Mac OS Extended (Journaled) – This is the default file system format for Mac OS X drives. … Disadvantages: Windows-running PCs can read files from drives formatted this way, but they can’t write to them (at least not without the same amount of work it takes to get OS X to write to NTFS-formatted drives).
Can Windows 10 read macOS journaled?
Windows can’t normally read Mac-formatted drives, and will offer to erase them instead. But third-party tools fill the gap and provide access to drives formatted with Apple’s HFS+ file system on Windows. This also allows you to restore Time Machine backups on Windows.
What format can both Mac and Windows read?
Windows uses NTFS while Mac OS uses HFS, and they’re incompatible with each other. However, you can format the drive to work with both Windows and Mac by using the exFAT filesystem.
Can a Mac read a Windows USB drive?
Macs can easily read PC-formatted hard disk drives. … Your old external Windows PC drive will work great on the Mac. Apple has built OS X Yosemite and some previous OS X releases with the ability to read from those disks just fine.
What is HFS+ format in Mac?
Mac — Since Mac OS 8.1, the Mac has been using a format called HFS+ — also known as Mac OS Extended format. This format was optimized to minimize the amount of drive storage space used for a single file (the previous version used sectors loosely, leading to rapidly lost drive space).
Which Mac disk format is best?
If you want to format your external hard drive to work with Mac and Windows computers, you should use exFAT. With exFAT, you can store files of any size, and use it with any computer made in the last 20 years.
Does FAT32 work on Mac and Windows?
While FAT32 is okay for USB flash drives and other external media—especially if you know you’ll be using them on anything other than Windows PCs—you won’t want to FAT32 for an internal drive. … Compatibility: Works with all versions of Windows, Mac, Linux, game consoles, and practically anything with a USB port.
What is the best format for USB drive?
Best Format for Sharing Files
- The short answer is: use exFAT for all external storage devices you will be using to share files. …
- FAT32 is really the most compatible format of all (and the default format USB keys are formatted with).
Are flash drives compatible with Mac and PC?
You can format a hard drive or USB flash disk specifically so that it will be compatible with both Mac OS X and Windows PC computers.
How do I get my flash drive to work on Mac and Windows?
Here’s how:
- Insert the flash drive or hard drive you want to format for Windows compatibility. …
- Select the drive you want to format. …
- Click the Erase button.
- Click the Format menu, then choose either MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFAT. …
- Enter a name for the volume (no more than 11 characters).
- Click Erase, then click Done.