Is APFS the best disk format to use?

[Ambrosia7177]

Hello. I am working on a once-in-a-lifetime hard-drive cleaning and organizing project.

My main computer is a MacBook Pro M3 Max with Sonoma.

Questions:
1.) Is the APFS file format the best one to use for external HDD's and SSD's that need to be encrypted?

2.) Does the latest macOS still use AFPS as the preferred file format?

3.) Does Apple have any plans to replace the APFS file format any time soon?

4.) What would you advise for the following scenario...

I have a handful of external HDD's that use the Mac OS Extended (journaled) file format, and they are completely filled with data (e.g. 2TB per drive) and macOS Sonoma doesn't allow me to encrypt them, and I'm wondering the safest way to do that...

Since I have an "original" drive and then a backup drive for each "version" (e.g. GOPRO_01, GOPRO_02, etc.), it seems that the best approach would be to nuke each backup drive, format it as APS (encrypted), then copy the original data to the newly formatted drive, and then run DeltaWalker to make sure everything got re-copied over, and then do the reverse on the "original" drive.

Of course to do that for just one "version" of drives could take me days, and I need to do this for like 8 drives, so that is a real PITA.

In the end, though, making sure my original data is SAFE, SECURE, and maintains INTEGRITY (i.e. I don't lose any data), is what really matters!!

Could use some advice on all of this.

Thanks.

 

[MacCheetah3]

1.) Is the APFS file format the best one to use for external HDD's and SSD's that need to be encrypted?

I would say yes. But you can also read:

Why use APFS?

Deciding which file system to use for hard disks can be difficult. Here are the advantages and disadvantages explained in detail, for HFS+ and APFS.

eclecticlight.co

Should you continue using HFS+?

Which is faster with a hard disk: using APFS or sticking with HFS+? Are there any differences in their performance on SSDs?

eclecticlight.co

2.) Does the latest macOS still use AFPS as the preferred file format?

Yes.

3.) Does Apple have any plans to replace the APFS file format any time soon?

Extremely unlikely. To put it in perspective, HFS+ lasted about 20 years.

HFS Plus

Hierarchical File System Plus (HFS+), also known as Mac OS Extended, is a journaling file system that was developed by Apple as an update to its aging Hierarchical File System (HFS). It was introduced with Mac OS 8.1 in 1998 and remained in use until it was deprecated with the release of the...

apple.fandom.com

4.) What would you advise for the following scenario...

I have a handful of external HDD's that use the Mac OS Extended (journaled) file format, and they are completely filled with data (e.g. 2TB per drive) and macOS Sonoma doesn't allow me to encrypt them, and I'm wondering the safest way to do that...

Since I have an "original" drive and then a backup drive for each "version" (e.g. GOPRO_01, GOPRO_02, etc.), it seems that the best approach would be to nuke each backup drive, format it as APS (encrypted), then copy the original data to the newly formatted drive, and then run DeltaWalker to make sure everything got re-copied over, and then do the reverse on the "original" drive.

Of course to do that for just one "version" of drives could take me days, and I need to do this for like 8 drives, so that is a real PITA.

In the end, though, making sure my original data is SAFE, SECURE, and maintains INTEGRITY (i.e. I don't lose any data), is what really matters!!

Could use some advice on all of this.

Thanks.

Seems like a good plan.

 

[Basic75]

1.) Is the APFS file format the best one to use for external HDD's and SSD's that need to be encrypted?

Yes, for SSDs because that's what it's built for. It's not ideal for HDDs because it doesn't try to minimize head movement, but Apple doesn't allow the creation of encrypted HFS+ with latest macOS anymore.

2.) Does the latest macOS still use AFPS as the preferred file format?

Yes.

3.) Does Apple have any plans to replace the APFS file format any time soon?

Nobody outside of Apple knows but I wouldn't expect them to replace it soon.

4.) What would you advise for the following scenario...

...

