What Format Can Be Read by Mac and Windows

March 02, 2022 Post a Comment

extYou just bought an external hard drive to go on all your photos, documents, spreadsheets, and other digital files safe. But you're not sure what file organization to choose and which file formats would be uniform with your Mac or PC. Which is ameliorate? FAT32 vs exFAT? NTFS vs HFS? HFS+ vs APFS? Hither's everything you need to know about file formats, and which i is the all-time for your external difficult drive.

What Is a File System?

A file system is only a way of organizing and storing data or files on a computer difficult drive. When you format your external hard drive, your computer knows where to store, access, and manage files. It also helps your computer install software and manage its internal operations efficiently.

There accept been many file systems since computers were first invented. Out of all the file systems that still exist today, nevertheless, the post-obit are the ones nigh frequently used for Mac and Windows computers. And so they're the ones you demand to be familiar with.

NTFS vs HFS+

NTFS is short for New Technology File System. Simply contrary to its name, it's a rather old file system that was adult past Microsoft decades agone and launched in 1993. Understandably, it is the default file system for Windows PCs. And unlike HFS+, information technology can actually work on Mac computers too. Macs tin can really read files using NTFS. Nonetheless, yous can't write or delete files from a Mac.

Aside from all that, NTFS has several cool features, including:

It can have partitions as big as 16 one thousand thousand TB.
You tin store files as large as its sectionalisation size.
It tin can work with Linux operating systems.

Hierarchical File Organisation Plus (HFS+) was developed by Apple for Mac OS Ten. It was starting time released with macOS 8.one in 1998, where information technology replaced HFS as the default file system for Macs. In 2017, however, it was replaced by APFS (Apple tree File Organization). Also known every bit macOS Extended, HFS+ actually has four file format subcategories.

Mac OS Extended – Instance-sensitive. This format has a characteristic that treats file and folder names as instance sensitive. And so if y'all have files or folders with the same proper name but employ different capitalization, then you'll need to get two different file paths.
Mac Os Extended – Encrypted. This HFS+ format asks for a password, and information technology encrypts your partitions. This means it jumbles up the data, so no one else can steal it from y'all without also having a key to un-jumble it.
Mac OS Extended – Journaled. This HFS+ has an actress feature that helps your drive avoid file system corruption during unfortunate circumstances.
Mac OS Extended – Example-sensitive, Journaled, & Encrypted. This format has all three features of the file systems higher up. In brusque, file and folder names in this file system are instance-sensitive and volition require a password and encryption.

Different NTFS, which is partially compatible with Mac computers, HFS+ is not compatible with Windows computers at all. So, NTFS vs HFS+ all depends on what computer you lot are using.

HFS+ vs APFS

As mentioned above, Apple has developed another file system for its computers. It's chosen APFS, which stands for Apple File System. Information technology was first released forth with the macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) operating system in 2017. It'south the latest file organisation for Apple tree computers and has several cool features, including:

Fast directory sizing
Snapshots
Space sharing
Strong encryption
Enhanced file system basics

On top of all that, APFS is too compatible with older operating systems that are nonetheless using traditional HDD (hard disk drive drives). It's as well possible to read and write APFS drives in Windows. However, you need tertiary-party apps to do that, and, at the moment, none of them are free. So, when it comes to HFS+ vs APFS, it all depends on how new your Mac is.

FAT32 vs exFAT

One of the oldest file systems today, FAT32 works with all versions of Mac and Windows operating systems. Yet, it'south non very compatible with new technologies.

One of the top disadvantages of FAT32 is that it tin can only adjust files that are up to 4GB in size. And so if y'all get an mistake that says "the file is also large for the destination file organisation," and then it'due south probably because the file you're trying to move or re-create to a FAT32 bulldoze is over 4GB. Another disadvantage is that information technology tin can't create drive partitions larger than 32GB in Windows. Although it tin can create a 2TB drive partition in Macs, it withal has the 4GB file limit.

Now, exFAT is the newer version of FAT32, and it solves well-nigh of the problems with the previous format. Much like the previous version, exFAT also works with both Mac and Windows operating systems. But since it'southward new, it'southward non compatible with older operating systems.

The oldest Windows OS that exFAT can piece of work with is Windows XP SP3, while the oldest Mac Os is Mac 10.vi.5 Snow Leopard. But hey, if you got your Mac and PC within the by two decades, then it's prophylactic to say that FAT32 vs exFAT has a clear winner.

The All-time Format for External Hard Drives

If you want to format your external hard bulldoze to work with Mac and Windows computers, you should utilise exFAT. With exFAT, you lot can store files of whatsoever size, and use it with any computer made in the last twenty years.

Now that you know which format to employ, check out our guide on how to format your hard drive on a Mac. If you accept a PC, you can besides find out how to format a difficult drive on Windows.