How to format an external drive on Mac

Question

Issue: How to format an external drive on Mac

Hi, I would like to know how to format an external drive on Mac. I'm a little bit confused since there are multiple file format options. Which one should I use?

Solved Answer

Learning how to format an external drive on Mac is necessary for numerous reasons. One of them is that you might purchase a new USB Flash drive[1] which is pre-formatted for Windows OS and you will be unable to use it on your Mac. However, this is one of the many reasons why you should know how to format the drive for both Mac and Windows operating systems.

Fortunately, Mac computers have an already built-in Disk Utility[2] which makes it easy to format external drives for different types of formats. Although, you should be aware that not all formats are designed to work on all operating systems. Therefore, your mac might not support some drive formats which are developed for other OS.

How to format drive on Mac

Here is a quick summary of which format you should use depending on your preferences:

  • Apple File System (APFS)[3] is a new file format which is readable only by Macs running High Sierra. Likewise, you will not be able to use your drive on Macs with older operating systems and well as on Windows, or Linux computers;
  • MacOS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted) (HFS+) is an excellent choice for those who would like to protect their external drive in case it is lost or stolen. You can encrypt the data stored on the drive and put a password on it. Additionally, note that this file format is readable for Windows OS devices. However, they cannot be used else way;
  • MS-DOS FAT (FAT32) is great for those who share their drives with PC users since this format is readable by Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. Although, files are limited to 4GB. Thus, people needing more space can find it useless;
  • ExFAT allows users to share the drive with PC users as well as offers over 4GB of space;
  • NTFS format is designed only for Windows OS. Likewise, Mac computers can just read this file format without the ability to write to it.

How to format a drive on Mac

Optimize now! Optimize now!
To restore your computer's peak performance, you have to purchase licensed version of Mac Washing Machine X9 Mac Washing Machine X9 repair software.

Before proceeding to the instructions, note that formatting the drive requires to erase all contents stored on it. Therefore, you should copy the files from the drive to avoid losing any valuable information.

Use Disk Utility to format an external drive on Mac

  1. Hit Command + Space and type Disk Utility;
  2. Open it and check the available drives on the left side of the window.
    You must erase the contents of your drive
  3. Select the drive you need and click Erase button.
    Selecting the right file format of the drive
  4. Disk Utility will select the file format automatically. However you can change it manually if you know which format you need. For that, head above and check the quick summary of file format types;
  5. Name your drive and proceed to Security options.
    Choosing security options of the drive
  6. Select the options from the left (Fastest) to the right (Most Secure);
  7. Click OK and wait until the drive is ready to use.
    Complete formatting your external drive on Mac
  8. Copy the files back to your drive.

Optimize your system and make it work more efficiently

Optimize your system now! If you don't want to inspect your computer manually and struggle with trying to find issues that are slowing it down, you can use optimization software listed below. All these solutions have been tested by ugetfix.com team to be sure that they help improve the system. To optimize your computer with only one click, select one of these tools:

Offer
do it now!
Download
computer optimizer Happiness
Guarantee
Compatible with Microsoft Windows Compatible with OS X
Your problem remained?
If you are not satisfied with and think that it failed to improve your computer, feel free to contact us! Please, give us all details related to your issue.
- a patented specialized Windows repair program. It will diagnose your damaged PC. It will scan all System Files, DLLs and Registry Keys that have been damaged by security threats.Mac Washing Machine X9 - a patented specialized Mac OS X repair program. It will diagnose your damaged computer. It will scan all System Files and Registry Keys that have been damaged by security threats.
This patented repair process uses a database of 25 million components that can replace any damaged or missing file on user's computer.
To repair damaged system, you have to purchase the licensed version of malware removal tool.To repair damaged system, you have to purchase the licensed version of Mac Washing Machine X9 malware removal tool.

Prevent websites, ISP, and other parties from tracking you

To stay completely anonymous and prevent the ISP and the government from spying on you, you should employ Private Internet Access VPN. It will allow you to connect to the internet while being completely anonymous by encrypting all information, prevent trackers, ads, as well as malicious content. Most importantly, you will stop the illegal surveillance activities that NSA and other governmental institutions are performing behind your back.

 

Recover your lost files quickly

Unforeseen circumstances can happen at any time while using the computer: it can turn off due to a power cut, a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) can occur, or random Windows updates can the machine when you went away for a few minutes. As a result, your schoolwork, important documents, and other data might be lost. To recover lost files, you can use Data Recovery Pro – it searches through copies of files that are still available on your hard drive and retrieves them quickly.

 

About the author
Julie Splinters - Computer optimization specialist

When it comes to computer optimization, Julie Splinters is the expert. Whether it is a slow smartphone, Windows, Mac or Linux operating system, she will find a solution within minutes.

Contact Julie Splinters
About the company Esolutions

References

What you can add more about the problem: "How to format an external drive on Mac"