The Apple File System (APFS) is the file system used with Mac devices running macOS 10.13 High Sierra and later, while the older Mac OS Extended file system is available for older versions of macOS. You can still use either file system for your hard drives and attached storage devices, with both having their own pros and cons.
One of the notable features of macOS High Sierra is the introduction of the APFS file system. APFS is a modern file system that replaces the extraordinarily aged HFS+, introduced in 1998. AFAIK There is no setup config file that you can set to keep HFS+ when starting the install from the GUI. Would having that be nice, sure, but it's no big deal to start the install from the command line if you don't want to convert to APFS! – user3439894 Oct 9 '17 at 16:02. Jul 02, 2020 The macOS installer says that you may not install to this volume because it is part of an Apple RAID. About APFS and Mac OS Extended Disk Utility in macOS High Sierra or later can erase using either the newer APFS (Apple File System) format or the older Mac OS Extended format, and it automatically chooses a compatible format for you. Jan 31, 2019 Installing macOS on a separate APFS volume APFS makes it easier than ever to switch between versions of macOS, including a beta (prerelease) version of macOS. If you install macOS on an additional volume of your startup disk, you can switch between that macOS and the macOS on your other volume, as if each were on a separate disk. Method #2: Install MacOS Mojave on an External HDD or SSD Using a USB Installer Running APFS. Another easy way to skip APFS conversion while installing Mojave 10.14.4 is to install macOS Mojave on an external SSD or HDD using a USB installer that is running APFS.
If you can’t decide between APFS vs Mac OS Extended for your drive, you should consider your use case first. Oracle openjdk 11 mac download. The newer APFS format is better for some types of drives, including SSDs, while Mac OS Extended is great for older drives and macOS versions. Here’s a run-through of the pros and cons of both to help you decide.
When to Use the Apple File System (APFS)
Most users aren’t interested in the type of file system their drive uses—they just expect it to work. That’s exactly what you get with the now-default Apple File System (APFS) that Mac devices have been using since macOS 10.13 High Sierra was launched in 2017. It’s also used with other Apple operating systems including iOS.
APFS offers a number of speed and optimization improvements compared to HFS+, as well as improvements to data handling. For example, file corruption is significantly reduced compared to Mac OS Extended.
Apfs Type For Macos Install Usb
Download mac os x lion iso free. You’ll also notice that copying and pasting files on an APFS drive works almost instantly, thanks to improvements in the way macOS handles file metadata with APFS drives compared to the older HFS+.
The biggest downside to using APFS is that Macs with older macOS versions (macOS 10.12.6 Sierra and older) can’t read, write, or otherwise access drives that use it. If you have an older Mac, you’ll need to keep using Mac OS Extended or use an alternative like ExFAT instead.
If you back up your Mac using Time Machine, you won’t be able to use APFS, either. macOS continues to use the HFS+ file system for Time Machine drives for the time being. If you attempt to use an APFS-formatted drive, macOS will want to format it to HFS+ before you can proceed.
Along with APFS and Mac OS Extended (also called HFS+), you also have other file systems that can be used for external drives, including cross-platform options like ExFAT. For most users, however, APFS is the only file system they’ll need or want to use—but only if they’re (only) using modern Mac devices.
Choosing Mac OS Extended (HFS+) for Hard Drives
While Mac OS Extended (HFS+) is no longer the default file system for macOS installations, it hasn’t been completely abandoned by Apple, and it’s still a useful option for macOS users under certain conditions.
My mac is too old for mojave what to download. As we’ve mentioned, HFS+ is the default file system of choice for macOS Time Machine backup drives. You’ll need to use HFS+ if you plan on formatting a second hard drive or portable flash drive for use as a Time Machine backup—APFS drives won’t work.
You’ll also need to consider Mac OS Extended if you’re using older and newer Macs together, as older versions of macOS won’t support APFS. Other than functionality, however, there are still a few legitimate reasons why you’d choose HFS+ over APFS—the biggest reason depends on the type of drive you use.
Many of the speed and performance enhancements that APFS brings rely on using a high-speed SSD or portable flash memory drive. If you’re using an older, mechanical drive with a disk platter, those enhancements may seem largely minimal or non-existent.
With that in mind, and for cross-compatibility, you may decide to use HFS+ over APFS. You can format a drive with HFS+ using the macOS Disk Utility app, which you can launch from the Launchpad (Other > Disk Utility).
Using ExFAT on macOS and Windows
While you can only use an Apple file system like APFS and Mac OS Extended for your main system drive, another file system is also worth considering for external drives—ExFAT.
ExFAT is an older file system from Microsoft, intended as a replacement for the even older FAT32 file system used with Windows system drives before the switch to NTFS in Window XP. It removes the 4GB file size limit and the 2TB partition size limit of FAT32 drives and is generally considered a better alternative for flash storage.
If you’re thinking about using ExFAT, you’ll likely have a single objective in mind—sharing files across platforms. ExFAT should only really be used for drives that you plan on using with both macOS and Windows devices, as it’s the only file system that both operating systems support natively.
It is possible for Windows to read APFS and HFS+ drives, but it requires external software to do so. Likewise, macOS can read newer Windows NTFS drives, but not write to them.
Apfs Format On Mac
For owners with Windows and macOS devices, using ExFAT for an external drive is a good option but there are alternatives, such as setting up your own cloud storage or sharing files between your devices over your local network instead.
APFS vs Mac OS Extended: Which Is Best?
