I recently bought a Samsung T9 external hard drive that I plan to use primarily with my Windows laptop and an iPhone. Initially, I added some photo folders to the drive before realizing it's better to format it, ideally to NTFS instead of the default exFAT. I've now backed up my data and am preparing to reformat the drive. It's a 3.63 TB drive and I have a couple of choices to make:
1. File System: I'm considering NTFS instead of exFAT, which is the default.
2. Allocation Unit Size: It shows several options, and I have it set to 4096 bytes, but I'm unsure what this means.
3. There's an option to Restore device defaults.
4. I can choose a Volume label.
5. Quick Format is checked as that's the only option available.
What do you think is the best way to go about this?
3 Answers
If you're planning to stick with Windows, NTFS is a safe choice, but exFAT will also do the job—especially if you ever want to use the drive on different devices. Just stick to the default allocation size, and you can name the volume anything fun you like. Quick format will work perfectly!
Stick with NTFS for Windows use only. If you think you might use it with other devices like your phone or a gaming console, exFAT is more versatile. NTFS has its downsides, especially if you ever try to use the drive elsewhere. But for Windows 10, exFAT is well-supported too!
You might not need to go with NTFS, especially since exFAT works well with most devices like your iPhone and a Mac. The file size limitations are pretty manageable, so if you’re just using it for photos, exFAT should be fine!
Thanks for the tip about exFAT! I think I'll format it that way for versatility.