macbook fat32 or ntsf

le cheese · le cheese #1 (**permalink**)

08-23-2007, 04:05 PM

I have a question about the macbook harddrive, is is NTSF or FAT32? If it is fat32 how can i switch to NTSF?

baggss · baggss #2 (**permalink**)

08-23-2007, 04:31 PM

Neither. Macs come formatted in HFS+, which is Apples/OSX drive format.

This ain't Windows, so stop thinking like it.

knightlie · knightlie #3 (**permalink**)

08-24-2007, 08:48 AM

And it's NTFS, not NTSF. You really don't need to worry about your filesystem type.

Neo · Neo #4 (**permalink**)

08-24-2007, 05:31 PM

Hold on, guys. It DOES matter if you are partitioning the drive for Boot Camp or installing a virtual machine, and a lot of people are doing this.

NTFS is a better file structure for Windows, and approaches HFS+ features. But you need to realize that OS X can read NTFS, but cannot write to that format. le cheese, check other forums for the pros and cons on that decision.

Kash · Kash #5 (**permalink**)

08-24-2007, 05:36 PM

Neo, he isn't asking about Boot Camp, he's asking about the default OS X file system. So there's really no decision to be made at this moment.

Now if he were installing Windows via Boot Camp, then yes, we would recommend he go with FAT32 to allow for read/write capability.

todd51 · todd51 #6 (**permalink**)

08-24-2007, 06:27 PM

Simple as this:

HSF+ = OS X only
NTFS = Windows only
FAT32 = Both

Neo · Neo #7 (**permalink**)

08-24-2007, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kash

Neo, he isn't asking about Boot Camp, he's asking about the default OS X file system. So there's really no decision to be made at this moment.

Now if he were installing Windows via Boot Camp, then yes, we would recommend he go with FAT32 to allow for read/write capability.

Yep, I was reading into the question. Why else would he care what his file system was? I was trying to anticipate his motive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by todd51

Simple as this:

HSF+ = OS X only
NTFS = Windows only
FAT32 = Both

Let's make it not so simple:
HSF+ = great file system, OS X only
NTFS = great file system, Windows read and write, OS X read only
FAT32 = not so great file system, both read and write

baggss · baggss #8 (**permalink**)

08-24-2007, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neo

Yep, I was reading into the question. Why else would he care what his file system was?

Uh, because this is the switchers forum and he is a n00b coming from Windows. The possibility exists that he simply may not know any better.

Kash · Kash #9 (**permalink**)

08-25-2007, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baggss

Uh, because this is the switchers forum and he is a n00b coming from Windows. The possibility exists that he simply may not know any better.

QFT

Kash #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 03, 2006 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 9,385 Mac Specs: Black Macbook C2D 2GHz 3GB RAM 250GB HD iPhone 4 iPad 3G	08-24-2007, 05:36 PM Neo, he isn't asking about Boot Camp, he's asking about the default OS X file system. So there's really no decision to be made at this moment. Now if he were installing Windows via Boot Camp, then yes, we would recommend he go with FAT32 to allow for read/write capability. June 2007 July 2009
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le cheese #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 06, 2007 Posts: 24	08-23-2007, 04:05 PM I have a question about the macbook harddrive, is is NTSF or FAT32? If it is fat32 how can i switch to NTSF?
	QUOTE Thanks

baggss #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 10, 2004 Location: Margaritaville Posts: 10,306 Mac Specs: 27" 3.4 Ghz i7 iMac-13" C2D Macbook-OSX 18.8.2-64Gb iPad 2-32 Gb iPhone 5-ATV 2-14Tb of Storage	08-23-2007, 04:31 PM Neither. Macs come formatted in HFS+, which is Apples/OSX drive format. This ain't Windows, so stop thinking like it.
	QUOTE Thanks

Neo #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 14, 2007 Posts: 557 Mac Specs: white MB 2.16GHz 3GB 320GB 10.6.1	08-24-2007, 05:31 PM Hold on, guys. It DOES matter if you are partitioning the drive for Boot Camp or installing a virtual machine, and a lot of people are doing this. NTFS is a better file structure for Windows, and approaches HFS+ features. But you need to realize that OS X can read NTFS, but cannot write to that format. le cheese, check other forums for the pros and cons on that decision.
	QUOTE Thanks

todd51 #6 (permalink)
Guest Posts: n/a	08-24-2007, 06:27 PM Simple as this: HSF+ = OS X only NTFS = Windows only FAT32 = Both
	QUOTE Thanks

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