Reformat Ntfs To Mac

Tuxera NTFS for Mac is a full read-write NTFS driver that enables your Mac to read and write NTFS-formatted drives. It also comes with Tuxera Disk Manager, a companion app that lets you format, check, and repair NTFS drives. Tuxera Disk Manager lets you fully manage your hard drive and stored data regardless of the operating system. Remember, formatting a drive erases all data contained on it so back up important files before proceeding. However, ExFAT is not compatible with computers older than Windows Vista or Mac OS X 10.6.5. Meanwhile, as I don't know whether you're on PC or Mac to format a flash drive for Mac and PC compatibility, I've decided to show you both ways. Voila, you solve the puzzle: it's formatted as Windows NT File System (NTFS) in default. It's a foregone conclusion that reformatting the drive is the only way for Mac users. Mac reformat external hard drive: how? We now know that you're already sure to reformat your Mac hard drive, considering you're reaching this part.

Windows uses NTFS and 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. NTFS driver for Mac is a driver that helps the Mac system recognize the NTFS format and efficiently work with it. By default, Mac can only read NTFS files, but it can't change NTFS files (write or rewrite files NTFS files). Therefore, it's something these apps consist of so you don't have to install a driver manually. Mac OS Extended. Choose one of the following Mac OS Extended file system formats for compatibility with Mac computers using macOS 10.12 or earlier. Mac OS Extended (Journaled): Uses the Mac format (Journaled HFS Plus) to protect the integrity of the hierarchical file system. Mac OS X has always been able to read NTFS drives, but tucked away in Mac OS X is a hidden option to enable write support to drives formatted as NTFS (NTFS stands for New Technology File System and is a proprietary file system format for Microsoft Windows).

• I recently converted from a windows machine to a Mac Pro. As a result one of the external USB harddrives was formatted as an NTFS. Disk Utility crashes each time I attempt to Erase; I tried Mac OS Extended Journaled and MS-Dos Fat. I would format the drive in Windows, but the only format option is NTFS, which puts me back where I was.
• NTFS: As the default file system in Windows, it can only read by Mac OS, writing to it is not available. Luckily, there are third-party tools to help you do so. Part 2: Format External Hard Drive for Mac with Disk Utility. Formatting an external hard drive would erase everything on it.

It's important to know how to format an external hard drive for your Mac and PC before you use it to free up space and transfer files between computers. If you don't format the external hard drive correctly, it won't work to the utmost extent. For instance,Windows uses NTFS, while Mac uses HFS+ or APFS. Out of the box, Windows can't read or write to HFS+/APFS drives and Macs can't write to NTFS drives either.

Though the default hard disk file system (also known as format) of Windows and Mac are different, there should be some ways to format an external drive for both Mac and PC. After reading this post, you'll know what is the best file system for your camera's SD card and what is the best format for your Mac and PC. More importantly, you will know how to format flash drives for Mac and PC and make hard drives compatible with macOS and Windows.

Common File Systems for Mac and PC

The file system is one of the most important part for an external hard drive because it manages how your files are stored and retrieved. So, every hard disk needs a proper file system, including desktop drives and portable storage devices like external hard drives, USB flash drives and SD cards. However, different file systems have different advantages and disadvantages. So before you know how to format a hard drive, you should know the pros and cons of each file system.

1. FAT32

Ntfs Disk Format Utility

FAT file system includes three major file system variants but the majorly used one is FAT32. FAT32 is commonly used in floppy disks, SD memory cards, USB flash drives, digital cameras, as well as many portable and embedded devices.

Pros

• Works universally with all versions of Mac, Windows, Linux, game devices, as well as other devices supporting a USB port.

Cons

• Doesn't support a file size larger than 4GB and a drive partition size larger than 32GB on Windows.
• Doesn't support the drive partition larger than 2TB on macOS.

2. exFAT

exFAT is a good option for external hard drives (e.g. Seagate Backup Plus Slim), especially for large-capacity removable storage devices. It also is frequently used in flash memory drives such as USB flash drives and SD cards. exFAT is easily often implemented in firmware that has low memory and low power requirements, such as cameras, mobile phones, media players, etc.

Pros

• Supports the largest partition and file sizes by today's standards.

Cons

• Not compatible with too much old operating systems.
• Not a good option for drives less than 32GB because it can't maximize space utilization.

3. NTFS

NTFS is a proprietary journaling file system developed by Microsoft. It is used as the default file system of Windows system hard drive (e.g. Windows 10). NTFS does well in data security based on its encryption, access permission control, and log file.

