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exFAT is a lightweight file system optimized for flash drives, with larger file and partition size limits than FAT32, and wider compatibility than NTFS. Whether you're formatting an internal drive, external drive, USB flash drive, or SD card, Windows gives you the choice of using three different file systems: NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT.
exFAT: The extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) builds on FAT32 and offers a lightweight system without all the overhead of NTFS. ext2, ext3, & ext4: The extended file system (ext) was the first file system created specifically for the Linux kernel.
The exFAT file system is ideal for flash drives and SD cards. It's like FAT32, but without the 4 GB file size limit. You can use exFAT drives on Linux with full read-write support, but you'll need to install a few packages first.
If you're frequently using both Macs and PCs with the same drive, the ideal solution is to configure a USB drive with a file system that both operating systems can read. That file system is called exFAT, and it's designed for flash media cross-platform compatibility. Below, we'll show you how to set up a USB drive as exFAT for both Windows and Mac.
APFS, or "Apple File System," is one of the new features in macOS High Sierra. It's optimized for solid state drives (SSDs) and other all-flash storage devices, though it will also work on mechanical and hybrid drives. Mac OS Extended, also known as HFS Plus or HFS+, is the file system used on all Macs from 1998 until now. On macOS High Sierra ...
You'll want to use exFAT or FAT32 when formatting an external drive on Linux. If you're setting up partitions on your main Linux boot drive, you'll also want to create a swap partition of at least a few GBs in size when setting up those partitions. This partition is used for "swap space".
The exFAT operating system is now widely supported among a wide range of devices. It's a good default file system option for your removable devices. However, some devices may not support exFAT---FAT32 is still the most widely supported option.
Related: FAT32 vs. exFAT vs. NTFS: What's the Difference? Short for "Resilient File System", ReFS is a new file system built using code from the current NTFS file system. At the moment, ReFS is not just a replacement for NTFS. It has its own advantages and disadvantages. You can't just use ReFS instead of NTFS on your system drive.
Formatting your USB flash drive using the FAT32 file system is as easy as selecting a few options or running a command on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC. We'll show you both ways to accomplish the task, so your drive is formatted in your preferred format.
If you know you're going to use a drive on both Mac and Windows, you should use the exFAT file system, which is compatible with both. But if you didn't foresee that, you may have formatted your drive with Apple's HFS Plus, which Windows can't read by default.