I have a 128GB MacBook Pro, so I cannot install Windows on the internal drive. I have found a guide to boot Windows from an external drive. After installing Windows, is it possible to create an exFAT partition on the external drive so files can be shared between Mac OS and Windows? If so, should I do so through Mac OS or Windows?
11 Answer
Let's say… "It depends"
But to save all the trouble of trying to figure out precisely what it depends on, the safest thing to do is make the extra partition from the Mac before you do the external Windows Install.
Assuming the drive is starting out 'empty', nothing on there that you need for now, from Disk Utility do a full Erase as GUID/HFS+, which will make a single partition.
Then go into Partition, & resize your single partition to make room for the new ExFAT [I'm just using a 32GB SD card to demonstrate here]
Then back into Partition, click the empty segment & set up as ExFAT.
Done.
That way, when it comes to your Windows install method, it won't matter whether you need a protected MBR or GUID structure, your ExFat will already be in place, at the end of the drive.
If your method needs to start with a FAT or NTFS partition instead of HFS, you can change that without wrecking your existing ExFAT. The Windows install process ought to leave that alone.
1
