Note: See this article from Apple Support to learn how to reformat a storage drive on macOS. On macOS 10.13 High Sierra and later, the Apple File System (APFS) format is recommended.On macOS 10.12 Sierra (and earlier versions of OS X), the standard HFS+ / Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format is recommended.I explain the differences between the formats AFPS, M.

Make sure to only use hard drives that are not formatted case-sensitive for installing and using NI products on Mac computers.įor best results, your external drive should be formatted the same as your operating system's native format. The main issue with exFAT is that your drive will be more prone to fragmentation when used with Apple devices and is less stable than NTFS on Windows. Learn how to format an external hard drive, SSD, or a usb flash drive on mac for both mac and windows.

The description shows if the selected hard drive's format is Case-sensitive:.

Choose the hard drive volume that you want to verify from the list on the left hand side of the window.

Open Disk Utility from Mac HD > Applications > Utilities.

If you want to use the drive between a Windows and Mac machine, you can format it to FAT32. To find out if you are using a case-sensitive hard drive, follow these steps: Format USB Drive in Mac If you want to use the USB drive on your Mac computer only, formatting it to be entirely Mac compatible file system is highly recommended, such as HFS+ file system. If you want to format your external hard drive to work with Mac and Windows computers, you should use exFAT. Important Note: Native Instruments products are not compatible with Case-sensitive hard drives. The Best Format for External Hard Drives. If a hard drive is formatted 'case-sensitive', the system distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase letters that are used for volume and folder names. On Mac systems, hard drives can be formatted in a variety of ways.

Best format for mac and pc hard drive