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The default format for macOS Catalina (version 10.15) and earlier is HFS+.The default format for macOS Big Sur (version 11) and later is APFS.If you intend to use your drive with Time Machine:.If you need cross-platform compatibility, you should format the drive in exFAT. Windows cannot natively read or write to APFS or HFS+ volumes.When choosing between Apple file systems, consider the following: APFS can only be read by Macs running High Sierra or later. It was first introduced with the release of macOS High Sierra (version 10.13).
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macOS Sierra (version 10.12) and earlier use HFS+ by default.ĪPFS (Apple File System) is an Apple file system optimized for solid state drives (SSDs) and flash-based storage systems, though it also works with hard disk drives (HDDs). Mac OS Extended (also known as Heirarchical File System Plus or HFS+) is an Apple file system used since 1998 for mechanical and hybrid internal drives. Optimized performance for macOSĪpple offers two proprietary file systems. If you need more versatility than this one-way transfer with Macs, consider exFAT. This means your Mac can copy files from an NTFS-formatted drive, but it can't add files to or remove files from the drive. macOS can read NTFS volumes, but it can't natively write to them. NTFS (New Technology File System) is a proprietary journaling file system for Windows.
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If you use your drive with both PCs and Macs, format your drive in exFAT. Performance-You connect your drive with only one type of computer, so you can optimize file copy performance by formatting the drive in the native file system for your computer operating system.ĮxFAT is a lightweight file system compatible with all versions of Windows and modern versions of macOS.Compatibility-You need a cross-platform format because you connect your drive to both PCs and Macs.When choosing a file system format, consider whether compatibility or performance is more important in your everyday use of the drive. Your device is preformatted exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) for compatibility with both Mac and Windows computers.
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