- If you format as NTFS it works great on all Windows machines, but Macs can only read from the device, they cannot write to it. There are some plugins to help the Mac deal with NTFS but our experience proves those add-ins to be unstable. If you format it as exFAT all computers (Windows and Macs) will see the drive except for Windows XP.
- If it is NTFS or exFAT on older software, you’ll need to reformat it (which erases all the data on the flash drive). Windows; Macintosh; Partitioning Windows. Formatting with Windows (option 1) With Windows on drives at or under 32 GB, open Explorer. In the left pane, right-click on the USB drive and select Format.
Most Mac users will be better off formatting external drives with exFAT, ensuring they work well on both Windows and Mac OS X without any extra work. If you must write to an NTFS drive, one of the paid, third-party drivers will be the easiest option with the best performance and least risk of file corruption.
Did you know that Tuxera NTFS for Mac also comes with Tuxera Disk Manager? With Tuxera Disk Manager, you can format an external drive or USB stick to work with Windows PCs.
What is formatting?
Simply put, formatting is the process of preparing a drive for use by an operating system. As an example, say you want to get super-organized with your sock drawer. To do that, you would first empty the drawer of all your mixed socks. Then, you’d place a drawer divider into the drawer. The drawer divider creates several small compartments inside the drawer, each meant for storing one pair of socks. With your sock organizing system in place, you’re set up to start filling each compartment with pairs.
Formatting a drive is a bit like organizing a sock drawer. Image credit: osseous(own work) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Flickr.
This is similar to how formatting works. First the drive is cleared of any data that may be stored on it. Then it’s set up and organized for storing data in a way that’s possible for the computer’s operating system to understand. And finally, you can start adding files onto it.
Be aware that if you do format a drive, everything on it is deleted in the process. So if you have anything important stored on the drive, make sure you back it up before you format.
Format Flash Drive Mac To Ntfs Converter
Tuxera Disk Manager – a must-have for El Capitan
We originally developed Tuxera Disk Manager for the OS X El Capitan release. At that time, Apple’s Disk utility – which is normally used for formatting drives – did not support the NTFS format. If you aren’t able to upgrade from El Capitan, you need to use Tuxera Disk Manager to format NTFS drives.
Apple Disk Utility vs. Tuxera Disk Manager
In Sierra, support for NTFS drivers returned to Apple’s Disk Utility. That means on the latest Macs, you can use Apple’s Disk Utility or Tuxera Disk Manager to format your drive. Whichever way you choose, you’ll still need to install Tuxera NTFS for Mac to format your drive.
Format Flash Drive Mac Ntfs
Want to learn how it’s done? Watch our video on how to format an NTFS drive using Tuxera Disk Manager:
https://youtu.be/tMxsokC8XUQ?t=2m5s