How to format my External HD to use on my MacBook AND Windows PC...

**Superfreak** · 03-19-2013, 09:23 AM

Just got my new Samsung M3 1TB exHD, and i know i need to format it to run on my mac :/ but as it goes, I would like to format it to be able to work on a mac and my windows PC... I only use Mac atm, but want to store stuff on my PC and would just like to have it working on both...

How do i do this? I've heard that if i make it windows and mac formatted, i cna only transfer files of a 4GB maximum, is this true? If so then ill just leave it and format it to just mac... What option would i also need to just do this?

Thanks

**makar1** · 03-19-2013, 09:33 AM

exFAT is the best format for Windows and Mac compatibility. Max filesize is something like 2^20 TB

**Superfreak** · 03-19-2013, 10:01 AM

Okay cool! so i shoud go to Erase> format>> and choose exFAT and then i can use it on both mac and windows, and i havent really got a file size cap? My exHD is 1TB..

**makar1** · 03-19-2013, 10:02 AM

Sound right. exFAT works natively on both Windows and OSX without any 3rd party software.

**Superfreak** · 03-19-2013, 10:11 AM

I just tried and when i selected exFAT and clicked erase, it changed it MS-DOS FAT...!? I selected exFAT again and tried and it went back to MS_DOS again... Apparently i need to format it as exFAT if im running 10.7 lion or higher.. I'm running 10.6.8 ...

I need this hard drive to back up my macbook pro while i install 10.7 lion lol meh, can i jus leave it as MS-DOS FAT for now and once ive upgraded to lion, then format it again to exFAT?

**makar1** · 03-19-2013, 10:45 AM

10.6.8 should be able to format as exFAT, but apparently it works better if you format the drive using your Windows machine.

**sarasin** · 03-19-2013, 10:53 AM

You can install Paragon NTFS for Mac.

www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/

Or Tuxera NTFS for Mac.

www.tuxera.com/products/tuxera-ntfs-for-mac/

Works the charm.

Then you just have NTFS on your external HDD.