en ames ). ▁Lar ge , ▁USB - based ▁hard ▁dis ks ▁may ▁be ▁formatted ▁with ▁N TF S , ▁which ▁( except ▁for ▁Windows ) ▁is ▁less ▁supported . ▁ ▁However , ▁a ▁key drive ▁or ▁other ▁device ▁may ▁be ▁formatted ▁with ▁another ▁file ▁system ▁( H FS ▁Plus ▁on ▁an ▁Apple ▁Mac int osh , ▁or ▁Ext 2 ▁on ▁Linux , ▁or ▁Unix ▁File ▁System ▁on ▁Sol aris ▁or ▁B SD ). ▁This ▁choice ▁may ▁limit ▁( or ▁prevent ) ▁access ▁to ▁a ▁device ' s ▁contents ▁by ▁equipment ▁using ▁a ▁different ▁operating ▁system . ▁OS - dependent ▁storage ▁options ▁include ▁L VM , ▁partition ▁tables ▁and ▁software ▁encryption . ▁ ▁In ▁cam eras , ▁MP 3 ▁players ▁and ▁similar ▁devices ▁which ▁must ▁access ▁a ▁file ▁system ▁independent ▁of ▁an ▁external ▁host , ▁the ▁F AT 3 2 ▁file ▁system ▁is ▁preferred ▁by ▁manufact ur ers . ▁All ▁such ▁devices ▁halt ▁their ▁file - system ▁( d ism ount ) ▁before ▁making ▁it ▁available ▁to ▁a ▁host ▁operating ▁system ▁to ▁prevent ▁file - system ▁cor ruption ▁or ▁other ▁damage ▁( although ▁it ▁is ▁theoret ically ▁possible ▁for ▁both ▁devices ▁to ▁use ▁read - only ▁mode ▁or ▁a ▁cluster ▁file ▁system ). ▁Some ▁devices ▁have ▁a ▁write - prote ction ▁switch ▁( or ▁option ) ▁allowing ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁read - only ▁mode ; ▁this ▁makes ▁files ▁available ▁for ▁shared ▁use ▁without ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁virus ▁in fection . ▁ ▁Two ▁main ▁partition ing ▁schemes ▁are ▁used ▁by ▁vend ors