Pros

• Improved performance, reliability, and disk space use.
• Performs better in protecting data security, data management.
• Compatible with all versions of Windows and latest hardware.

Cons

• Read-only in macOS and the disabled-by-default write support for NTFS in macOS is unstable.

4. Mac OS Extended (HFS+)

HFS Plus or HFS+ is a journaling file system developed by Apple Inc. It's the startup disk's default file system before macOS High Sierra. It also frequently used as Time Machine backup external hard drives of WD, Seagate, etc.

Pros Mac studio fix powder ingredients. Paint app for mac.

• Supported by all versions of Mac OS X and macOS.
• Has journaling, compression, and encryption features.

Cons

• Has no access permission control.
• Perfoms slow or crash in dealing with a large number of files.
• Harder for data recovery when an HFS+ hard drive is corrupted.

5. Apple file system (APFS)

APFS is the new proprietary file system of Apple. Office 2019 free for mac. It has been known to increase read/write speeds on solid-state drives (SSDs), as well as increase storage space due to the way in which it calculates the available data on disk.

Pros

• Allows full-disk encryption with single or multi-key encryption for added security.
• Efficient in management of free storage space

Cons

• Not good for Time Machine backup due to no support for hard links to directories.
• Can only be used on macOS 10.13 and above.

After knowing their unique specifications, it becomes easier to choose the best file system for your storage device. For instance, you would know why exFAT is better for camera SD cards, or why NTFS is better for external backup drive on Windows 10. In a word, you can format or reformat your external hard drive per your requirement, either for Mac and PC.

Warning: Formatting will erase data on this drive. So, if you have important files on this external hard drive, make sure you have a backup. However, if you have formatted this drive and lose files, you can recover lost data from formatted external hard drive with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac.

How to format external hard drives for Mac?

To format external hard drives on Mac, you'll need the built-in disk management tool called Disk Utility. Best free video player for mac. Then, you need to choose the best file system for your external hard drive when erase it.

Tips: Remember to back up the files on the external hard drive if you have saved anything important on it.

• Guide to format external hard drive on Mac computer.

How to format external hard drives for Windows computer?

Similarly, you can also format your drive on Windows computers with a utility called Disk Management.

Tips: To prevent data loss during formatting, make sure you haven't saved important files on the drive. If you have, backup them first.

• Guide to initialize and format external hard drive on Windows computer.

How to format an external hard drive for Mac and PC?

Sometimes, users need to use the same external hard drive interchangeably on Mac and PC. To make it compatible with both macOS and Windows, you need to reformat the external hard drive.

Ntfs Format For External Hard Drive On Mac

Whether you are using an APFS/HFS+ or a Windows NTFS formatted external hard drive on Mac, you can reformat the external hard drives for both Mac and PC. File systems like FAT32 and exFAT can make the external HDD compatible with both Macs and Windows PCs.

Warning: Reformatting will wipe files off the external hard drive. So, you should make sure you have backed up your files on the external hard drive before you continue any steps.

When should you choose FAT32 file system?

FAT32 works with almost any operating system as well as video game consoles, Android USB expansions, media players, and other devices. However, FAT32 can only support files up to 4 GB in size. So, If all your files on the external hard drive are smaller than 4 GB, and the drive itself is smaller than 2 TB, then FAT32 is a better choice for you to use the hard drive on Mac and PC.

When should you choose exFAT file system?

Similarly, exFAT is also a widely compatible file system. The difference is that exFAT has no limitations on file size and hard drive size. So, when the external HDD you want to used for both Mac and PC is larger than 2 TB, exFAT is the best choice.

After you choose the best format for your drive, you can format or reformat the external hard drive in Disk Utility as it was introduced. Then the external hard drive will work both for Mac and PC.

When should you choose NTFS file system?

Some users would prefer to the features of Windows NTFS file system. However, naturally, Disk Utility can't format external hard drive to NTFS. If you want an hard drive that you can only read on Mac but have full access on Windows, NTFS is the best choice. You can also use iBoysoft NTFS for Mac to reformat the external hard drive with NTFS on Mac.

1. Step 1: Download and install iBoysoft NTFS for Mac on your Mac.
2. Step 2: Connect the external hard drive to your Mac and launch this software.
3. Step 3: Find Disk Management in its main menu and click on it.
4. Step 4: Locate the volume you want to reformat, select it, and then click on Erase to NTFS.

What to do if you can't format the external hard drive on Mac?

