在移动数据方面，外部(External)硬盘驱动器、闪存驱动器和其他类似形式的可移动存储使生活变得非常轻松。然而，我们生活在一个每个人都可能拥有多个外部存储可以（理论上）连接到的设备的世界中。
外部存储也有各种用例，重要的是，有多种格式可供选择。因此，当您必须为闪亮的新外置存储设备选择一种格式时，外置硬盘驱动器的最佳格式是什么？
什么是磁盘“格式化”？(Just What Is a Disk “Format”?)
“格式化”磁盘是什么意思？什么是磁盘格式？这实际上很容易理解。您的SSD、硬盘、闪存驱动器、SD 卡或您正在使用的任何存储介质都有一定数量的原始物理空间。
例如，SSD由包含微型存储单元的微芯片组成。每个单元可以保存特定数量的“位”。也就是说，构成二进制代码的一和零。把它想象成一个巨大的房间，里面摆满了空书架。
格式是我们用来用数据填充该空间的组织原则。在图书馆中，使用杜威十进制系统(Dewey Decimal System)之类的东西来确定书籍上架的顺序。这使得查找特定书籍变得非常容易。同样，磁盘格式告诉计算机如何在磁盘上存储信息。
某些磁盘格式比其他格式更有效，而某些格式根本不兼容特定的操作系统。
macOS 可以读取 Windows 格式吗？(Can macOS Read Windows Formats?)
开箱即用，macOS可以准确理解(macOS)Microsoft Windows世界中的两种格式。第一个是FAT，另一个是 ex FAT，我们稍后会讨论。
macOS 不支持主要的Windows磁盘格式NTFS 。至少，不完全是。macOS可以读取(read )NTFS磁盘，但不能写入。如果您需要从朋友的Windows磁盘获取一些数据，这很有用，但如果您同时使用Windows和 macOS，则需要不同的选项。最可能的选择是 exFAT，我们将在下面详细介绍。
您还可以选择使用第三方插件应用程序，但这当然不是最优雅的解决方案。如果您在Mac上使用(Mac)BootCamp ，这一点尤其重要，因为您不想因为启动到不同的操作系统而失去对外部存储的访问权限。
Windows 可以读取 macOS 格式吗？(Can Windows Read macOS Formats?)
Windows PC 无法读取 macOS 格式。macOS 使用的文件系统并不是 Windows 自己可以理解的。它需要第三方应用程序形式的一点帮助来读取和写入这些磁盘。
我们知道的唯一可以让您执行此操作的免费应用程序是hfsexplorer，它使用Java并且实际上只适用于奇怪的文件传输。
FAT32 – 最兼容的选项(FAT32 – The Most Compatible Option)
FAT 或文件分配表(File Allocation Table )很可能是当今存在的最广泛支持的磁盘格式。它是软盘和硬盘驱动器上使用的原始DOS格式的直接延续。FA T32 的存在主要是为了扩展旧版本 FAT 可以处理的绝对文件大小。(T32 exists mainly to extend the absolute file size that older versions of FAT can handle. The )FAT32可以处理(FAT32)的最大单个文件大小为 4GB。
对于大多数文件来说，这可能没问题，特别是如果您使用的是拇指驱动器而不是外部硬盘驱动器。但是，现在拥有大于 4GB 的视频文件或其他高保真资产是很正常的，这使得这不适合可能承载更大文件的大型驱动器。
如果您绝对知道您不会有任何大于 4GB 的文件并且希望将驱动器与不支持 exFAT 的旧电视等设备一起使用，那么FAT32是一个不错的选择。
Using Apple and Windows? You Want exFAT!
