File system – do I have this right?

[jimthing]

Any drive can be formatted as one of 3 main file system options:
(a) FAT32 (MS-DOS) - Windows older format.
(b) NTFS - Windows newer format.
(c) HFS+ (Mac OS Extended, Journaled) - Mac format.

On any Mac, by using Disk Utility app, any drive can be formatted for either (a) or (c). Using a Window machine you can format a drive for (a) or (b).

File size issue:
- FAT32 is limited to 4GB max file size.
- NTFS or HFS+ can have files larger than 4GB.

Reading/writing issue:
- Mac OS X can only read NTFS, not write.
- Windows cannot read or write HFS+.
- Mac & Windows can read/write FAT32 (but with the above file size limitation, very apparent given modern HD video or databases file sizes).

Solution:
There are third-party programs for Mac OS X that add read/write capability for NTFS formatted drives. There are third party solutions for Windows that add read/write capability for HFS+.

Usual advice:
If you live in a Mac dominated environ, use HFS+. If in Windows environ, use NTFS. If never using such large files, use FAT32.

Specifically, if moving 4GB+ files:
- if moving files one way, Mac to Windows; use HFS+.
- if moving files one way, Windows to Mac; use NTFS.
- if moving files both ways, use either.
But in ANY of these, you'll then have to use a third-party program, as mentioned.


...do I have this all correct or is there anything wrong (or perhaps something else one has to think about I haven't mentioned)?

Just trying to make a decision or three 🙂

 

[miles01110]

Any drive can be formatted as one of 3 main file system options:
(a) FAT32 (MS-DOS) - Windows older format.
(b) NTFS - Windows newer format.
(c) HFS+ (Mac OS Extended, Journaled) - Mac format.

There are more, but those are the most common.

Usual advice:
If you live in a Mac dominated environ, use HFS+. If in Windows environ, use NTFS. If never using such large files, use FAT32.

I don't think there's any good reason to use FAT32 unless your machine requires it. Even if you aren't using files larger than 4 GB.

Specifically, if moving 4GB+ files:
...- if moving files both ways, use either.

You're going to have to use one of them...

 

[simsaladimbamba]

And then there is exFAT:

FAT32 (File Allocation Table)

• Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X.
• Maximum file size: 4GB.
• Maximum volume size: 2TB

NTFS (Windows NT File System)

• Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
• Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
  [*]To Read/Write/Format NTFS from Mac OS X: Install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free)
  
• Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx 33USD).
• Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard, but is not advisable, due to instability.
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support NTFS
• Maximum file size: 16 TB
• Maximum volume size: 256TB

HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended)

• Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
• Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner backups of Mac internal hard drive.
• To Read/Write HFS+ from Windows, Install MacDrive
• To Read HFS+ (but not Write) from Windows, Install HFSExplorer
• Maximum file size: 8EiB
• Maximum volume size: 8EiB

exFAT (FAT64)

• Supported in Mac OS X only in 10.6.5 or later.
• Not all Windows versions support exFAT. See disadvantages.
• exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table)
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support exFAT
• Maximum file size: 16 EiB
• Maximum volume size: 64 ZiB

 

[jimthing]

Thanks guys, you're great, so thought I'd come back and say so with a ^vote on each!

Does anyone use exFAT then, or just very high niche areas, I wonder... ?

 

[maflynn]

I see no advantages to using exfat on a Mac. Its unsupported in windows, and OSX handles its native file system better, i.e., HFS+.