So what do those four file systems mean, and which one is right for you? Non-Linux computers can use four main file systems: NTFS, HFS+, FAT32, and exFAT. If you use a Mac, the likelihood that you’ll have to reformat the drive is higher.

If you use Windows, chances are good that you won’t need to reformat your external hard drive-unless you buy it secondhand, or you plan on switching between operating systems, your drive should come ready to use. If you buy an external drive-such as one of our recommended desktop hard drives, portable hard drives, or USB 3.0 flash drives-you may need to reformat it to work with your operating system of choice, since different operating systems use different file systems to process data.Īlthough it’s true that any drive is compatible with both Windows and macOS, most drives come preformatted for Windows out of the box.