External storage option that works on both Mac and Windows?

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Level 1

8 points

External storage option that works on both Mac and Windows?

I need to use both a MacBook Air and a Windows based laptop this year for work however all of my files are contained on an external hard drive as they don't fit onto the internal storage of my Mac. My dilemma is that the external hard drive doesn't work on Windows computers and I can't seem to find an option that works across both systems. I've read some complicated workarounds related to partitioning the external hard drive but I'm wondering if there is an easier option than this. Surely I can't be the only person in the world that has this problem?! PS Seagate isn't an option. Myself and 3 other colleagues have used this brand and each of us have found that it fails even though it says it works across both systems....

Posted on Jan 9, 2020 12:46 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

dwb

Level 7

33,316 points

Jan 9, 2020 6:38 AM in response to Mimu1

There are two possible solutions. One is formatting an external hard drive with a filesystem that is usable by both Macs and Windows. exFAT is your solution and your Mac can format a drive in exFAT format. The second is utilizing driver software that will allow your computer to read a "foreign" format. This is a program you'd install on your Mac so it can read an NTFS formatted drive (which Windows uses) or a program you'd install on your Windows computer to read a Mac formatted hard drive.

My first choice would be formatting the drive with exFAT. kaz-k's solution of a Network Accessible Storage system is a somewhat more expensive and convenient solution to simply moving one drive from one computer to another but it utilizes a file system that both operating systems can use.

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Answer 2

mulberry58

Level 6

10,442 points

Jan 9, 2020 12:30 PM in response to Mimu1

Here’s how to format an external drive to use on Mac and Windows: https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/format-a-disk-for-windows-computers-dskutl1010/mac

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Answer 3

kaz-k

Level 9

51,412 points

Jan 9, 2020 4:17 AM in response to Mimu1

Hi,

NAS stands for Network Attached Storage. You can access to NAS files via Ethernet connection.

You can access files from PC and Mac.

For more information, Google NAS.

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Answer 4

kaz-k

Level 9

51,412 points

Jan 9, 2020 3:43 AM in response to Mimu1

Hi,

I think NAS is the best option.

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Answer 5

dwb

Level 7

33,316 points

Jan 9, 2020 4:39 PM in response to Mimu1

What you described is exactly what I did. Files I worked on using my Mac were saved to the drive and the drive unmounted. Later the drive was connected to PC and worked on there.

to answer the inevitable question, why not use the network? At that time the network was flaky with speeds varying between ok to glacier and I was working with audio and video files. glacier don’t work with audio and video.

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Answer 6

Mimu1 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 9, 2020 4:25 PM in response to dwb

Thanks dwb. So just to clarify, if I purchase an external hard drive and then format it on my mac into an exFAT format, I can put all of my files onto the hard drive, then read and write files when plugging it into the Windows laptop, and later in the day, plug it into my Mac laptop and read and write the same files? I don't want to have to have the same files placed on the hard drive twice, one in a partition that reads Windows files and one in a partition that reads Mac files. I just need one set of files that can be read and write across both systems interchangeably.

Sorry to be so needy but I just need to get something that works and I'm not that tech savvy! Thanks in advance.

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