#Format disk for mac mac os x
exFAT is the file system available for all versions of Windows and macOS（Requires Mac OS X version 10.6.6 and above）and does not have any maximum file size or partition size restrictions, especially when you need to save files larger than 4 GB, exFAT is the most suitable. So, if someone asks does exFAT work on Mac and PC? The answer is absolutely yes. But what are the specific differences between exFAT and FAT32? Please refer to the table below: You need to format the USB as exFAT or FAT32, both of which are supported by Mac and PC. In other words, you can use USB with one of the file systems to easily access Windows and Mac and transfer data. If you have a USB drive and plan to use it on Mac and PC, then you need to find a file system supported by both Mac and PC, otherwise it will not be recognized.įortunately, there are two file systems supported by Mac and PC.
#Format disk for mac how to
How do I format USB drives for Mac and PC on Windows? In other words, how to make an external hard drive compatible with Mac and PC?”ĮxFAT and FAT32 can be supported by Mac and PCīy default, Mac use HFS+, while PC usually use NTFS. But if it is formatted as NTFS, it will not be fully supported in the Mac operating system. If the USB drive is formatted as an HFS+ file system, Windows computer will not support it. It removes the 4GB file size limit and the 2TB partition size limit of FAT32 drives and is generally considered a better alternative for flash storage.I have a USB drive and want to use it on both Mac and PC. While you can only use an Apple file system like APFS and Mac OS Extended for your main system drive, another file system is also worth considering for external drives-ExFAT.ĮxFAT is an older file system from Microsoft, intended to replace the even older FAT32 file system used with Windows system drives before the switch to NTFS in Window XP. You can format a drive with HFS+ using the macOS Disk Utility app, which you can launch from the Launchpad ( Other > Disk Utility). With that in mind, and for cross-compatibility, you may decide to use HFS+ over APFS. If you’re using an older, mechanical drive with a disk platter, those enhancements may seem largely minimal or non-existent.
#Format disk for mac portable
Many of the speed and performance enhancements that APFS brings rely on using a high-speed SSD or portable flash memory drive. Other than functionality, however, there are still a few legitimate reasons why you’d choose HFS+ over APFS-the biggest reason depends on the type of drive you use. You’ll also need to consider Mac OS Extended if you’re using older and newer Macs together, as older versions of macOS won’t support APFS. You’ll need to use HFS+ if you plan on formatting a second hard drive or portable flash drive for use as a Time Machine backup-APFS drives won’t work. While Mac OS Extended (HFS+) is no longer the default file system for macOS installations, it hasn’t been completely abandoned by Apple, and it’s still a useful option for macOS users under certain conditions.Īs we’ve mentioned, HFS+ is the default file system of choice for macOS Time Machine backup drives. Choosing Mac OS Extended (HFS+) for Hard Drives However, for most users, APFS is the only file system they’ll need or want to use – but only if they’re (only) using modern Mac devices.
If you attempt to use an APFS-formatted drive, macOS will want to format it to HFS+ before you can proceed.Īlong with APFS and Mac OS Extended (also called HFS+), you also have other file systems that can be used for external drives, including cross-platform options like ExFAT.
macOS continues to use the HFS+ file system for Time Machine drives for the time being. If you back up your Mac using Time Machine, you won’t be able to use APFS, either. If you have an older Mac, you’ll need to keep using Mac OS Extended or use an alternative like ExFAT instead. The biggest downside to using APFS is that Macs with older macOS versions (macOS 10.12.6 Sierra and older) can’t read, write, or otherwise access drives that use it.
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