I'm setting up a new system with Windows 11 preinstalled and planning to dual boot with Linux Mint. I have a 4TB HDD that I'd like to use for shared storage, including music, STL files, PDFs, photos, and videos. What format should I use for this drive to ensure both Windows and Linux can access it? I'm open to suggestions but if it turns out to be too complicated, I might just manage directories on both SSDs, even though that could get confusing when editing files in different operating systems.
1 Answer
You can format the drive to NTFS since that's what Windows uses, and Linux can read it too. Just a quick note though: if you're planning on running games or software from the drive using Proton or Wine in Linux, it's better to avoid that—they can cause issues. Also, make sure to disable Fast Startup in Windows to prevent it from hogging hardware resources.
I’m getting the computer from NewEgg, so I’m hoping the Windows install won’t be too bloated. I do have a Windows 11 USB stick if I need to reinstall it.