There’s no winner in the APFS vs Mac OS Extended battle, as it depends on the drive you’re using. Newer macOS installations should use APFS by default, and if you’re formatting an external drive, APFS is the faster and better option for most users.
Onenote mac download older version. Mac OS Extended (or HFS+) is still a good option for older drives, but only if you plan on using it with a Mac or for Time Machine backups. If you need a cross-platform option, consider using ExFAT for your drive instead—both Windows and macOS can read these drives without any additional software.
In 2018, Apple released macOS Mojave. It was instantly loved by many. However, there was a minor problem. One of its noteworthy and newest features was nearly invisible: the new file system.
If Mojave is installed on a Mac with a solid-state drive (SSD), the underlying file system is automatically switched from Mac OS Extended or the HFS+ to the new Apple File System (APFS). This is something that not everyone knows about. Disc utility for mac catalina.
Although there were a few ways that things could have gone wrong, for many Mac users, the shift was almost seamless. They were unable to notice that their Macs were already running APFS.
In case you wanted to find out and confirm if your Mac is running APFS, open Disk Utility, select your startup disk, locate your disk name, and click on it. All the information about your disk will be shown on your screen, including the file system type.
What Are HFS+ and APFS?
Windows 10 usb download from mac. At this point, the concepts of HFS+ and APFS may still seem a bit vague. So, we’ll try to differentiate both.
HFS+
HFS+ was the default file system of Apple devices in the years 1998 to 2017. Eventually, APFS replaced it. Still, HFS+ is used as the default file system of Apple devices that use hybrid and mechanical hard drives.
It is preferred by some Mac users because it supports different macOS versions and is compatible with fusion drives. However, it only has limited native file support for some file systems.
APFS
APFS is the latest file system of Apple. It was released in 2017 as a replacement for HFS+. Unless specified or changed by the user, this is automatically set as the default file system of an Apple device.
But why should you use APFS? This file system allows full-disk encryption with multi or single-key encryption for an added layer of security. It also prevents metadata corruption because it creates new records instead of overwriting those that already exist. The most important downsides of using APFS are that compression is not available and that it does not support Fusion drives.
Can HFS+ Be Used in Mojave Instead of APFS?
Now, if you have just recently upgraded to Mojave but still want to keep using HFS+, of course, you can. The only problem is that the command that is used to avoid APFS conversion won’t work all the time.
To avoid the APFS conversion, you have two options. We listed them below:
Method #1: Use an External Installer Media and Install Mojave on Your SSD Drive.
One of the easiest and most popular ways to prevent APFS conversion during the installation of Mojave 10.14 on your SSD drive is to create a macOS installer media. Don’t worry because it’s easy to do and won’t take much time.
Macos 10.14 Apfs
However, before you proceed with this method, we suggest you back up all your data using Time Machine or any of the other data backup methods for Mac. This way, you can quickly restore your settings and data in the event that errors arise along the way.
Moving forward, here’s how you can create a macOS Mojave installer media:
Switch off your Mac.
Connect your preferred macOS installer media.
Switch on your Mac.
While your Mac is starting up, press the Option key continuously to enter the Boot menu.
Once the Boot menu appears, use the arrow keys to select macOS Mojave USB installer.
Hit Enter.
Format your SSD drive using Disk Utility.
Agree to the Terms and Conditions and proceed by selecting your newly formatted SSD drive.
Your Mac will start to reboot. Make sure you continue pressing the Option key or F12 to enter the Boot menu again.
Choose your installer media from the menu.
Allow your computer to boot.
Go to Utilities.
Launch the Terminal app.
Input the ls –l Volumes command into the command line.
Take note of the name of the SSD where you will install macOS Mojave.
Into the command line, input the cd /Volumes/SSD_Drive_NAME command and hit Enter.
Replace SSD_Drive_Name with the real SSD volume name.
Next, input the following commands:
cd “macos install data”
vi minstallconfig.xml
Press the l key and move your cursor to the ConvertToAPFS You should notice that the value is set to true. Remove it using the Delete key and replace the value with false.
Press the l key again and input :wq to close the editor.
Close the Terminal window and reboot your Mac.
Method #2: Install MacOS Mojave on an External HDD or SSD Using a USB Installer Running APFS.
Another easy way to skip APFS conversion while installing Mojave 10.14.4 is to install macOS Mojave on an external SSD or HDD using a USB installer that is running APFS.
To do this, follow the instructions below:
Boot macOS Mojave from your external SSD or HDD.
Download and install trustworthy backup software for Mac.
Open Disk Utility.
Select your internal drive.
Click Erase.
Rename your internal drive.
Choose macOS Journaled.
Hit Erase.
Run the backup software you installed.
Select Source Drive as the external disk and destination.
Click Start to begin cloning macOS.
Wait for a few seconds until the cloning process is completed.
Reboot your Mac as you normally would.
Navigate to About Mac.
Select System Information.
Check if your internal drive’s file system has been changed to HFS+.
Conclusion
Apfs Type For Macos Install Disk
The latest file system may entice you to upgrade to Mojave. But take note it will take some time for you to become familiar with its features, particularly APFS. In the meantime, you can stick to HFS+ until you get the hang of how things work.
Once you have skipped the APFS conversion part, we suggest that you download and install a reliable Mac repair and cleaning tool. By doing that, you can ensure that your Mac runs smoothly and efficiently.
Do you prefer HFS+ over APFS? Let us know in the comments section below!
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