Hi,
I’ve installed WD My Book 4TB on a Samsung laptop that has Windows, but it doesn’t work on a Mac.
How do I get it to ALSO work on a Mac so I can save Logic files to the drive?
Regards
Welcome to the WD Community.
See if the following link helps.
How to partition and format a WD drive on Windows (8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP) and Mac OSX
It depends on how frequently you transfer files between Windows and Mac computers.
Option 1: exFAT
The exFAT format acts like a “universal language” that is perfectly understood by both Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS. You can plug the drive into a Windows PC to save files and then immediately plug it into a Mac to keep working—without needing any extra applications or tools.
- The trade-off: It lacks “journaling” capabilities, which is a built-in safety feature found in NTFS. Journaling takes notes on your files during a transfer. Because exFAT lacks this, there is a higher risk of data corruption if you accidentally unplug the cable without safely ejecting the drive first.
Option 2: NTFS
NTFS is the default file system for almost all Windows PCs. However, its compatibility with other systems like macOS or Linux is limited. Specifically, Apple computers can read NTFS drives, but they cannot write data to them. (Based on your description, your WD My Book 4TB is likely formatted as NTFS).
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The solution: If you want to modify, add, or delete content on an NTFS drive without erasing its data, you can use a utility app like iBoysoft NTFS for Mac.
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How it works: This software acts as a “translator.” The moment you plug your NTFS drive into your Mac, the software grants you full access to save and delete files just like a native Mac drive.
(Note: Formatting a drive to exFAT will completely erase all its data, whereas using this software avoids data loss entirely.) Read also: How to Format an External Hard Drive for Mac and Windows PC
