NTFS files are faster to boot and consume less system resources when compared to internal drive files. If you’re formatting an external drive on Linux, use exFAT or FAT32. If you have an external drive that works with Linux, you should be able to use it however, you will need to use a drive format that works with Windows, such as NTFS or FAT32.Įxternal drives should work fine with Linux, but Windows requires a drive that is compatible with it. What Is Best Format For External Hard Drive Linux? Credit: It is possible that an older operating system will need to be updated to allow you to read and write to a USB drive using the exFAT file system. There is no need to limit the size of files in this app, and most Windows and Mac operating systems are compatible with it.

There is no need to install any other programs to read and write Windows files using Ubuntu.ĮxFAT is a file system that USB flash drives will benefit from. ExFAT can only store data with a maximum size of 4GB, but it is compatible with almost all Windows and Mac OS X distributions. Files can be stored on internal drives using NTFS, an internal drive file system, if they are stored using an NTFS file system. If the USB stick does not have firmware, Ubuntu USB boot will not work. You can select either FAT32 or FAT16 as your USB drive’s format. NTFS is a solid storage solution for external drives due to its compatibility with a wide range of applications. The FAT32 (New Technology Documents System) file system is the foundation of Windows as a file system. The external hard drive can be used on a Windows machine. A PC or Mac can be used with it, as well as a gaming console. ExFAT can be used to save data on USB flash drives and gaming consoles that connect via an USB port. You can save your files without restrictions as a result of an exFAT upgrade over FAT32. If the drive will be used on a Linux computer, then a ext4 filesystem is a good choice.

If the drive will be used on a Windows computer, then a NTFS filesystem is a good choice.

Another important factor is compatibility. If the drive will be used for storing large files, such as video or audio files, then a filesystem that supports large files is a must. The most important factor is what the drive will be used for.

When it comes to deciding which filesystem to use for large external USB drives, there are a few things to consider.

Best filesystem for usb flash drive