Windows 10: Transferring files from mac to PC: Should I use ExFAT or NTFS?

My macbook pro is on it's deathbed and it will soon go to that big Apple Store in the sky. My new Dell desktop arrives early next week.

This weekend, I am planning to copy some files that need to transfer to an external hard drive. I just don't know which format to use. I know mac can read, but not write to NTFS. So, I can either format the external hard drive in ExFAT, which both windows 10 and the mac can read/write, or I can format the external drive in NTFS and use NTFS for Mac to allow the mac to write to that drive.

Is one method better/safer than the other?

:)

 

1 TB Flash Drive Formatting

I have a 1 TB flash drive. It came in the format of exfat. I tried to reformat it to NTFS but my computer says that it cant finish the format. The only problem with the exfat is that when I take it to my mac it cant see the drive at all. My pc can see
it but none of my macs can. It would be fine if i was only using it for my pc but i bought it to help transfer files between computers. The only two options it gives me to format it to is NTFS and exfat. And it can only complete the exfat format. What should
I do? Is there a way to format it to Fat32?

 

External Hard Drive found but can't access files

Hey there trsarge,

You most probably won't be able to read the content of the drive since Mac computers and PCs use different file systems. Windows usually works with NTFS while Macs use HFS+. There are file systems suc has FAT32 and exFAt that can be read by both but reformatting
a drive removes the old partition table and the data becomes invisible and you would practically lose it.

I would recommend backing up your data from the drive on a Mac computer, reformat the drive to exFAT, get the data back on the drive, transfer it to your PC, reformat the drive as NTFS and then bring the data back to the drive

Another option would be to process your data over a NAS if you happen to have one.

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A 3rd method could be: make a network connection to Pc and Mac and transfer the files to the NTFS drive via the network.