Apple Users

question everything

(52,056 posts) Sun Mar 15, 2026, 01:08 PM 11 hrs ago

Downloading NTFS driver?

My Time Machine died. Separate story, so while at Best Buy we were directed to “easyStore.”

“Plug and Play.”

And then I read under Compatibility:

Windows 10+

Downloadable NTFS driver to read/write on Mac OS without the need to reformat.

====

Can I/ should I use it or look for something else? I think that my old one was a Seagate.

Thanks

P.S. No, I don’t use Cloud.

5 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Downloading NTFS driver? (Original Post) question everything 11 hrs ago OP

Look for something else. It's called Linux. Wonder Why 11 hrs ago #1

I just get mac-formatted drives and no need to format or load drivers. Simple is beautiful. usonian 11 hrs ago #2

Thanks. Will go to the Apple Store. Or a different Best Buy. question everything 10 hrs ago #3

I recall getting apple-formatted drives at Office Depot (or whatever it's called since it merged) usonian 10 hrs ago #4

You can reformat it to Apple IbogaProject 9 hrs ago #5

Wonder Why

(6,873 posts)

1. Look for something else. It's called Linux.

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Sun Mar 15, 2026, 01:19 PM

11 hrs ago

usonian

(24,904 posts)

2. I just get mac-formatted drives and no need to format or load drivers. Simple is beautiful.

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Sun Mar 15, 2026, 01:20 PM

11 hrs ago

One thing to about. (added)

Time Machine has been known to fail in odd ways. I don't have examples in my memory, but adding another software layer to the backup could be asking for trouble. I definitely would keep TM hardware and software as vanilla as possible. The disk wrapper may say TM-compatible or APFS (1) compatible

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NTFS may be more compatible with windows and perhaps linux, but who sneakernet's any more?

When I go linux, it's an excuse to copy over only the important stuff. One or more macs can file-serve it forever if needed.

That's actually a serious consideration. It may be the best way to force some house-cleaning and organization --- that is, of pictures and book scattered all over and duplicated.

Just my two cents worth.

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_File_System

Apple switched file systems transparently "under the covers" a while back. It went very smoothly, AFAICT.

question everything

(52,056 posts)

3. Thanks. Will go to the Apple Store. Or a different Best Buy.

Reply to usonian (Reply #2)

Sun Mar 15, 2026, 01:25 PM

10 hrs ago

usonian

(24,904 posts)

4. I recall getting apple-formatted drives at Office Depot (or whatever it's called since it merged)

Reply to question everything (Reply #3)

Sun Mar 15, 2026, 01:28 PM

10 hrs ago

Good luck. See my edit.

IbogaProject

(5,825 posts)

5. You can reformat it to Apple

Reply to question everything (Reply #3)

Sun Mar 15, 2026, 02:51 PM

9 hrs ago

Disk Utility will allow you to reformat. Best match for Time Machine is APFS. Other backup options are Carbon Copy Cloner, or SuperDuper.
Actually you shouls use two backup options, Time Machine is good for rolling back in time to recover something from earlier. But Time Machine is an all or none where a straight mountable backup is more accessable. Disk Utility will let you make a sparse image then just back up your user folder. Key to backups is extra copies over different formats and different physical media.

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