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User profile for user: mokantx
mokantx Author
User level: Level 1
57 points

Best format for an external HD using a MacBook Pro?

I'm about to purchase an external HD for my MacBookPro 2018, using the latest Catalina. Since ALL of my systems (an older MacBook Pro, 2 iPhones, and an iPad are all apple products, what's the best format to use for the HD? (e.g., exfat vs. aes (?)).


Is any given format safer, more efficient, allows for faster reads and writes etc? I know exFat will allow both apple and windows products to use the same drive, and I believe that's the format this new drive will have when I buy it. What are the pros/cons of using that, over another format?


Thanks

mo

MacBook Pro 15”, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jul 7, 2020 3:15 PM

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,332 points

Posted on Jul 7, 2020 5:09 PM

Most external drives ship with NTFS file system for use with Windows. You really don't want to use NTFS when using a Mac since you would need to use proprietary software to write to an NTFS volume. The third party proprietary software/drivers are notorious for causing macOS issues so it is best to let macOS mange the external drive instead.


If the external drive will only be used by Macs, then erase the external drive as GUID partition and MacOS Extended (Journaled). You don't want to use APFS since it is a new file system that is still plagued by bugs as well as Disk Utility being unable to repair most APFS file system errors.


If the external drive will be used by both macOS and Windows, then use Disk Utility to erase the drive as GUID partition and exFAT.

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,332 points

Jul 7, 2020 5:09 PM in response to mokantx

Most external drives ship with NTFS file system for use with Windows. You really don't want to use NTFS when using a Mac since you would need to use proprietary software to write to an NTFS volume. The third party proprietary software/drivers are notorious for causing macOS issues so it is best to let macOS mange the external drive instead.


If the external drive will only be used by Macs, then erase the external drive as GUID partition and MacOS Extended (Journaled). You don't want to use APFS since it is a new file system that is still plagued by bugs as well as Disk Utility being unable to repair most APFS file system errors.


If the external drive will be used by both macOS and Windows, then use Disk Utility to erase the drive as GUID partition and exFAT.

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Best format for an external HD using a MacBook Pro?

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