{"id":"external-drives.partition-a-drive-for-a-windows-pc","url":"/faq/external-drives/partition-a-drive-for-a-windows-pc","category":{"id":"external-drives","title":"External drives"},"subcategory":{"id":"other-devices","title":"Using drives with PCs, iPads and other Macs"},"question":"How do I set up one external drive with a part for my Mac and a part a Windows PC can use?","alt_questions":["Partition external drive for Mac and Windows","APFS and exFAT on the same drive","Split drive between Mac and PC","one drive two formats mac windows","partition ssd exfat and apfs"],"short_answer":"In Disk Utility (View → Show All Devices), select the drive, click Partition and create an APFS partition for your Mac and an exFAT one for Windows, using GUID Partition Map. Back up first; partition sizes are fixed. Point Storage Studio at the APFS part.","answer_markdown":"Partition it. In Disk Utility, choose **View → Show All Devices**, select the drive, click **Partition**, and create two partitions: one **APFS** for your Mac, one **exFAT** for sharing with Windows. Use the **GUID Partition Map** scheme. Partitioning an existing drive may erase it, so copy its files off first.\n\nEach partition has a fixed size, unlike APFS volumes, so leave room on both sides. Windows only sees the exFAT partition; your Mac sees both.\n\nStorage Studio should use the APFS partition. See [splitting a drive for Storage Studio and other uses](/faq/external-drives/can-i-split-one-drive-into-storage-studio-and-other-uses).","answer_html":"

Partition it. In Disk Utility, choose View → Show All Devices, select the drive, click Partition, and create two partitions: one APFS for your Mac, one exFAT for sharing with Windows. Use the GUID Partition Map scheme. Partitioning an existing drive may erase it, so copy its files off first.

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Each partition has a fixed size, unlike APFS volumes, so leave room on both sides. Windows only sees the exFAT partition; your Mac sees both.

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Storage Studio should use the APFS partition. See splitting a drive for Storage Studio and other uses.

","answer_text":"Partition it. In Disk Utility, choose View → Show All Devices, select the drive, click Partition, and create two partitions: one APFS for your Mac, one exFAT for sharing with Windows. Use the GUID Partition Map scheme. Partitioning an existing drive may erase it, so copy its files off first.\n\nEach partition has a fixed size, unlike APFS volumes, so leave room on both sides. Windows only sees the exFAT partition; your Mac sees both.\n\nStorage Studio should use the APFS partition. See splitting a drive for Storage Studio and other uses.","tags":["partition","exfat","windows","apfs"],"related":[{"id":"external-drives.can-i-split-one-drive-into-storage-studio-and-other-uses","question":"Can I split one external drive into a Storage Studio part and a part for other things?","url":"/faq/external-drives/can-i-split-one-drive-into-storage-studio-and-other-uses"},{"id":"external-drives.can-a-windows-pc-read-a-mac-drive","question":"Can a Windows PC read a Mac-formatted external drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/can-a-windows-pc-read-a-mac-drive"},{"id":"external-drives.why-is-exfat-only-usable-with-warnings","question":"Why does Storage Studio warn about exFAT drives?","url":"/faq/external-drives/why-is-exfat-only-usable-with-warnings"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"How do I set up one external drive with a part for my Mac and a part a Windows PC can use? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"In Disk Utility (View → Show All Devices), select the drive, click Partition and create an APFS partition for your Mac and an exFAT one for Windows, using GUID Partition Map. Back up first; partition sizes are fixed. Point Storage Studio at the APFS part.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"External drives","path":"/faq/external-drives/"},{"name":"How do I set up one external drive with a part for my Mac and a part a Windows PC can use?","path":"/faq/external-drives/partition-a-drive-for-a-windows-pc"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/partition-a-drive-for-a-windows-pc","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I set up one external drive with a part for my Mac and a part a Windows PC can use?","alternateName":["Partition external drive for Mac and Windows","APFS and exFAT on the same drive","Split drive between Mac and PC","one drive two formats mac windows","partition ssd exfat and apfs"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Partition it. In Disk Utility, choose View → Show All Devices, select the drive, click Partition, and create two partitions: one APFS for your Mac, one exFAT for sharing with Windows. Use the GUID Partition Map scheme. Partitioning an existing drive may erase it, so copy its files off first.\n\nEach partition has a fixed size, unlike APFS volumes, so leave room on both sides. Windows only sees the exFAT partition; your Mac sees both.\n\nStorage Studio should use the APFS partition. See splitting a drive for Storage Studio and other uses.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/partition-a-drive-for-a-windows-pc"}}]},"fragment":"
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External drives · Using drives with PCs, iPads and other Macs

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How do I set up one external drive with a part for my Mac and a part a Windows PC can use?

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Short answer: In Disk Utility (View → Show All Devices), select the drive, click Partition and create an APFS partition for your Mac and an exFAT one for Windows, using GUID Partition Map. Back up first; partition sizes are fixed. Point Storage Studio at the APFS part.

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Partition it. In Disk Utility, choose View → Show All Devices, select the drive, click Partition, and create two partitions: one APFS for your Mac, one exFAT for sharing with Windows. Use the GUID Partition Map scheme. Partitioning an existing drive may erase it, so copy its files off first.

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Each partition has a fixed size, unlike APFS volumes, so leave room on both sides. Windows only sees the exFAT partition; your Mac sees both.

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Storage Studio should use the APFS partition. See splitting a drive for Storage Studio and other uses.

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