- by x32x01 ||
When you format a hard drive, SSD, or USB, you choose a filesystem.
That decides which operating systems can read/write on it.
Different OS supports different filesystems
FAT32 - Works on almost everything (Windows, macOS, Linux). But has a 4GB file size limit.
exFAT - Modern version of FAT32. No 4GB limit. Best for cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux).
NTFS - Default for Windows. macOS can only read (without extra tools), Linux can read/write.
HFS+ - Old macOS format. Works fully on Mac, Linux can only read. Windows doesn’t support.
APFS - New Apple format (used in SSDs & macOS). Only works on macOS.
EXT4 - Linux’s native filesystem. Windows & Mac can’t use it directly without 3rd party apps.
So, if you want a USB/HDD that works everywhere, choose exFAT.
That decides which operating systems can read/write on it.
Different OS supports different filesystems
FAT32 - Works on almost everything (Windows, macOS, Linux). But has a 4GB file size limit. exFAT - Modern version of FAT32. No 4GB limit. Best for cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux). NTFS - Default for Windows. macOS can only read (without extra tools), Linux can read/write. HFS+ - Old macOS format. Works fully on Mac, Linux can only read. Windows doesn’t support. APFS - New Apple format (used in SSDs & macOS). Only works on macOS. EXT4 - Linux’s native filesystem. Windows & Mac can’t use it directly without 3rd party apps. So, if you want a USB/HDD that works everywhere, choose exFAT.