ntfs fat32 or for mac and pc compatability

Like NTFS, exFAT has very large limits on file and partition sizes., allowing you to store files much larger than the 4 GB allowed by FAT32. exFAT is optimized for flash drives-designed to be a lightweight file system like FAT32, but without the extra features and overhead of NTFS and without the limitations of FAT32. The exFAT file system was introduced in 2006 and was added to older versions of Windows with updates to Windows XP and Windows Vista. Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) Nomad_Soul/

Ideal Use: Use it on removable drives where you need maximum compatibility with the widest range of devices, assuming you don’t have any files 4GB or larger in size. Limits: 4GB maximum file size, 8TB maximum partition size. Also, modern versions of Windows can no longer be installed to a drive formatted with FAT32 they must be installed to drives formatted with NTFS.Ĭompatibility: Works with all versions of Windows, Mac, Linux, game consoles, and practically anything with a USB port. It lacks the permissions and other security features built into the more modern NTFS file system. While FAT32 is okay for USB flash drives and other external media-especially if you know you’ll be using them on anything other than Windows PCs-you won’t want to FAT32 for an internal drive. It was introduced all the way back in Windows 95 to replace the older FAT16 file system used in MS-DOS and Windows 3.

Strode/įAT32 is the oldest of the three file systems available to Windows. Ideal Use: Use it for your Windows system drive and other internal drives that will just be used with Windows.

Compatibility: Works with all versions of Windows, Mac, Linux, game consoles, and practically anything with a USB port. Modern versions of Windows can no longer be installed to FAT32, and must be installed onto drives formatted with NTFS. Limits: No realistic file size or partition size limits. It lacks the permissions and other security features built into the more modern NTFS file system. Other devices-with the exception of Microsoft’s Xbox One-probably won’t support NTFS. Even Microsoft’s own Xbox 360 can’t read NTFS drives, although the new Xbox Series X, S, and One can. Other devices are even less likely to support NTFS.Ĭompatibility: Works with all versions of Windows, but read-only with Mac by default, and may be read-only by default with some Linux distributions. None of Sony’s PlayStation consoles support NTFS. Some Linux distributions may enable NTFS-writing support, but some may be read-only. By default, Macs can only read NTFS drives, not write to them. It’ll work with all recent versions of Windows-all the way back to Windows XP-but it has limited compatibility with other operating systems. Despite its advantages, where NTFS lacks is compatibility.

Ntfs fat32 or for mac and pc compatability