Hi there I didn't realize that Mac's can't handle NTFS - even Linux can with both read / write so long as package ntfs-3g is installed. (We all are never too old to learn things!!!). Exfat is by far the best as other have pointed out the problem with FAT32 is that you are hosed up if you want to copy any file bigger than 4GB - this will often include video multi-media, downloaded iso's etc. Depends on what you want to do but why use a more restricted file system when the better one already exists on Windows and is readable by Mac. Cheers jimbo.
An alternative (assuming both PC and Mac are on the same network) is to store your files on a NAS and access them without any issue from both Mac and PC regardless of the disk's file system (usually EXT3 or EXT4 for Linux-based NAS machines). Or you can connect permanently the disk on one computer and share with Samba (SMB, Windows Share) on the other computer.Time Machine can be backed up to a NAS too, but I think you'd have to have a native Mac journaled file system for that. I know the better Synology's can do it, so to run a Windows/Mac/Linux file share and Time Machine backup facility on one NAS there must be some multi partition / file system formatting going on presumably? Computer Type: PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number: Lenovo H50 (90B600EBUK) OS: W10 Home 1803 / Virtual Box / Linux Mint VM CPU: i5 4460 @3.2Ghz Motherboard: Lenovo BIOS IEKT33AUS Memory: 1 X 8GB Samsung DDR3 @ 1600Mhz Monitor(s) Displays: AOC e943Fws Keyboard: Lenovo Black Silk USB Mouse: USB Optical Hard Drives: Multiboot 240GB Sandisk Ultra 3D SDSSDH 3250G 'C' drive. W10 Home 1803 1TB WD10EZEX-08Y2O80 HDD 'D' drive.
W10 Home 1803 Build 17134 Internet Speed: 4G Tethered hot spot Browser: Latest Chrome/Edge/Firefox (FF on Mint VM) Antivirus: Windows Defender Security Centre. I don't think Mac OS Journaled Extended is required for NAS backup.
However, I cannot say for sure, I don't own Mac and have never used Time Machine. But for any other data the NAS native format is not relevant as each connected computer communicates with special network commands (Samba protocol), not with the hard disk controller (file manager) directly.Time Machine definitely needs a journaled Mac OS file system, I checked. But you might be able to run that to an external on the NAS via USB and have the NAS file formatted for file backups / Samba shares if you don't have a NAS that can handle multi partition/file system formats internally. I'm pretty certain the better NAS' can handle that though, hence them being such a great idea for a multi OS environment. If I bought one I'd certainly want that sort of flexibility.
Computer Type: PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number: Lenovo H50 (90B600EBUK) OS: W10 Home 1803 / Virtual Box / Linux Mint VM CPU: i5 4460 @3.2Ghz Motherboard: Lenovo BIOS IEKT33AUS Memory: 1 X 8GB Samsung DDR3 @ 1600Mhz Monitor(s) Displays: AOC e943Fws Keyboard: Lenovo Black Silk USB Mouse: USB Optical Hard Drives: Multiboot 240GB Sandisk Ultra 3D SDSSDH 3250G 'C' drive. W10 Home 1803 1TB WD10EZEX-08Y2O80 HDD 'D' drive. W10 Home 1803 Build 17134 Internet Speed: 4G Tethered hot spot Browser: Latest Chrome/Edge/Firefox (FF on Mint VM) Antivirus: Windows Defender Security Centre.
Insert the USB drive into an open port on your Mac computer. Launch Disk Utility, which is located in the Utilities sub-folder inside the Applications folder. Alternatively, press 'Space-Command' and type 'disk utility' in Spotlight Search. Select your drive and click the 'Erase' tab. How do you open a Mac formatted usb in a PC? You will have to use disk utility in mac and format the usb drive as 'windows dos' (you will lose all data on usb drive). Then you can access it in pc by opening 'my computer' icon and see under removable devices.