How to format external hard drive for Mac and Windows PC usage?
Warning: Formatting a drive will erase all data on it. Back up the important data to another drive before proceeding.
1. Format external hard drive to FAT32/exFAT file system.
Although the FAT32/exFAT file system was developed by Microsoft, macOS can also read/write external hard drives with FAT32/exFAT file system.
2. Format external hard drive to NTFS file system.
Although the NTFS file system is developed by Microsoft, macOS can only read NTFS external hard drive and cannot write to NTFS external hard drives. You need to install an extra NTFS for Mac app if you want to write NTFS external hard drive on Mac.
| File system | Mac read-write | Windows read-write | Best for | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAT32 | Yes | Yes | Maximum compatibility with Macs, PCs, cameras, TVs, and game consoles | Cannot store a single file larger than 4GB |
| exFAT | Yes | Yes | Sharing large files between Mac and Windows | Less resilient to corruption than journaled file systems |
| NTFS | Read-only by default (read-write with NTFS software) | Yes | Windows-focused storage, large files, and BitLocker encryption | macOS cannot write to NTFS drives natively |
How to password-protect an external hard drive for Mac and Windows PC usage?
| Scenario | Best method | Works on Mac | Works on Windows | Erases data? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Need an encrypted external HDD/SSD for both Mac and Windows | BitLocker encryption + BitLocker reader/writer for Mac | Yes | Yes | No |
| Need an encrypted drive primarily for Windows, but occasionally used on Mac | BitLocker encryption | Yes (with BitLocker software) | Yes | No |
| Need an encrypted drive primarily for Mac | APFS (Encrypted) | Yes | No | Yes |
* BitLocker can typically be enabled without erasing data on an existing NTFS drive.
** Converting or reformatting a drive to APFS (Encrypted) usually requires backing up and erasing the drive first.
Password-protect an external hard drive on Windows & Mac
As far as we know, there are many cross-platform encryption solutions (such as TrueCrypt), but BitLocker is more secure than other drive encryption software. Although Microsoft has just developed and released BitLocker for Windows, and there's no Mac implementation, with iBoysoft BitLocker for Mac, a BitLocker-encrypted external hard drive can be read on a Mac.
Tips: For PCs running on Windows Home, iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows can enable BitLocker encryption for the external drive. Find more information in this article: Encrypt USB Drive for Mac and Windows.
Tutorial to encrypt an external hard drive with BitLocker on Windows and use it on Mac:
Warning: Ensure you keep the password and BitLocker recovery key somewhere safe. Don't save the recovery key on the same drive that's being encrypted.
- Insert the external hard drive into a Windows computer.
Windows 11 Professional/Education/Enterprise, Windows 10 Professional/Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Professional/Enterprise, Windows 7 Ultimate/Enterprise, Windows Vista Ultimate/Enterprise, and Windows Server 2008/2012 are available for BitLocker drive encryption. - Format the external hard drive into the FAT32/NTFS/exFAT file system. If there is data on the external hard drive, please go to step 3.
- Right-click the external hard drive in My Computer or This PC and select "Turn on BitLocker".
- On the "Choose How You Want To Unlock This Drive" window, choose the "Use A Password To Unlock This Drive" option and then click Next.
- On the "How Do You Want To Store Your Recovery Key" window, click Save The Recovery Key To A File.
- In the "Save BitLocker Recovery Key As" window, choose a storage location and then click Save.
- On the "Are You Ready To Encrypt This Drive" window, click Start Encrypting.
After encrypting, you can use iBoysoft BitLocker for Mac to open the BitLocker USB drive on Mac and then read/write this drive the same as your Mac's native drive.
Tutorial to encrypt external hard drive with BitLocker on Mac and use it on Windows
Step 1: Download and install iBoysoft BitLocker for Mac.
Step 2: Insert an external hard drive into Mac computer.
Step 3: Launch iBoysoft BitLocker for Mac.
Step 4: Click the "Encrypt" button in the toolbar.
Step 5: Select the partition you want to encrypt, then click Encrypt.
Step 6: Enter the password.
Step 7: Save the recovery key.
Step 8: Complete BitLocker drive encryption.
After encrypting, you can open or access a BitLocker-encrypted external hard drive on Windows without installing any software.
Also read: Access BitLocker to Go Drives on Mac
Password-protect an external hard drive on Mac
If you plan to use the external hard drive only on a Mac, the APFS-encrypted format is recommended. It's a native macOS file system and is not readable on Windows.
Suppose your drive is formatted in APFS; you can convert it to APFS-encrypted without losing data. If not, you need to reformat your drive to APFS first, which removes all data on it. So, ensure the drive is backed up before formatting.
To password-protect the drive on a Mac, open Finder, right-click the drive in the sidebar, then choose Encrypt. After that, type in the password twice, leave a hint, and click Encrypt Disk to start encryption.
How to Password Protect & Encrypt Any files on Mac
Keeping zip/pdf files and folders secure is very significant today. You'd better lock the information or encrypt your private folder on your Mac with a password. Read more >>
FAQs
- QCan I password-protect an external hard drive for both Mac and Windows?
-
A
Yes. To password-protect an external hard drive for both Mac and Windows, use a cross-platform encryption solution such as BitLocker. BitLocker is generally the most convenient option because Windows supports it natively, while Mac users can access the encrypted drive with compatible BitLocker software. For Mac-only use, APFS (Encrypted) offers built-in password protection through Finder.
- QShould I use exFAT, NTFS, or BitLocker?
-
A
Use exFAT if the drive is used on different platforms, such as macOS or Windows.
Use NTFS if the drive is only used on Windows or you're willing to write to it on a Mac with an NTFS for Mac tool.
Use BitLocker if you want to password-protect your drive.
- QCan Windows Home encrypt an external drive with BitLocker?
-
A
By default, Windows Home can't encrypt an external drive with BitLocker because the feature is only available to more advanced editions, such as Pro, Ultimate, Education, or Enterprise. However, you can still enable BitLocker encryption on the drive via iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Windows.
- QWhat if I lose the BitLocker recovery key?
-
A
Losing the BitLocker recovery key isn't catastrophic if you still have the password and can unlock the drive. Nonetheless, if you, at the same time, forget the password, the data will remain encrypted and unrecoverable.