APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled)?

[Pjrufus]

Intel iMAC format APFS on Ventura 13.6.3. 2T Seagate format Mac OS Ext. (Journaled) For Time Machine only. The Time Machine drive does dismount itself once in awhile, but usually it’s fine. 2T Seagate (format unknown right now) used for file storage. Since upgrading to Ventura, the 2nd drive would dismount itself sometimes and on restart would mount again. Now the iMac won’t even recognize it. So, have a new 4T Seagate for files, just arrived and I need to reformat, but which format?

Both 2T drives are a few year’s old, and it’s been that long since I was current on drive format info. My head is spinning trying to find a quick answer. My old, no longer Apple-supported Macbook does recognize and mount drive 2, so I will be able to transfer the files to the new drive, assuming the Macbook will be able to recognize whatever format is on the new drive.

I know this is a basic question for most of you, and I do appreciate the help.

 

[SoupyTwist]

After doing a bit of research last year, as far as I can see the general consensus is:

• Use APFS on SSDs, as Apple created APFS mainly with SSDs in mind as they switched Macs to SSDs
• Use HFS+ on spinning hard drives, as there may be performance issues over time when reading data using APFS on HDDs. This article from OWC explains some of the issues.

The main exceptions I've seen are:

• If you need to use the drive on a Windows or Linux computer, exFAT may be a better bet as it can be read from or written to from macOS, Windows and Linux when connected over USB. Alternatively you could format the drive as NFTS (Windows formatted) or HFS (Mac formatted) and purchase one of Paragon's apps that allow Windows and Mac to read and write to each other's native formats.
• If you're setting up Time Machine there is some debate over whether APFS or HFS is better, but macOS currently supports both as far as I know. The aforementioned OWC article recommends using HFS, whereas Howard Oakley of the very helpful blog Eclectic Light Orchestra suggests the read speed issues may not be as relevant when using APFS for Time Machine as you won't need to read the disk very often (like you would with your regular files)

 

[Pjrufus]

Thank you for the response. All 3 are HDDs, used only on Macs. (I work from home, I think I’m the only one in the company using a Mac, file transfers are thru the internet.)

That article is from 2017, but does explain file transfer speeds. I think, I just read HFS+ is the same as the Mac OS Extended?

 

[Mike Boreham]

If you're setting up Time Machine there is some debate over whether APFS or HFS is better, but macOS currently supports both as far as I know. The aforementioned OWC article recommends using HFS, whereas Howard Oakley of the very helpful blog Eclectic Light Orchestra suggests the read speed issues may not be as relevant when using APFS for Time Machine as you won't need to read the disk very often (like you would with your regular files)

Time machine back up drives have to be APFS case sensitive. If you format your intended back up drive as HFS it will be reformatted to APFS case sensitive during setup.

 

[Pjrufus]

I think I should go with the Mac OS Extended (HFS+) on my new drive, since it appears to be backwards compatible and will facilitate transferring my files from the old drive to the new one, using my old MacBook.

 

[LookingOut]

Time machine back up drives have to be APFS case sensitive. If you format your intended back up drive as HFS it will be reformatted to APFS case sensitive during setup.

My Time Machine external drive is formatted as HFS. I back up several computers to it which are a mix of HFS and APF formats and 3 different macOS. In fact I just did a restore from it to a new install of Ventura.

 

[Mike Boreham]

My Time Machine external drive is formatted as HFS. I back up several computers to it which are a mix of HFS and APF formats and 3 different macOS. In fact I just did a restore from it to a new install of Ventura.

If you set up TM as HFS some time ago, it will continue as HFS, but if you setup a new TM back up it will force APFS case sensitive. Not sure when the change happened.

From this article:

“APFS disks are the preferred format for a Time Machine backup disk. If you select a new backup disk that’s not already formatted as an APFS disk, you get the (one and only) option to erase and reformat it. However, if the disk is a Mac OS Extended format disk that contains an existing Time Machine backup, you aren’t asked to erase and reformat the disk”.

I haven’t done it for a while but I am not sure you get asked to reformat it to APFS, I think it just happens while preparing.

This post suggests that it may be possible to continue with HFS for TM on a networked backup. I have no experience of that.

 

[LookingOut]

If you set up TM as HFS some time ago, it will continue as HFS, but if you setup a new TM back up it will force APFS case sensitive. Not sure when the change happened.

From this article:

“APFS disks are the preferred format for a Time Machine backup disk. If you select a new backup disk that’s not already formatted as an APFS disk, you get the (one and only) option to erase and reformat it. However, if the disk is a Mac OS Extended format disk that contains an existing Time Machine backup, you aren’t asked to erase and reformat the disk”.

I haven’t done it for a while but I am not sure you get asked to reformat it to APFS, I think it just happens while preparing.

This post suggests that it may be possible to continue with HFS for TM on a networked backup. I have no experience of that.

Yes, TM disk was created ages ago. Excellent link btw.

 

[Pjrufus]

Update: Formatted the new 4tb HDD (HFS+) on the iMac, then moved it to the MBP and copied everything over from the old 2tb, moved the new one back to the iMac to check if everything was good. Erased and reformatted the 2tb drive (HFS+) on the MBP, and in the process found it was originally a WindowsNT format. I must have been pretty desperate, too busy, or something when I first got it (some years ago) and just popped it in the MBP and saw it worked and never questioned it. I should have known better.

 

[MarkC426]

FYI....I have just done a SuperDuper clone of Ventura to a HDD (HFS+ format), SD had to convert it to APFS before copying.

So in a nutshelll, MacOS NEEDS to be copied to APFS, whatever type of disk it is.