do i format a hdd for mac as ntfs or fat

#Do i format a hdd for mac as ntfs or fat mac os x
#Do i format a hdd for mac as ntfs or fat install
#Do i format a hdd for mac as ntfs or fat upgrade
#Do i format a hdd for mac as ntfs or fat windows

Microsoft’s own Xbox 360 doesn’t support it, although the Xbox One does. While exFAT is compatible with Macs - and will be compatible with some devices that don’t support NTFS, like digital cameras - it still isn’t quite as compatible. exFAT drives can be accessed on Linux by installing the appropriate software.

#Do i format a hdd for mac as ntfs or fat mac os x

While Mac OS X includes only read-only support for NTFS, Macs offer full read-write support for exFAT.

#Do i format a hdd for mac as ntfs or fat upgrade

exFAT is a strict upgrade over FAT32, and should be the best choice for external drives where you want a lightweight file system without FAT32’s file size limits.ĮxFAT is also more compatible than NTFS. This means you can store files that are larger than 4 GB apiece on a flash drive or SD card if it’s formatted with exFAT. Like NTFS, exFAT has very large file size and partition size limits. It’s designed to be a lightweight file system like FAT32 without all NTFS’s extra features and overhead, but without FAT32’s limitations. It’s a file system optimized for flash drives.

#Do i format a hdd for mac as ntfs or fat windows

Ideal Use: Use it for your Windows system drive and other internal drives that will just be used with Windows.ĮxFAT was introduced in 2006, and was added to older versions of Windows with updates to Windows XP and Windows Vista. Limits: No realistic file-size or partition size limits. Other devices - with the exception of Microsoft’s Xbox One - probably won’t support NTFS. Even Microsoft’s own Xbox 360 can’t read NTFS drives, although the new Xbox One can. Other devices are even less likely to support NTFS.Ĭompatibility: Works with all versions of Windows, but read-only with Mac by default, and may be read-only by default with some Linux distributions. None of Sony’s PlayStation consoles support NTFS. Some Linux distributions may enable NTFS-writing support, but some may be read-only. By default, Mac OS X can only read NTFS drives, not write to them. It’ll work with all recent versions of Windows - all the way back to Windows XP - but it has limited compatibility with other operating systems.

However, NTFS just isn’t as compatible with other operating systems. If you have a secondary drive alongside Windows and you plan on installing programs to it, you should probably go ahead and make it NTFS, too. Your Windows system partition must be NTFS. Many of these are crucial for an operating system drive - especially file permissions.

It supports file permissions for security, a change journal that can help quickly recover errors if your computer crashes, shadow copies for backups, encryption, disk quota limits, hard links, and other various features. NTFS first appeared in consumer versions of Windows with Windows XP.Īside from these limitations, NTFS is packed with other modern features.

#Do i format a hdd for mac as ntfs or fat install

When you install Windows, it formats your system drive with the NTFS file system. NTFS has file size and partition size limits that are so theoretically huge you won’t run up against them. NTFS is the modern file system Windows likes to use. Ideal Use: Use it on removable drives for maximum compatibility with the widest range of devices, assuming you don’t have any files 4 GB or larger in size. Limits: 4 GB maximum file size, 8 TB maximum partition size. Modern versions of Windows can no longer be installed to FAT32, and must be installed onto drives formatted with NTFS.Ĭompatibility: Works with all versions of Windows, Mac, Linux, game consoles, and practically anything with a USB port. It lacks the permissions and other security features built into the more modern NTFS file system. While this file system is okay for USB flash drives and other external media, you won’t want to use this for an internal drive. A FAT32 partition must also be less than 8 TB, which is less of a limitations - but still a noticeable one if you have a new, high-capacity mechanical drive. Limitations come with that age, however. Individual files on a FAT32 drive can’t be over 4 GB in size - that’s the maximum. Flash drives you purchase will often come formatted with FAT32 for maximum compatibility across not just modern computers, but other devices like game consoles and anything with a USB port. Because it’s so old, it’s the de-facto standard. This file system’s age has advantages and disadvantages. It was introduced all the way back in Windows 95 to replace the older FAT16 file system.