I recently switched to Linux Mint and had all my files stored on a portable HDD formatted with exFAT. Now that I've set up Mint, I wanted to copy my files back to my laptop, but I've experienced some issues during the transfer: the speeds have been really slow, especially for larger files, and the copying process often stops altogether. After a few attempts, my HDD has become unreadable on both Linux and Windows, and I've had to format it. It's just a backup drive, but I'm worried about these problems related to the file system. I heard that I might need to install packages for exFAT support on Linux, but I didn't see any information about recommended file systems during installation. Should I change the format of my HDD to something that's better supported by Linux to avoid these issues in the future?
2 Answers
Your issues could also be linked to a failing hard drive rather than just the file system. If possible, check the disk's health using a tool like CrystalDiskInfo on a Windows machine. It might give you a clearer picture of whether the drive itself is the problem.
For a portable HDD, exFAT is typically the go-to for sharing files between Windows and Linux, but it's not without its drawbacks. If you're using the drive primarily on Linux, I recommend switching to btrfs or ext4. Both are solid options but will limit your ability to easily use the HDD with Windows. Currently, Windows doesn't have stable support for these file systems, which means you'd need special drivers for btrfs, and ext4 just isn't very accessible at all.
Exactly! It feels like something should've been highlighted, especially for those using Portable HDDs regularly. Let’s hope they improve the documentation for newcomers!
Gotcha! So basically, there's no one-size-fits-all file system that works perfectly on both OSes without some headaches? That’s important info! Maybe the installation guide should cover this better—seems like a lot of folks could use that clarification!