External HDD is not formatting from NTFS to exFAT

sean howells · Sep 25, 2012

Basically im trying to use my hdd on my mac which wont show up in disk utility, desktop or finder.
but on my windows pc it shows so when I try to format it from NTFS to exFAT the message: unable to format comes up what do I do

jobeard · Sep 26, 2012

Delete the partition and start over.

SNGX1275 · Sep 26, 2012

I wasn't aware that you could format anything other than flash drives as exFAT. I thought I had tried once on a mechanical drive and it wasn't an option.

Also, just a FYI, if you format as exFAT on OS X, Windows isn't going to read it. But if you format as exFAT on Windows, OS X likes it just fine.

sean howells · Sep 26, 2012

I have managed to change it to exfat now but still won't show on my MBP

SNGX1275 · Sep 27, 2012

If its a Western Digital I know some people have had issues with them on Macs until they've updated the firmware and or drivers (they have a TURBO driver). So its worth checking out their site to see if there is an update for your drive. Even if it isn't WD, its probably worth checking the manufacturer's site.

On side note, were you able to format as exFAT from Windows on a mechanical drive?

jobeard · Oct 26, 2012

Btw: see the WiKi

exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) is a proprietary file system designed especially for flash drives [3] developed by Microsoft, which has applied for patent protection [1]. It is supported in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 with update KB955704,[2] Windows Embedded CE 6.0, Windows Vista with Service Pack 1,[4] Windows Server 2008,[5] Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 (except Windows Server 2008 Server Core), Mac OS X Snow Leopard starting from 10.6.5[6], Mac OS X Lion and OS X Mountain Lion.
exFAT can be used where the NTFS file system is not a feasible solution, due to data structure overhead, or where the file size limit of the standard FAT32 file system (without FAT+ extension[7]) is unacceptable.
exFAT is also supported in a number of media devices such as modern flat panel TVs, media centers, and portable media players[citation needed].
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External HDD is not formatting from NTFS to exFAT

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