It sounds like you only have two copies of your data so I'd buy a third set of hard drives so that you aren't down to a single copy during the whole operation. You should use something to verify your copies since Apple cheaped out and doesn't do checksums in APFS. For a company sticking "Pro" in their product names left and right they sure like to not implement any actual pro features. Guess the average consumer cares more about case colors than data integrity. End of rant.

 

[bzgnyc2]

Hello. I am working on a once-in-a-lifetime hard-drive cleaning and organizing project.

Note this is more likely a once-every-10-to-20-years project...

My main computer is a MacBook Pro M3 Max with Sonoma.

Questions:
1.) Is the APFS file format the best one to use for external HDD's and SSD's that need to be encrypted?

I generally recommend APFS for SSD and HFS+ for HDD. As recent versions of macOS can't create encrypted HFS+, you would have to create one on a Mac running an older macOS (Catalina I believe was the last).

2.) Does the latest macOS still use AFPS as the preferred file format?

Yes

3.) Does Apple have any plans to replace the APFS file format any time soon?

No

4.) What would you advise for the following scenario...

I have a handful of external HDD's that use the Mac OS Extended (journaled) file format, and they are completely filled with data (e.g. 2TB per drive) and macOS Sonoma doesn't allow me to encrypt them, and I'm wondering the safest way to do that...

As I am guessing you've been using these drives for a while, why the sudden interest in encrypting them?

Since I have an "original" drive and then a backup drive for each "version" (e.g. GOPRO_01, GOPRO_02, etc.), it seems that the best approach would be to nuke each backup drive, format it as APS (encrypted), then copy the original data to the newly formatted drive, and then run DeltaWalker to make sure everything got re-copied over, and then do the reverse on the "original" drive.

Of course to do that for just one "version" of drives could take me days, and I need to do this for like 8 drives, so that is a real PITA.

In the end, though, making sure my original data is SAFE, SECURE, and maintains INTEGRITY (i.e. I don't lose any data), is what really matters!!

Another option would be to buy new SSD-based external drives (formatted APFS). The Thunderbolt/USB4 ones are ~ 10x faster than any HDD. Then repurpose all the HDD as the backup drives for the SSD drives until the HDD hit their End-Of-Life. Obviously the most expensive but likely to be the best performing and supported option for the future.

 

[Fishrrman]

I use APFS only where necessary.

By "only where necessary" I mean boot drives or other partitions that Apple FORCES me to use APFS.

Everywhere else, I use HFS+.
That includes platter-based hard drives (APFS is very "hard" on these) and SSDs.

I'm the only person on earth who has hard-partitioned my internal m4 Mini SSD into 3 extra HFS+ partitions and uses them on a daily basis. Works fine for my needs.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

It sounds like you only have two copies of your data so I'd buy a third set of hard drives so that you aren't down to a single copy during the whole operation.

I have the original data drives and then backup drives. (Can't justify buying several more drives just to switch to encryption.)

For a company sticking "Pro" in their product names left and right they sure like to not implement any actual pro features. Guess the average consumer cares more about case colors than data integrity. End of rant.

Huh???

 

[Ambrosia7177]

Note this is more likely a once-every-10-to-20-years project...

I'll probably be dead in 10-20 years! ;-)

As I am guessing you've been using these drives for a while, why the sudden interest in encrypting them?

I didn't explain in my OP, but my workflow is this...

I shoot video on my iPhones and GoPro, then download them to an external drive, and then have a 2nd backup drive or each that I store in another location.

So these are almost like archival drives, because it is just a bunch of video (and photos) on data drives.

When I first got into video circa 2020, I never thought about encrypting my work - which is strange because I have been running FDE on my Macs for as long as it has been available.

Finally bought a 24TB HDD last summer, and am getting around to making a 3rd (consolidated) backup now - which is a real PITA!!

Earlier drives in my iPhone series and also my GoPro series were NOT encrypted for reasons mentioned above.

Another option would be to buy new SSD-based external drives (formatted APFS). The Thunderbolt/USB4 ones are ~ 10x faster than any HDD. Then repurpose all the HDD as the backup drives for the SSD drives until the HDD hit their End-Of-Life. Obviously the most expensive but likely to be the best performing and supported option for the future.

