Photo by Sharon Vaknin/CNET If you need to expand your storage space with an external hard drive and you use both Mac and PC, you'll likely run into a few obstacles. Hard drives advertised as being compatible with Windows and Mac OS may have misled you into thinking you could actually use one hard drive for both computers. You can, but not out of the box. Most external hard drives (HD) are sold in a format called NTFS, which is designed to work with Windows. Macs read and write to a different format, called HFS+. Another format, called FAT32 is compatible with both OS platforms.
In this Article: Windows Mac Community Q&A References. If you are planning to sell your computer, it is a good idea to unpartition your hard drive in order to restore it to the factory default. Unpartitioning merges the partition back into the original drive. Unpartitioning will add space back to the original drive which had been partitioned.
Here's a look at how the different HD format types function: FAT32 (File Allocation Table) - Natively read/write FAT32 on Windows and Mac OS X. Maximum file size: 4GB - Maximum volume size: 2TB NTFS (Windows NT File System) - Natively read/write NTFS on Windows. Read-only NTFS on Mac OS X - Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard and above but has proven instable.
Maximum file size: 16 TB - Maximum volume size: 256TB HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, aka Mac OS Extended) - Natively read/write HFS+ on Mac OS X - Required for Time Machine - Maximum file size: 8 - Maximum volume size: 8EiB Isn't FAT32 the obvious solution? According to the list above, formatting your hard drive to FAT32 so that you can read and write on either OS seems like the obvious solution. The video and directions below will guide you through the process, but before you format your HD to FAT32, beware of these drawbacks. FAT32 offers no security, unlike NTFS, which allows you to set permissions. If your HD gets into the wrong hands, that person will be able to access your data. The max size for any given file stored on a FAT32-formatted HD is 4GB. So, for example, if you want to store a 9GB movie, it will be impossible.
In general, FAT32 drives are more susceptible to disk errors. It's not a huge issue, but FAT32 is less efficient at storing files. Its large cluster sizes waste disk space, unlike the other HD storage formats.
2:55 If you've considered these issues and would still like to use FAT32, this video will guide you through the process of formatting your HD to FAT32 using a Windows or Mac PC: OK, what are my alternatives to using FAT32? The good news is, it's not FAT32 or nothing. The alternative solutions do require more tinkering, but if you do not want to risk FAT32's lack of security, choose from one of the following alternatives.
Option 1: Format to NTFS, and use NTFS-3G to read/write on Mac. If you keep your hard drive's out-of-the-box NTFS format for all the reasons FAT32 displeases, there's a workaround that will allow your Mac to read and write files to the drive. Is an open-source program that, when coupled with, will let you use your NTFS drive on your Mac. However, it is an open-source program, so use it at your own risk. Many have vouched for its success, but others complain about bugs.
The commercial solution, which will give you access to support and software updates, is. It's $20, offers Lion support, and you get a five-day trial to try before you buy. Option 2: Format to HFS+, and use HFS Explorer to read/write on PC. Conversely, you can format the HD to HFS+ and use HFSExplorer for Windows to read and write to the Mac-formatted hard drive.
To get started, you'll first have to format the hard drive from NTFS to HFS+. Here's how: Plug your HD into the Mac and open Disk Utility, which can be accessed by searching for it in Spotlight. Then, select your hard drive from the left sidebar. Now go to the Erase tab. In the Volume Format list, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Then, click Erase at the bottom to format the drive. Please note that this will complete erase the drive.
Any data you want to keep on that drive must be backed up elsewhere first. Now that the hard drive is formatted to HFS+, on your Windows machine to get read and write access to the drive. This is an open-source program, so use it at your own risk. Alternatively, you can opt for paid software like instead. Option 3: Create two partitions on your hard drive to use with each OS, separately.
This solution is a little different than the previous two because instead of having one hard drive that works with both machines, you're splitting your HD into two sections, each dedicated to a different OS. For example, if you have a 1TB hard drive, 500GB of storage can be used with your Windows computer, and 500 will be dedicated to your Mac computer. You won't be able to write to the Mac side from your Windows computer, and vice versa, but it's a good solution for people who want all the advantages each format has to offer for its respective system. Here's how to do it: Step 1: Connect the empty external HD to your Mac and launch Disk Utility. Select the drive from the left sidebar, then click the Partition tab.
Under Partition layout, select '2 Partitions.' Now, drag the boxes to adjust the size of each partition.
For example, you might want more storage for your Mac than you do for your PC. Now, click on the top partition, name it 'Windows,' and change its format to MS-DOS. Then click the second partition, name it 'Mac,' and change its format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Give your settings a final lookover and click Apply. Step 2: Plug the hard drive into your Windows PC.
Open the Start menu and search for Disk Management. Select the search result and the Disk Management utility will launch. In the left sidebar, you should see your hard drive and its partitions. Right-click the Windows partition and select Format.
In the Format dialog box, under File System, select FAT32. Click OK and complete the format process.
With these three options you'll be able to take advantage of either platform's offerings, be it Time Machine support or security options. In the end, you may end up using FAT32 for its simplicity, but don't say I didn't warn you about the risks.
Table of Contents. You’ve heard about people losing data to a corrupted hard drive sector or, even worse, experiencing a hard drive failure.
Hard drives can be fickle and, while many offer a, you should have a plan for protecting your data. Using multiple hard drive partitions, in conjunction with one of our providers, is a great way to avoid these troubles.