Usually, to format the external hard drive as FAT32 or exFAT, you are advised to do this on a Mac computer via Disk Utility. But if you have formatted the external hard drive under the Windows system, it would cause some inconvenience. You can't add or re-partition volumes of the external hard drive again on Mac. In this case, your only choice is to backup your files and reformat the whole disk.

How to partition an external hard drive for Mac and Windows PC?

Except for having the whole external hard drive formatted, you can also split this disk with two partitions. One is formatted with the file system that is compatible with macOS, another partition is compatible with Windows conversely. By this means, you can use all the advantages each format has on the respective system.

Warning: Still, you need to back up files on this drive before you begin to create two separate partitions to work for Mac and Windows PC.

For some Mac models, the partition option would be greyed out in Disk Utility. So, we suggest that it's better to use a PC to partition an external hard drive for macOS and Windows. Here are the steps to partition an external hard drive for Mac and Windows PC, which is a little tricky.

Step 1: Connect the external hard drive to your PC and then launch Disk Management.

Step 2: Check if the external hard drive is initialized or not.

If the drive is not initialized, you need to initialize the external hard drive with Master Boot Record (MBR). Then you can create two new partitions. You need to format one of them as NTFS for Windows use and format the other as your wish.

If the external hard drive is initialized, you need to right-click the disk to check if it's an MBR external hard drive.

• If you see Convert to GPT Disk in the context menu, be it greyed out or lighted, it's an MBR hard drive. Then you can create two or more partitions. And you need to prepare one partition for NTFS file system, and reformat with any file system.
• If you see Convert to MBR Disk in the menu, it's an GPT hard drive. In this case, you need first backup files, delete the existing partitions, then click the Convert to MBR Disk button. Then, you can create two new partitions. You need to format one partition as NTFS for Windows use, and then format the other randomly.

Step 3: Up to now, there should be at least two partitions on the external hard drive. And one of them (the NTFS one) is ready for Windows use. Then, you need to safely remove the external hard drive and plug it into a Mac.

Step 4: Open Disk Utility and select the other partition (not the NTFS one) under the name of your external hard drive.

Step 5: Click Erase on the top, choose Mac OS Extended format when it asks, and chose Erase to finish.

Up to now, the external hard drive will have two partitions. One is HFS+ formatted for Mac, and the other is NTFS formatted for Windows.

By creating two separate partitions, you can use this external hard drive on both Mac and Windows. You won't be able to write to the Mac partition from your Windows computer, and vice versa. Thus, it's a good solution for people who need to swap between two operating systems but with separate work.

Make external hard drives compatible with Mac and PC without formatting

Many famous external hard drives like Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch and WD My Passport are pre-formatted with NTFS. However, the NTFS file system is a hassle for users who need to use the same external hard drive on both Mac and Windows. The external hard drive is not letting you add files if you use an NTFS external HDD on Mac. It will be read-only and you can't write to this drive normally in this case.

Many users don't know this and use the external hard drive directly. And when they want to reformat the hard drive to use it interchangeably, only to find that files on the drive are erased as well.

Then, can you solve external hard drive read-only without formatting?

Definitely! If you want to use NTFS formatted external hard drives on Mac, software like iBoysoft NTFS for Mac that might be helpful.

iBoysoft NTFS for Mac - professional NTFS driver for Mac

iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is a professional NTFS for Mac software, which can automatically mount NTFS drives in read-write mode on Mac. It supports macOS Catalina 10.15/Mojave 10.14/High Sierra 10.13/Sierra 10.12 and Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11/Yosemite 10.10/Mavericks 10.9/Mountain Lion 10.8. With this useful tool, you'll have full access to NTFS drives on Mac and make your external hard drive interchangeable between Macs and PCs without formatting. Also, you can mount and unmount NTFS drives from the Mac menu bar with advanced and optimized options.

What's more, iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is also a handy tool to manage NTFS external drives. You can use it to easily mount, unmount, repair, erase NTFS external hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, memory cards, CF cards, pen drives, etc. on Mac.

Tutorial to mount NTFS external hard drive on macOS with read-write mode with iBoysoft NTFS for Mac

Step 1: Free download, install, and launch iBoysoft NTFS for Mac on your computer.

Step 2: Connect your NTFS external hard drive to Mac, and iBoysoft NTFS for Mac will automatically mount it.

Step 3: Write to NTFS external hard drive after the disk has been mounted in read-write mode successfully.