While I was typing above, DeltaWalker just finished doing a single folder comparison between my an original 2TB HDD and my new 24TB HDD. 5 hours and 22 minutes!!

It is going to take me until November to finish all of this "Spring cleaning"!!

At this point I think I will just leave the original drives in their original state.

Encrypting HDD that are 5 years old kind of makes me nervous - even with two backups - plus it is an enormous waste of time.

Ideally, I want all of my data encrypted, but this isn't as misison-critical as say what is on my laptop.

Side Note:
One thing I learned long ago - but after this mistake we are discussing - is that it is sooo much easier to format a HDD/SSD as "AFPS (encrypted)" and then data on it, versus trying to encrypted an unencrypted drive after it is filled with data!!

Guess I'll have to chew on what to do...

Ironically, I am moving most of this data OFF of SSD's and onto to this huge 24 TB HDD because based on my research, a platter-based drive is more likely to retain data long-term versus SSD's - although there seems to be debates on this.

Either way, I have all of my video on both now.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

I use APFS only where necessary.

By "only where necessary" I mean boot drives or other partitions that Apple FORCES me to use APFS.

Everywhere else, I use HFS+.
That includes platter-based hard drives (APFS is very "hard" on these) and SSDs.

I'm the only person on earth who has hard-partitioned my internal m4 Mini SSD into 3 extra HFS+ partitions and uses them on a daily basis. Works fine for my needs.

HFS+ is the same as "Mac OS Extended (journaled)" right?

Sorry if I missed this, but is there an easy (and safe) way to encrypt my drives using the same format?

Maybe I should just let "sleeping dogs lie"?

 

[MacCheetah3]

based on my research, a platter-based drive is more likely to retain data long-term versus SSD's - although there seems to be debates on this.

There’s not a lot of data on the subject, namely because SSDs haven’t been used mainstream for a long stretch yet. And the predicted problem circles having SSDs stored offline for years.

Will your SSD lose data without power?

Losing your SSD data without power might sound preposterous, but it can happen in certain circumstances.

www.xda-developers.com

At this point, I doubt it’s more than a handful of people, which are probably mostly those just doing so for research, that have left an SSD nearly full of data in a drawer, box, bin, whatever untouched for several years or a decade thus far.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

There’s not a lot of data on the subject, namely because SSDs haven’t been used mainstream for a long stretch yet.

Exactly.

And the predicted problem circles having SSDs stored offline for years.

Will your SSD lose data without power?

Losing your SSD data without power might sound preposterous, but it can happen in certain circumstances.

www.xda-developers.com

Thanks for the article.

At this point, I doubt it’s more than a handful of people, which are probably mostly those just doing so for research, that have left an SSD nearly full of data in a drawer, box, bin, whatever untouched for several years or a decade thus far.

Well, I do have SSD's that have been in my (climate-controlled) storage unit for 4-5 years and the data seems to be okay - although I didn't open every file on each 2TB SSD.

My decision to go backwards to a HDD for an extra backup was based on NUMEROUS people claiming that they lost data on SSD's after even 1 year. (Lots and lots of people on Reddit claim this, but who knows?!)

If even some of those claims were true, my first suspicion is that they were using el-cheapo SSD's.

Either way, my data is for my startup and it is my life, so I am doing everything possible to protect it!

Based on recommendations from the wise people at MacRumors, last summer I bought a handful of these drives...

SanDisk Professional 4TB PRO-G40 SSD Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD

...and I'm guessing they are less likely to fail than what a lot of people on Reddit use.

But to cover my bases, I went with this HDD as a 3rd backup...

Seagate 24TB Exos X24 7200 rpm SATA III 6 Gb/s 3.5" Internal HDD (OEM)

...which B&H recommended.


I know that some people use magnetic tape and even laser disks (??) but that is a little impractical (and unaffordable) for me at the moment.

******

Back on topic, I'm a little torn what do do about the unencrypted drives.

I guess my original gameplan in my OP would do, although I hate having to touch my original video files which are historic and can never be replaced.

Again, probably better to just leave them alone...