It’s no surprise that PCs and Macs do not work well with each other, due to differences between the two operating systems (Windows vs. MacOS).One main difference is the file system.

By default, Macs are with HFS+ (since 2017 there’s new Apple File System, optimized for flash storage), while PCs are with NTFS.If you have a USB drive, and you plan to use it on both a Mac and PC, things can get a bit tricky here. What do I mean?If your disk was initially formatted to NTFS on a PC (or HFS+ on a Mac), most likely you’ll suffer limitations, for example, the data on your drive can’t be read or written on one of your computers.Fortunately, there is a file system (actually two, I’ll explain) that you can format your flash drive to be fully compatible with Mac and PC. In other words, you can access the drive and transfer data without any hassles.That file system is — exFAT. Note that there is another file system called FAT32 that pretty much does the same thing but with one major flaw. See the table below for more info. Table of Contents.Major File System ComparisonCompatible with macOS?Compatible with Windows?Max. File sizeMax.

While those can mostly be applied to external devices, like HDMI adapter cables and what not, they also allow your 3.0 USB flash drive to spread its wings, and live up to the potential of the ultra fast transfer speed. 2.0 flash drives usually have a file transfer speed cap at 480 Mbps (which is still great), but your 3.0 can be ten times that at 4.6 Gbps.

Partition sizeHFS+YesNoNo limitNo limitNTFSPartiallyYesNo limitNo limitFAT32YesYes4GB8GBexFATYesYesNo limitNo limitAs you can see, exFAT is the only file system that works with all versions of Windows and macOS and does not have any max file-size or partition-size limits. Therefore, it’s perfect for a USB flash drive or external disk, especially when you need to save files more than 4GB in size. You should go ahead and format your storage drive with exFAT instead of FAT32, assuming that all devices you want to use the drive support exFAT.You may notice that in NTFS is marked “Partially” under the Compatible with macOS column. This is because an NTFS-based drive can be read by macOS but you can’t write data to the drive.Now that you’ve learned exFAT is the ideal file system to go. How to know what current file system your flash drive is with, and how to format it to exFAT?Read on for step by step instructions How to Check a USB Drive’s File System?First of all, plug your flash drive into the USB port on your computer. Make sure your device can be detected and recognized. I’m here to use a 32GB Lexar USB key as an example.If you are on a MacOnce the Lexar disk shows up on the desktop, right-click on the drive icon and select “Get Info.”Alternatively (in case the disk does not show up on your desktop), open Finder, on the sidebar menu locate your USB drive under Devices, right-click and select “Get Info.”In the new dialogue, pay attention to General Format, where it says “MS-DOS (FAT32)”.

That means my Lexar disk is currently with the FAT32 file system.If you are on a Windows PCGo to This PC, under “Devices and drives,” highlight the disk that represents your USB flash drive, right-click and select Properties.In the new Properties window, check General File system and you’ll see what type of file system your flash drive is currently with. Note: since I’ve formatted my Lexar drive on my Mac, now it shows exFAT.How to Format USB Drive to ExFAT?Important: make sure you have at least one backup of all the data stored on the device before you proceed. Because the process of reformatting a disk drive will very likely erase all content and make recovery impossible. Read for more information.Also, since I don’t know whether you are on a PC or Mac to perform this operation, I’m here to break down this guide into two parts. The first part is for Mac users, and the second part is for PC users (Windows 10 based). In no particular order. Part 1: Formatting USB Drive On MacPlease note: since OS X 10.11 El Capitan, Apple made a few changes to Disk Utility (see details from ).

The app now has a new user interface that looks slightly different on Yosemite or earlier OS X versions.Step 1: Open Disk Utility. The quickest way is to search on Spotlight and click the result under “TOP HIT.” Alternatively, you can access it via Finder Applications Utilities Disk Utility.Step 2: Under the External tab, highlight your flash drive.

Note: right below your device name, it also shows information about the drive e.g. Size, file system, etc. In my case, I can see it’s a 32GB volume in MS-DOS(FAT) file system.Step 3: Now click the Erase button at the top.

