The exFAT file system was introduced in 2006 and was added to older versions of Windows with updates to Windows XP and Windows Vista. With exFAT, you can store files of any size, and use it with any computer made in the last 20 years. If you want to format your external hard drive to work with Mac and Windows computers, you should use exFAT. What is the best format for a Mac external hard drive? Linux is also supported, but you will need to install appropriate software to take full advantage of it. Transferring files between the two operating systems is less of a hassle, since you don't have to constantly back up and reformat each time. Should I use exFAT for Mac?ĮxFAT is a good option if you work often with Windows and Mac computers. However it is not recommended for editing or long term storage. ExFat is fine for a backup, for moving around stuff or a flash/transfer drive.
Our IT guy always told us to format our hdd storage drives as Mac osx journaled (case sensitive) because the exfat read/write speeds much slower than osx. Is Mac OS Extended Journaled faster than exFAT? How do I make my external hard drive compatible with Mac and PC without formatting?.Do I need to format an external hard drive for Mac?.Should I use Mac OS Extended Journaled?.What is the best format for a Mac external hard drive?.Is Mac OS Extended Journaled faster than exFAT?.In all other cases: Use MS-DOS (FAT), aka FAT32. If you need to transfer files larger than 4 GB between Macs and PCs: Use exFAT. If you absolutely, positively will only be working with Macs and no other system, ever: Use Mac OS Extended (Journaled).