Mac OS Extended (Case-sentive, journaled) vs. Mac OS Extended (Case-sentive, Journaled, Encrypted)

Case sensitive allows files of the same name but some difference in letter case to be in the same directory ("folder"). The standard format from Apple is not case sensitive.

For example, in the standard format, "Mac OS Extended (journaled)", a file named "filename.txt" would be identified exactly the same as "fileName.txt" so the two must be in different directories. With the "case sensitive" format, they are seen as different files. Some third-party applications are not designed for the case sensitive format so they may not always perform correctly. Unless you have a pressing need to save or locate files based on letter case, stick with the non-case sensitive option.

You can verify which format has been used with your drive volume (that means a drive or a partition of a drive), by selecting it in a Finder window and apply the "Get Info" command, such as command + I or File > Get Info. The format type is listed in that Info window under "General".

Hope this answers your question.

Why do you want to use case sensitive?

If you plan to use it for both Mac and PC then you don't want either.

MS-DOS can be written to by both OS X and Windows.

The two format you are talking about require MacDrive on the Windows PC to be able to write to the disk.

I concur with hpr3 that you don't want case sensitive especially if Windows will be involved.

Allan

The direct answer to your question is that one is encrypted and the other is not.

As others have mentioned, though, neither is ideal for working in a cross-platform environment since Windows systems can't read Mac OS Extended volumes without third-party software. If you want to get that software then go ahead, otherwise you'll need to dumb down your options and stick with ExFAT, which is the better cross-platform format.

The upshot, as previously mentioned, is that none of the Mac OS Extended verisons, whether journaled, case-sensitive, encrypted or not, will work on a Windows machine without additional software. Windows just doesn't natively read Mac OS Extended volumes.

I know that Mac OS (FAT) is compatible with both PC and Mac platforms, however, there's a limit to trasnferring files to 4GB.

Right, but no one, at least not I, suggested using FAT. FAT has little place in modern disks, it's mostly used for legacy reasons, and for small volumes (such as flash drives). I recommended using ExFAT, which is an option in Mountain Lion.

This is an extended version of FAT that is cross-platform compatible and avoids many of the limitations of FAT - at least as far as file sizes and disk sizes are concerned.

A caveat with case-sensitive file system is that not all applications work properly with them, including a number of Apple applications.

Allan

Nor the Adobe suites. They will even tell you when you start installing the software that the drive you're putting the software on is case sensitive and must be changed before you can install and use Adobe's software.

True. My feeling on using case-sensitive file system is to only use them when you are forced into using them because nothing else works.

Allan

I am having exactly that problem with rebuilding iPhoto libraries that aren't functioning properly. I was advised to change my external drive's format from Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled) to Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and check the button for "Ignore ownership on this volume."

My external drive already has on it my Time Machine backups and my iPhoto library backups (which I need to keep till I get my issues with that application resolved).

Looking at Disk Utility, it seems that changing the format of the drive would erase my data. Is that so? The iPhoto files are too big for my hard drive, so this would mean I would have to purchase another external drive to save my data.

Yes, reformatting the drive will erase the data.

I strongly recommend the Case-Sensitive not be used.

I strongly recommend that Time Machine and your data not be stored on the same drive.

I strongly recommend a disk for Time Machine and another for your photos.

You really should start your own thread rather then tagging on to a thread that has been dead now since last year. Probably the only reason I even saw this was because I posted it on prior so it popped up for me to view.

Allan

AFromVT wrote:

. . .

My external drive already has on it my Time Machine backups

That's the single exception. If you let Time Machine format a backup drive, it will use case-sensitive, just as it will make a case-sensitive sparse bundle disk image for a network backup.

The apparent reason is, if the backups are case-ignorant, and at a later date you decide to add a case-sensitive drive to your system and want Time Machine to back it up, too . . . it can't. But if the backups are case-sensitive, it can.

99.9% of the time, there's no problem with that. See #E7 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting for the exception.

Bottom line -- if you ever have to get a new drive and start over, use case-ignorant. But you won't be able to copy the case-sensitive backup set to a new TM drive and continue backing-up to it. You can, however, still access the old backups via the Browse Other Backup Disks option, per #E2 in the above link.

Since I always format the disks before use and never let the formating be done by an application, I was not aware of this exception of Time Machine formating to Case-Sensitive. Thanks. I learned something today.

Allan

Mac OS Extended Journaled is a format used in mac for example using the drive or disk for time machine backup, where is encrypted version means is password protected and this key will be needed for decrypting hence your data will be safe. By the way none of these versions can be used on a windows, and why would you need case sensitive journaled ?

Hope it helps 🙂