In the new pop-up window, choose the format to be ExFAT. You may also change the device name if you want. Then hit the “Erase” button to continue. Kind reminder: make sure you have backed up the data before you do this.Step 4: Wait until the erasing process to complete. It should be very quick (only a few seconds to format my 32GB Lexar drive).Step 5: This step is optional.

I’m showing this to verify that the USB drive has been reformatted to the file system I wanted. I saved several files to the disk, and open Disk Utility again. And yes it’s now with the exFAT file system.Part 2: Formatting USB on a Windows PCPlease note: I’m here to use a Windows 10 based HP laptop to format my Lexar drive. If you are on an earlier operating system like Windows 7, XP, etc. The screenshots may look slightly different. For example, in Windows XP “My Computer” is equivalent to “This PC’ on Windows 10.Step 1: Locate your USB stick under This PC, right-click on it and select the Format option.Step 2: A new window pops up prompting options you need to select before starting. The only thing you have to check is under “File system,” make sure you have chosen “exFAT.” You may also rename the device drive under “Volume label.” Then click the “Start” button to continue.Step 3: You’ll see this warning.

Once again, make sure you’ve backed up all important data stored in the drive. Click “OK.”Step 4: It says “Format Complete,” done!Pro tip: chances are that you may encounter some issues formatting a flash drive on a PC or the disk is malfunctioning. If so, the following articles may be of help to you:.Final WordsMost of the external hard disks and flash drives are formatted for Microsoft Windows operating systems. That makes using the drive a bit troublesome on Mac machines. FAT32 is popular but the 4GB file-size limit makes it inconvenient, for instance, when you want to make a bootable macOS Sierra USB drive which the system file takes about 8GB of storage space.Thankfully, exFAT — a strict upgrade over FAT32, is a file system optimized for USB flash drives. Like I said, if you want to use the device for both a PC and Mac, you should consider reformatting it to exFAT once you figure out the drive isn’t with another file system.I hope the above guide is helpful to you. Once again, as a kind reminder: formatting a flash drive will likely erase all files and data stored in the device, it’s vital to ensure you have made at least one copy of the data before you get started.

I’m no where near a techie; I have never formatted a flash drive before using it. I am now using a PC but with the changes Microsoft Windows is making I am thinking of getting the iPad Pro. I never changed to Windows 10. I still have an old version, van’ remember which one (it’s about 5 years since I bought the PC.

So, the only thing I have been doing is downloading embroidery designs for my sewing/embroidery machine.I do have occasion when I look at the flash drives on my computer; are you saying I will not be able to see them on the IPadPro?. Explanation and really appreciate the detail and example pictures. Think you may have missed one explanation. Am doing a large presentation with lighting and audio. Program director wanted before, intermission and after performance music.

I was given a mem. Stick with the music but all of my “PCs” read “Not Formatted – Can Not Read”. The mem.stick was made on a Mac. And we need to use on a PC.1) Presume that there is no PC software to add that will allow the PC to read/play the music.2) Presume that the mem.stick author will have to supply a new mem.stick formatted for a PC or supply new mem.stick formatted on Mac. With the exFAT?3) Presume that any data files could be read but wondering about music formats put on from a Mac and compatible with a PC? Ie PC using MP4 MAC using xxx.

You can also drag it to the Trash. When you do so, you'll see that the Trash icon changes to an Eject icon (same symbol that's on an Eject key).By doing that the drive will be dismounted, and its icon will disappear from the desktop; once that's done you can safely unplug it.The reason to use an Eject command or drag it to the Trash is to make sure the drive has been dismounted before disconnecting it. The act of dismounting it ensures that the OS has 'let go' of it. The risk in not dismounting it before disconnecting it is that if you just abruptly disconnect it, you may interrupt a write operation to the drive - and doing that creates a good chance of bollixing the directory on the drive. Apple Footer.This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only.

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