Feb 17, 2018  Different operating systems store files in a variety of ways by using different system formats. For instance, all the internal hard drives in Macs use the “OS X Extended” file system. This is the file system all Mac-compatible external drives also use in order to read, write, and copy files to and from the computer. Migrating from ExFAT to NTFS with Windows 7 running in Parallels upon a Mac OSX Yosimite 10.10.3. Ask Question up vote 1 down vote favorite. If I use Windows 7 backup and restore util to backup an ExFAT external HDD. Mac os x iso (niresh distro). Then reformat the drive to NTFS, will I be able to restore the backed up files to the NTFS drive?

NTFS might be better with regards to stability. FAT32 is more compatible with Mac, but does not have as good an infrastructure to prevent corruption and breakdown of organization at the lowest level of data. NTFS is not as compatible with Mac files, but has a more stable infrastructure. Also able to store smaller files, easier.

I suggest, if possible, to go for NTFS. However, if you are planning to drag and drop from windows to Mac, then FAT32 is more compatable. For me, I don't need to exchange files from Mac to Windows (drag and drop), so NTFS is better for me. Magnet for mac review. Upgrade Parallels if you can.