exFAT 解决了FAT32(FAT32)的文件大小限制，并设法保持一种快速、轻量级的格式，即使是支持USB大容量存储 的基本设备也不会陷入困境。
虽然 exFAT 不像FAT32那样受到广泛支持，但它仍然与许多电视(TVs)、相机和其他类似设备兼容。最重要的是，exFAT 适用于Windows和 macOS。
外部硬盘驱动器的 exFAT 唯一真正的缺点是它缺乏“日志”能力。这意味着它无法记录文件更改。其后果之一是 exFAT 驱动器更容易因突然断电而损坏数据。
请务必确保您的驱动器可以安全移除或避免在读取或写入磁盘时拔掉它。
NTFS – 仅适用于 Windows 用户(NTFS – For Windows Users Only)
NTFS 或新技术文件系统(New Technology File System )是当前Windows的默认设置。它是Windows用户所希望的最安全、最强大的文件系统。这意味着它是Windows(Windows)计算机 上系统驱动器的首选格式。
NTFS有很多强大的优势，这实际上可能使它成为某些外部硬盘驱动器的不错格式选择，具体取决于具体情况。
- NTFS可防止因电源故障导致的磁盘损坏。
- 它具有广泛的安全功能，例如每个文件夹的权限。
- 使多个用户可以轻松共享同一驱动器，而无需访问彼此的数据。
- 它的日志功能也很值得注意，该功能可以记录文件更改。这是它更能抵抗文件损坏的部分原因。
如果您只想在Windows机器上使用外部驱动器，NTFS是一个不错的选择，并且可能是总体上最好的选择。但是，如果您需要在现代Windows生态系统范围之外使用驱动器，最好使用 exFAT。
如果您已经有一个以FAT格式格式化的驱动器，您仍然可以在不丢失数据的情况下对其进行转换。
Linux 外置硬盘的最佳格式(Best Formats For Linux External Hard Drives)
(Linux)像Ubuntu Linux这样的(Ubuntu Linux)Linux发行版正变得越来越流行，但总体上仍然是相对小众的。Linux有自己专有的EXT格式，如果您只想在(only)Linux机器上使用外部驱动器，您可以放心地选择该格式。
但是，Linux支持NTFS，如果您同时拥有Windows和Linux机器，这将是一个不错的中间人。Mac也可以读取(read )NTFS。最兼容的选项是FAT32，但正如我们上面提到的，它对文件大小有 4GB 的硬限制。
不幸的是，Linux尚不支持 exFAT，但据报道，随着Kernel 5.4的发布，这将发生变化。
SD 卡和 USB 拇指驱动器呢？(What About SD Cards & USB Thumb Drives?)
与其他形式的外部存储相比，外部硬盘驱动器的最佳格式的选择涉及不同的考虑。SD 卡和USB拇指驱动器仍然是我们数字生活的重要组成部分，那么您应该选择哪些格式？
对于我们今天拥有的相当便宜但大容量的闪存驱动器，拇指驱动器和外部硬盘驱动器的用例存在一些重叠。这意味着您可能希望在拇指驱动器上使用大文件，例如高清视频文件。这使得 exFAT 成为一个不错的选择。特别是如果您还想在 iPad、iPhone 和Mac(Macs)上使用拇指驱动器。
(FAT32)如果您想将拇指驱动器与不支持 exFAT 的旧设备一起使用，FAT32是一个后备方案。当然，如果您还打算在当前的Linux机器上使用拇指驱动器，那么 exFAT 在撰写本文时将无法使用。但是，这将在未来发生变化。
使用 SD 卡，您的选择应该完全取决于您使用的设备支持的格式。如果您的DSLR(DSLR)（例如）支持exFAT，它仍然是一个不错的选择，但请遵循制造商的建议。事实上，大多数设备都有一个内部 SD 卡格式化程序，因此我们建议您简单地让目标设备格式化卡。
结束格式大战(Ending The Format Wars)
为您的外部驱动器选择一种格式可能会非常令人困惑。当您必须备份和重新格式化整个驱动器时，选择错误的驱动器可能会变得非常痛苦，因为它无法达到预期目的。
希望(Hopefully)您现在知道上面哪些选项可以从外部硬盘驱动器的最佳格式列表中选择，当做出错误选择可能导致外部磁盘无法即插即用的情况时，这可以节省您的培根。
What Is the Best Format For External Hard-Drives? Pros & Cons Of Each
External hard drives, flash drives and other similar forms of removable storage have made life pretty easy when it comes to moving data around. However, we live in a wоrld where each person is likely to own multiple devices that external storage could (theoretiсally) be connected to.
There are also various use cases for external storage and, importantly, plenty of formats to choose from. So when you have to pick a format for your shiny new external storage device, what is the best format for external hard drives?
Just What Is a Disk “Format”?
What does it mean to “format” a disk? What is a disk format anyway? It’s actually pretty easy to understand. Your SSD, hard disk, flash drive, SD card or whatever storage medium you’re working with has a set amount of raw physical space.
For example, an SSD consists of microchips that contain microscopic memory cells. Each cell can hold a specific number of “bits”. That is, the ones and zeroes that make up binary code. Think of it as a gigantic room filled with empty book shelves.
A format is the organizing principle we use to fill that space with data. In a library, something like the Dewey Decimal System is used to determine in which order books go on the shelves. This makes it very easy to find a specific book. In the same way, a disk format tells the computer how to store information on the disk.
Some disk formats are more efficient than others, while certain formats are simply not compatible with particular operating systems.
Can macOS Read Windows Formats?
Out of the box, macOS can understand exactly two formats from the world of Microsoft Windows. The first is FAT and the other is exFAT, which we’ll discuss a little later.
The main Windows disk format, NTFS, isn’t supported by macOS. At least, not entirely. NTFS disks can be read by macOS, but not written to. That’s useful if you need to get some data from a friend’s Windows disk, but if you use both Windows and macOS, you’ll need a different option. The most likely choice is exFAT, which we’ll go into more detail below.