If you want to use HFS+ or APFS formatted external hard drives on Windows, you can also attempt to install HFS+ for Windows software or APFS for Windows software on your PC to get read and write access to this external hard drive.

Conclusion

To sum up, it is easy to format an external hard drive for both Mac and Windows PC. You can either choose to format the whole disk as exFAT/FAT, or you can create two separate partitions of HFS+ and NTFS if you prefer. But compared with formatting, an NTFS for Mac driver like iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is a better and feasible solution.

NTFS (short of new technology file system) is a default file system for Windows. It was first introduced in Windows NT and over the years it has only got better. It supports all the modern features like encryption, journaling (reduce data loss), file permission, compression etc etc.

Since Windows is still the most popular desktop OS, most external HDD comes preformatted with NTFS. This means you can use them on Windows with no problem.

But on MAC, NTFS volume becomes read only i.e. you can only copy data from external HDD to your MAC but not the other way around.

Now you can always format your hard drive to FAT32/exFAT and make it compatible on both platforms or even use samba server to share file between MAC and Windows.

But, if you are going to use your external drive mostly on Windows, then it does make sense to keep NTFS and sometimes when you want to use it on MAC, use a software.

So here are three workarounds, on how to use an NTFS volume with MAC

Use NTFS Drive on MAC

#1 Terminal

Now you may not know, but modern MAC OS support NTFS volume (both read and write) However, this feature is disabled by default. Why? We will come to that later,

If you want to enable the support for NTFS, you can easily do it by editing a small file.

1. Simply insert your hard drive, in your MAC note down its drive name.

2. Now press cmd + space to launch spotlights then type in terminal and hit enter.

3. In terminal copy paste the following command.

sudo nano /etc/fstab

With this command, you are telling the super user to open the fstab file using the nano text editor. You will have to enter the login password.

4. Next, a new window will open, though you won't see anything on it. Simply paste the following command.

LABEL=DRIVE_NAME none ntfs rw,auto,nobrowse

Replace the drive name with the hard drive name. And save changes. To do that, first type CTRL + o (o for orange) to write data and CTRL + x to exit. And that's it.

5. Restart your MAC and under finder, go to the 'Go -> Go to Folder' and type in /Volumes. You will your NTFS drive.

Verdict: This is the most simple method. However, I don't prefer it, neither it's recommended by apple (and that's why it's hidden) because it's experimental and people who have tried this, reported an error. Also, since there are other solutions, why to take the risk.

#2 NTFS -3g (recommended)

This is the most popular method, and also the one I am using right now. Instead of tinkering the core system settings via terminal, you can install a free software like NTFs-3g.

The development of NTFS 3g has been stopped from a long time. But, you can still get it work by installing few extra packages.

Well precisely, you have to install 3 program one by one. I have this guide on MACbreaker, and here is the summary of the process, for details check out the original article.

First, start with fuse for OS X — this provides a framework for NTFS support.

Write To Ntfs Mac

Download it from here and install it like you normally do. Under the installation type make sure to check the 'MacFUSE Compatibility Layer'. Once done restart the system.

Second install the NTFS 3g. This is the actual software that will be responsible for providing write support to your file.

Finally, install fuse Wait. Since NTFS-3g has not been updated from 2010, you will see an error like this, when the system boots up. So it will remove that.

So basically you download all this 3 software and install them one by one in the same order. It's recommended you restart your system after every install. And once you're done, plug in your hard drive and now you can use it both read and write access.

Verdict: The good part is it's free, safe and stable. Using it for a while, never had any problem. And the bad part is, you have to install three different packages thus making it impractical if you want to try it on your friends computer.

#3 Paragon or Textra (Paid)

It's similar to NTFS-3g, but you only have to install one software. Also, since this is paid version, bugs are fixed regularly and software is more stable than NTFS-3g.

But this stability do come with a price. Paragon ($19) and Textra ($24) are expensive and comes with a license for a single computer. Though there is a trial version which you can try for free.

Verdict: Me personally, I didn't try their service as I had no problem with NTFS-3g. However judging from the reviews online, for professional use these are better.

Conclusion

For general use, NTFS-3g is a good solution. NTFS is the most stable file system for windows and with drivers like NTFS-3g you can get it work easily on MAC.

Reformat Ntfs To Mac

However, if you work with multiple MAC computers then it's not a good idea to install NTFS-3g on your friends computer. Neither is paying each time or using a terminal. So in such cases, you may want to look towards another file system like exFAT — which is like NTFS but work with both MAC and Windows.