FAT32 (File Allocation Table) Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X.Maximum file size: 4GB. Maximum volume size: 2TB; You can use this format if you share the drive between Mac OS X and Windows computers and have no files larger than 4GB.

If the drive's format comes up as MS-DOS (FAT) or, less likely, ExFAT, you may be able to simply leave the drive as-is and not bother reformatting it. If the drive is listed as NTFS-formatted.
But luckily, there are file systems well supported by both Mac and Windows PC, and they are FAT32 (it might be called MS-DOS on Mac) and exFAT. As long as we format the external hard drive to one of these 2 file systems, it can be shared between Mac and Windows.
The oldest Windows OS that exFAT can work with is Windows XP SP3, while the oldest Mac OS is Mac 10.6.5 Snow Leopard. But hey, if you got your Mac and PC within the past two decades, then it’s safe to say that FAT32 vs exFAT has a clear winner. The Best Format for External Hard Drives.
So if your question was 'What's the difference between MS-DOS FAT and Windows FAT', the answer would be MS-DOS uses FAT16 while Windows uses FAT32.

Exfat Or Msdos Fat For Mac And Windows 10

GUID and exFAT since no legacy machines and OS's are involved, however the 10.6 machine must be 10.6.5 or later.

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Format the new drive on the Win 7 machine, right click on it's icon and format: exFAT.

Exfat Or Ms-dos Fat For Mac And Windows

If you ever want to connect the drive to a XP machine with exFAT installed (free from Microsoft), then your looking at MBR + exFAT.

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If the XP machine can't install exFAT, like it's not verified, then MBR + FAT32 (MSDOS) and keep all files under 4GB in size.

Exfat Or Msdos Fat For Mac And Windows 7

If you want to connect the drive to consoles and other devices, then MBR + FAT32 (MSDOS)

Don't use NTFS

Exfat Or Msdos Fat For Mac And Windows 8

Apr 23, 2012 11:07 AM