I have an external drive that I would like to keep as exfat format for cross platform compatability. Why won't Time Machine back it up when it's plugged into my macbook? It's 2024. C'mon. It can't be that hard to copy some files in time machine regardless of the disk format.
[Edited by Moderator]
Apple's Time Machine Backup is designed to work on Drives formatted into Native Apple Drive formats
This maybe HFS + Journaled with the GUID Partition Map in Older version of macOS
In newer versions of macOS , Time Machine Backup is designed to work on APFS / GUID formatted drives
exFat is a drive format that Apple computers and read and write but can Not be used for TM Backups
If this is not to the user's liking >>
Then have a few suggestions ;
Start now and open an Apple Support Ticket as they are PAID Apple Employees to deal will these types of issues .
Product Feedback - and make it known to Apple regarding issue
Apple's Time Machine Backup is designed to work on Drives formatted into Native Apple Drive formats
This maybe HFS + Journaled with the GUID Partition Map in Older version of macOS
In newer versions of macOS , Time Machine Backup is designed to work on APFS / GUID formatted drives
exFat is a drive format that Apple computers and read and write but can Not be used for TM Backups
If this is not to the user's liking >>
Then have a few suggestions ;
Start now and open an Apple Support Ticket as they are PAID Apple Employees to deal will these types of issues .
Product Feedback - and make it known to Apple regarding issue
You should verify that the mounted exFAT drive is not still in Spotlight's Privacy panel where it cannot be indexed and that would prevent Time Machine from backing it up. Spotlight and Time Machine work in concert.
Apologies
I mis-read your original question
Please disregard my earlier posting
Why won't time machine back up an exfat drive?
