How to make external hard drive compatible with Mac and PC?
Thus, many users would like to use exFAT instead of FAT32 to make an external hard drive for mac and windows interchangeable. However, FAT32 has a maximum 4GB file size limit whereas exFAT can work with files as large as 16EB.
So, if you want to use an external hard drive on both Windows and Mac, you need to format it to a filesystem that is compatible with Windows PC and Mac.īoth FAT32 and exFAT can be used on Windows PC and Mac. Windows PC and Mac use different filesystems. Remember that if you format a disc, all of the data on the volume is erased, so make a backup if you wish to save the information.Need to format an external hard drive for Mac and Windows If your Mac is running macOS Mojave or later, the APFS file system should be used.
If you need to format a disc, the ideal format to utilize is APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for the greatest overall performance. What is the best format for a Mac external hard drive? However, unless you intend to use the drive to transfer files between a Windows and a Mac machine, formatting it to be NTFS is recommended. Yes, connecting an external hard drive or USB flash key to a Mac will generally read and work fine as is because the Mac can easily read and write to a variety of filesystem formats, including Windows MSDOS, FAT, FAT32, ExFat, and NTFS formats. VideoįAQs Can any external hard drive be formatted for Mac? When you click Cancel, the Time Machine will be turned off. Then select Options from the drop-down option next to “Show Time Machine in menu bar.” This will open a new window for you. If you click System Preferences and uncheck the item next to “Back up automatically,” you will be able to accomplish this. You will need to switch off Time Machine before continuing. Don’t get too worked up over it just click done to proceed.” This is a problem created by Time Machine, which is now operating on your external hard disc.
If you see an error message that indicates, “The erase procedure has failed,” follow the steps below. This will completely erase the contents of the whole drive. When you’re through completing the configuration details, click Erase to close the window.