS was designed to support.