The Western Digital Passport provides expanded storage space and backup features for Windows-based and Macintosh computers. Format your Passport so the drive is compatible with the backup tools available in Mac OS X and so it can perform the common task of transferring files between the external hard drive and your Mac's internal hard drive.
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. 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.
Advertisement Updated by Tina Sieber. Windows and Mac OS X use What is a file system and why do they matter? Learn the differences between FAT32, NTFS, HPS+, EXT, and more. Windows uses the NTFS file system for its internal drives, while Macs use HFS+. External hard disks and USB drives are generally formatted with the Windows FAT32 file system for maximum compatibility — most devices, including Macs, can read and write from FAT32 devices. Some Mac drives may be formatted with the HFS+ file system — some drives marketed to Mac users may even come pre-formatted with HFS+.
Windows can’t read this file system by default, but there are ways to read that HFS+ drive from Windows. We show you how to access your Mac-formatted drive on Windows. Install Apple HFS+ Drivers If read access to the files is all you need, you can install the Apple HFS+ drivers for Windows. Be sure to remove Paragon or MacDrive before proceeding. Download your, then follow these steps. You’ll probably want to use HFSExplorer for this.
Unlike all the other options available here, HFSExplorer is completely free. You can use it to access Mac file systems from Windows without paying a dime. Note that you need to run it as Administrator in Windows. HFSExplorer does require installed. We generally recommend against having Java installed, but it’s necessary here unless you want to spend money.
Be sure to disable the Java browser plug-in after installing Java to stay as safe as possible. This tool is fairly simple to use. Connect your Mac-formatted drive to your Windows system, open HFSExplorer, and click File Load File System From Device. HFSExplorer can automatically locate any connected devices with HFS+ file systems and open them. You can then extract files from the HFSExplorer window to your Windows drive. Note that HFSExplorer is read-only, so you can’t actually modify files stored on your Mac drive or delete them. It also doesn’t integrate with Windows Explorer or File Explorer — files are available in the HFSExplorer application and you must copy them elsewhere.
Price: $20, 10-day free trial Paragon HFS+ for Windows is a paid application, but it distinguishes itself with additional features. Unlike HFSExplorer, Paragon HFS+ for Windows provides full read/write access to Mac drives and promises high performance. It even integrates HFS+ file systems with Windows Explorer or File Explorer on Windows. Any Windows program can read from or write to the Mac drive. This application does cost $20, but it also offers a 10-day free trial. If you just need to recover files from a drive, 10 days is plenty of time to install this file system driver, copy your files over, and uninstall it.
If you want to use Mac drives on Windows on an ongoing basis, paying $20 so you can use the drive properly is a pretty good deal. As a bonus, Paragon HFS+ doesn’t require you have the insecure Java installed.
Readers noted that this cool caused them an inaccessiblebootdevice error. The fix appears to be to Inside the BIOS you can change basic computer settings, like the boot order. The exact key you need to strike depends on your hardware. We have compiled a list of strategies & keys to enter., setting SATA mode to IDEA, Safe Mode is an inbuilt troubleshooting feature that allows you to fix issues at the root, without non-essential applications interfering. You can access Safe Mode in various ways, even if Windows 10 no longer boots., doing a System Restore, followed by switching SATA mode back to AHCI in the BIOS. Price: $50, 5-day free trial (trial appears to no longer work) MacDrive is another fairly popular option here. It’s a paid application and is both more expensive and has a shorter free trial than Paragon HFS+.
Like Paragon HFS+, MacDrive offers full read/write access via Windows File Explorer fast performance. It also offers disk repair and partitioning tools for working with and creating Mac file systems.
These are additional features, but you probably won’t need them. This tool is a bit pricier than Paragon HFS+, so you’ll likely want to stick with Paragon HFS+ if you want a paid application. If Paragon HFS+ doesn’t work well for you for some reason, you may want to go with MacDrive.
Luckily, thanks to the free trials, you can try it out to see if that extra $30 over Paragon HFS+ is actually worth it. Workaround: Linux Live USB Price: free The next best way to access and copy your Mac drive on a Windows system requires a little workaround called Linux Live CD / USB. The concept is simple: You run Linux from a Live CD or USB drive, which will recognize your Mac device. Now you can copy the files to your Windows computer. Use to create a Installing an operating system from a USB drive is quick and portable. We test a few ISO to USB tools to find the best one for you. , then reboot your system — make sure your BIOS is set to Learn how to change the boot order of your computer. It's important for troubleshooting issues and tweaking settings, and it's a lot easier than you think. — and boot into Ubuntu, where you should be able to read your Mac-formatted drive.
Bonus: Format the Drive Let’s say you have a Mac drive lying around and you no longer have a Mac. You’re not stuck with the Mac file system forever. After recovering the files from your drive with one of the tools above, you can then format the drive and convert it to a standard FAT32 partition that will work with most devices. Formatting will erase all the files on your drive, so be sure you’ve recovered your files first. To format the drive, just use the dialog that appears when you connect the drive to your computer. You can also Your external hard drive may not show up in Windows 10 due to partition, driver, or many other issues. We'll help you fix it!
To erase the Mac partition and create a new partition. Explore more about:,.