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Can I use a USB flash drive between PC and Mac?

Can I use a USB flash drive between PC and Mac?

If you’re frequently using both Macs and PCs with the same drive, the ideal solution is to configure a USB drive with a file system that both operating systems can read. That file system is called exFAT, and it’s designed for flash media cross-platform compatibility.

How much storage should I give to Windows Bootcamp?

You will use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows 10. 64GB or more free storage space on your Mac startup disk: Your Mac can have as little as 64GB of free storage space, but at least 128GB of free storage space provides the best experience. Automatic Windows updates require that much space or more.

Can I run Windows Bootcamp from an external drive?

The main steps would be: Download the windows support software with the Bootcamp app (open it, hit “action” and then download) and install them onto a pen drive (this includes the drivers, etc. for your mouse, keyboard,… to work under Windows) Format your external drive as GUID-partition map and MS-DOS(FAT)

Which USB format is compatible with Mac and Windows?

To format USB for Mac and Windows, there are two disk formats to choose from: exFAT and FAT32.

Are flash drives universal?

Are all flash drives the same? The answer is certainly not. Not all USB flash drives are produced equally. They are different in many aspects, such as the appearance, the usage, the storage capacity, the speed and ports, and many more.

How do I download Windows 8 to a flash drive?

Head to Microsoft’s installation tool webpage, connect your USB flash drive (at least 4 GB of space should be available) or insert your writeable DVD, and then click the Create media button. Once the media creation tool is finished, you can use the USB flash drive or DVD (after rebooting) to install Window 8.1.

How do I put Windows 8 on a USB drive on a Mac?

Follow the given below instructions to create Windows 8.1 bootable USB on Mac:

  1. Step 1: Connect your USB flash drive to Mac and backup your files as all data will be formatted during the process.
  2. Step 2: Next, transfer Windows 8.1 ISO file to your Mac.
  3. Step 3: Launch Boot Camp Assistant software.

How can I make a bootable pendrive for Windows 8 for Mac?

7 Answers

  1. Get/download a Windows ISO image file.
  2. Your USB flash drive should have at least 8GB.
  3. Plug it in and format/erase it using Disk Utility (under Applications/Utilities)
  4. Open Terminal and run command: diskutil list.
  5. Then type command: diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk2.

How to install Windows 8 on a Mac using Boot Camp 5?

To use Boot Camp 5 software to install Windows 8 on a Mac, decompress the downloaded zip file, double-click the Boot Camp disk image, and copy the entire contents of the .zip file to the root level of the USB flash drive. You’ll need to format the storage medium to the FAT file system before copying anything onto it.

Can I use USB flash drives to install Windows in boot camp?

Tired of burning DVDs to install Windows 7 or later in Boot Camp? If so, with a bit of editing, you can get it to use USB flash drives instead. One of the great features of using a Mac in recent times has been the ability to install Windows and some other operating systems and use applications written for them without any boundaries.

How do I install the boot camp support software?

• When running Windows, locate the Boot Camp folder on the USB media you created in Step 3 and double click to open it. • Double click on setup to start installing the Boot Camp Support Software. • When prompted to allow changes, click on Yes and follow the onscreen instructions.

How do I install Windows 8 from USB drive?

Install Windows 8 from USB 1 Create an ISO file from the Windows 8 DVD. 2 Download the Windows USB/DVD download tool from Microsoft and then install it. 3 Start the Windows USB DVD Download Tool program. 4 Click Browse on Step 1 of 4: Choose ISO file screen. 5 Locate, and then select your Windows 8 ISO file. 6 Click or touch Next. See More….

How do I make my USB readable on Mac and Windows?

How to format a thumb drive for both Mac and Windows

  1. Attach the drive to your Mac.
  2. Launch Disk Utility (from Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility).
  3. Select the drive in the left-hand sidebar.
  4. Click Erase.
  5. From the Format menu, select ExFAT.
  6. From the Scheme menu, select Master Boot Record.

Which USB format works on Mac and Windows?

If you absolutely, positively will only be working with Macs and no other system, ever: Use Mac OS Extended (Journaled). If you need to transfer files larger than 4 GB between Macs and PCs: Use exFAT. In all other cases: Use MS-DOS (FAT), aka FAT32.

How do I transfer files between Mac and PC?

Use Finder to drag-and-drop files and data from your Mac to the external drive. Connect the drive to your PC and launch File Explorer to access the drive. You can now drag or copy your files from the external drive to your PC.

Can Mac read NTFS?

Living in your Mac menu bar, NTFS for Mac lets you quickly and easily work with drives formatted to the NTFS format, even external drives. You can quickly mount and unmount from the menu bar app, and the app allows full access to NTFS files so you can read, write, copy, delete, and transfer them without worry.

Which format is best for Mac and Windows?

The Best Format for External Hard Drives If you want to format your external hard drive to work with Mac and Windows computers, you should use exFAT. With exFAT, you can store files of any size, and use it with any computer made in the last 20 years.

Is Mac FAT32 or NTFS?

It can be read by Macs, and if you install some special software, NTFS can be written by Macs. HFS+ can only be read by Macs, but can store really large files and large volumes. If the drive is for sharing – then Fat32 is the way to go. If you only plan to use it on a mac – use HFS+ (native to Macs).

Does Mac support NTFS or FAT32?

The Mac operating system requires that you use a disk formatted using a compatible file system. You can use the built-in Disk Utility to format your drives to ensure compatibility. Your Mac can read the HFS+, NTFS, Fat32, exFAT and ext2 file systems.