You also have the option of using third-party addon applications, but of course this is hardly the most elegant solution. This is a particularly important point if you use BootCamp on your Mac, since you don’t want to lose access to external storage just because you booted into a different operating system.
Can Windows Read macOS Formats?
Windows PCs can not read macOS formats. The file systems used by macOS aren’t ones that Windows can understand by itself. It needs a little help in the form of a third-party application to read and write to these disks.
The only free application that will let you do this we are aware of is hfsexplorer, which uses Java and is really only suitable for the odd file transfer.
FAT32 – The Most Compatible Option
The FAT or File Allocation Table is quite possibly the most widely-supported disk format in existence today. It’s a direct continuation of the original DOS format used on floppy diskettes and hard drives. FAT32 exists mainly to extend the absolute file size that older versions of FAT can handle. The largest single file size that FAT32 can handle is 4GB.
That’s probably OK for most files, especially if you’re using a thumb drive rather than an external hard drive. However, it’s pretty normal these days to have video files or other high-fidelity assets that are larger than 4GB, which makes this unsuitable for large drives that are likely to host bigger files.
If you absolutely know that you won’t have any files larger than 4GB and want to use the drive with devices such as older TVs that don’t support exFAT, then FAT32 is a good choice.
Using Apple and Windows? You Want exFAT!
exFAT solves the file size limitation of FAT32 and manages to remain a fast and lightweight format that doesn’t bog down even basic devices with USB mass storage support.
While exFAT is not quite as widely supported as FAT32, it’s still compatible with many TVs, cameras and other similar devices. Most importantly, exFAT works with both Windows and macOS.
The only real downside of exFAT for external hard drives is its lack of “journaling” ability. This means it doesn’t have the ability to keep a record of file changes. One of the consequences of this is that exFAT drives are a little more vulnerable to data corruption from sudden power losses.
Be sure to either make your drive safe to remove or to avoid unplugging it while its reading or writing to the disk.
NTFS – For Windows Users Only
NTFS or the New Technology File System is the current Windows default. It’s the most secure, robust file system that a Windows user could wish for. This means it’s the format of choice for system drives on Windows computers.
NTFS has quite a lot of strong advantages, which may actually make it a good format choice for certain external hard drives, depending on the circumstances.
- NTFS is resistant against disk corruption caused by a power failure.
- It has extensive security features, such as per-folder permissions.
- Making is simple for multiple users to share the same drive without having access to each other’s data.
- It’s also notable for its journaling feature, which keeps a record of file changes. This is part of the reason why it’s more resistant to file corruption.
If you want to use your external drive with Windows machines only, NTFS is a fine choice and probably the best option overall. However, if you need to use the drive beyond the confines of the modern Windows ecosystem, it’s better to go with exFAT instead.
If you already have a drive that’s formatted in FAT, you can still convert it without losing data.
Best Formats For Linux External Hard Drives
Linux distributions such as Ubuntu Linux are becoming more popular by the day, but are still relatively niche overall. Linux has its own proprietary EXT formats and if you are only going to use your external drive with a Linux machine, you can safely go ahead and pick that format.
However, Linux supports NTFS, which makes for a decent go-between if you have both Windows and Linux machines. Mac can also read NTFS. The most compatible option is FAT32, but as we mentioned above it has a hard 4GB limit on file sizes.
Unfortunately, Linux does not yet have support for exFAT, but that is reportedly set to change with the release of Kernel 5.4.
What About SD Cards & USB Thumb Drives?
The choice for the best format for external hard drives involves different considerations compared to other forms of external storage. SD cards and USB thumb drives are still an important part of our digital lives, so which formats should you pick?
With the fairly cheap yet large flash drives we have today, there’s some overlap in the use cases for thumb drives and external hard drives. Which means you may want to use large files, such as HD video files, on your thumb drive. That makes exFAT a good choice. Especially if you also want to use your thumb drive with iPads, iPhones and Macs.
FAT32 is a fallback if you want to use your thumb drive with older devices that don’t support exFAT. Of course, if you’re also going to use your thumb drive on your current Linux machine, exFAT won’t work at the time of writing. However, that’s set to change in the future.
With SD cards, your choice should be entirely driven by which formats the devices you use support. exFAT is still a good choice if your DSLR (for example) supports it, but follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. In fact, most devices have an internal SD card formatting routine, so we recommend you simply let the intended device format the card.
Ending The Format Wars
Picking a format for your external drive can be pretty confusing. Picking the wrong one can turn into a real pain when you have to backup and reformat an entire drive because it won’t work for its intended purpose.
Hopefully you now know which options above to pick from the list of best formats for external hard drives, which can save your bacon when making the wrong choice can lead to a situation where an external disk just won’t plug-and-play.