Partitioning is required for storage, but it also creates a more secure environment for your data. In this guide on how to partition a hard drive, we’re going to discuss what a partition is and how you can start partitioning on macOS and Windows. What Is a Partition? Partitioning is a way of separating your hard drive into multiple sections. A partition can be thought of as a slice of your hard drive. Even though this piece is just a logical separation from your whole drive, the operating system will treat it as an independent drive (this is different from ). Each partition becomes a logical disk, representing a chunk of the physical disk.
That allows the operating system — and you — to manage files and data separate from other parts of the drive. Hard drives have to be partitioned and formatted before you can store data on them, but there are many other benefits to having a multi-partition scheme.
Regardless of what OS you’re using, setting up partitions and formatting must be done. You can’t write data to a blank drive.
The OS needs a volume with a file system to write and store data. The partition is the volume and formatting creates the file system. The process varies depending on the OS. Usually, operating systems are set up with multiple partitions, and they can be formatted in several ways.
For instance, when installing Windows, one partition will be created for the OS to reside in and another for recovery. Reasons to Partition Partitioning is a solid way to organize your data, which makes finding your files, projects and programs more convenient. Separate partitions also make your data easier to backup, saving you from having to sift through multiple folders and directories. You should still use online backup, though, because multiple partitions will not protect you from hard drive failure. Because partitions are treated as separate drives, they can be encrypted. That means you get greater control over encrypting a hard drive because you can encrypt on a per-partition basis.
Encrypting a whole drive is fine, it’s just that partitioning grants you more options. Read our guide for more details on this process.
Partitioning also lets you use multiple operating systems on one hard drive. Having multiple partitions is mandatory for that, as each OS requires its own drive. You’ll also want additional partitions for files and data relative to each OS, as intermingling them will create problems. It improves performance, too. Speaking to the, partitioning has been used to make operating systems quicker.
The physical structure of a hard drive is such that the outer tracks of the disk offer the highest transfer rates. The first partitions created are situated there and are the fastest, so that’s where you want your OS to live. While the scope of this guide is limited to basic partitioning, you can do more advanced partitioning with specialized software. If you intend to run a dual boot setup, for example, partition software gives you greater control over your partitions. How to Partition a Hard Drive in Windows Partitioning in Windows is done through the disk management tool, which is a disk utility included with every version of the OS. The following steps assume the use of Windows 10, but are equally applicable to Windows 7 and 8.1. If you’re unsure which you have, you can check.
The process doesn’t change much. Any time you are formatting or partitioning, it’s good to make sure you’ve backed up all data. Step 1: Open Disk Management. That can be done via computer management, Cortana or the command prompt. You can also right-click the start button, then select Disk Management from the menu.
It looks like this: Step 2: Once open, you may receive an “initialize disk” prompt in a separate window. There, you’ll be asked to specify a partition style.
Don’t worry if you don’t see the message, just continue to the next step. Step 3: Select the hard drive you want to partition at the bottom of the window. It will show as “unallocated.” Right-click it, then select “new simple volume” If you don’t see your drive in the drive map, Windows may not recognize it. Double check that it is installed correctly, and restart your PC.
If you’re partitioning an existing drive with data or the OS installed on it, you’ll need to create unallocated space for Windows to work with. Right-click the partition and select “shrink volume” Windows will tell you how much space is available to partition and ask you to specify the size of the new one. Step 4: The new simple volume wizard will appear. Click “next.” Then, click “next” on “specify volume size.” By default, Windows will create a partition using the maximum amount of unallocated space. If you need a smaller partition, just specify the size in megabytes.
Step 5: Click “next” on “assign drive letter or path.” Windows will automatically assign the first letter available, skipping A and B. Step 6: Next, you can either select “do not format this volume” if you want to format later, or you can do it now. Step 7: On the “completing new simple volume” screen, verify your choices and click “finish.” Windows will partition the drive accordingly, which should only take a minute. The drive will need to be formatted, unless you did so during step six.
After creating the partition, Windows will try to open the drive and give you a prompt to format it. Follow the steps in our guide for formatting help. How to Partition a Hard Drive in macOS As with Windows, partitioning on a Mac is straightforward. Basic partitioning is done using Disk Utility, which is Apple’s built-in disk management tool. Again, make sure your data is backed up before tinkering with your drives.
Step 1: Open Disk Utility. Press Command + Space to launch Spotlight, then type “disk utility”. Or:.
Open Finder. Select Applications. Open the Utilities folder.
Click on Disk Utility to open it Step 2: Once you’re in the Disk Utility window, select your hard drive on the left. Step 3: After you’ve selected your device, click the “partition” tab.
Step 4: Click the “add (+)” button. Then, select the size of your new partition and give it a name. You can create more partitions by selecting a new partition and clicking the “add (+)” button.
That depends on the total amount of space available, though. Step 5: Select your desired format for the partition. Step 6: Click “apply” and macOS will create the new partition. When all that’s done, your new partition should appear as a new volume on the left sidebar of Disk Utility. Final Thoughts Hopefully, this guide helped you create a shiny new partition that you can use for dual booting or making online backups easier.
There is some risk associated with managing your partitions, so plan for all possible contingencies. The best way to do this is to have a solid backup strategy. Our is a good choice.