Hard Drives can run in various different formats. Mac OS Extended is exclusive to Apple Computers and NTFS is exclusive to Windows. The FAT systems, specifically FAT32, can be read by both Mac and PC computers. It is the commonly recommended volume format. Mac OS is able to read the Microsoft Windows file system format, however, it can not write to it. Microsoft Windows can not read the Mac OS Extended file system format at all. While both computer platforms can read the FAT32 format, there are a few other things to keep in mind:
This procedure will pertain to USB, Firewire, and Thunderbolt hard drives and thumb drives, in addition to SD cards. Prior to starting, ensure that the drive is firmly connected to the computer and turned on. The computer must recognize the drive before the formatting can initiate.
Note: GUID Partition Map (GPT) is the latest standard for most operating systems on both Mac OS and newer versions of Windows and is recommended.