Format external hard drive for mac os extended

By this way, you can easily format an external hard drive for mac and pc without losing any data. So, whether you wish to format the internal hard drive, external drive, or a usb flash drive, the procedure is the same for all. In the format partition section, select the file system. Moving data between two systems using an external hard. Master boot record is appropriate for external drives used with a pc or boot camp. Mac os extended journaled or hfs plus is a file system developed by apple inc. How to format an external hard drive with pictures wikihow. Mac os extended encrypted would be an ideal option if you probably carry your laptop or external drive here and there. For instructions on how to format your hard drive on a mac, please reference the following links. Likewise, the mac os x operating system can read from, but cannot write to, an external drive that has been formatted for a pc using the ntfs file system without additional software. How to format a usb external disk for mac osx using disk. However, if you want to convert ntfs to exfat to make external hard drive compatible with mac and pc, 3 steps are required. If you buy a new external hard drive, you may notice that working between mac and pc is an often difficult but it doesnt need to be. If you already used your external hard drive on a pc, be sure to.

For pc and mac compatibility, select exfat format and master boot record scheme. Choose either apfs or mac os extended journaled to format as a mac volume. You can encrypt it so that no one can access the contents on your drive. Format external hard drive for mac with disk utility. And there you have it one read and writable disk ready for osx. External hard drives use either spinning disks or solid memory to save your files. Feb 21, 2012 looking to share an external hard drive between a mac and pc. How to format or partition an external hard drive on mac. Mac os extended was the default file system used by every mac from 1998 until 2017, when apfs replaced it. Moving data between two systems using an external hard drive. Enter a name for the external hard drive in the name field. I guess my real question is the difference between all four of the following options. How to format a hard drive for both windows and mac.

Feb 08, 2020 the problem is that on macos, you cant work with files saved on an ntfs drive unless you use a paid app like paragon ntfs for mac. Enter a name, select the format and scheme, and click erase. Mar 15, 2018 once youve gotten all the data off the macformatted drive, youll probably want to format it with the exfat file system. You can now edit, read, and write files, as you wish. You may wonder how to reformat an external hard drive on mac.

Some people are asking for a way to format a hard drive for mac. Dec 29, 2015 follow these instructions if you plan to share an external hard drive between pc and mac computers. Jul 28, 20 still with the external disk selected in disk utility go to the erase tab, select mac os extended journaled from the format dropdown, choose to name the disk and then click erase. Reformatting the drive will erase all data on the drive, so you should copy any data you want off the drive prior to formatting. To format external hard drive for mac with time machine, you must follow the steps below. They might be different if your mac has a different version. Mar 22, 2012 the best ways to format an external drive for windows and mac. If you want to format your external hard drive to work with mac and windows computers, you should use exfat. Oct 16, 2019 the best format for external hard drives. The best ways to format an external drive for windows and mac. Mac os extended journaled uses mac formatting to protect. Please remember that all data will be deleted from the drive, so make sure you have made a backup. The macbook and macbook pros come with an ssd to store data and an os. With exfat, you can store files of any size, and use it with any computer made in the last 20 years.

From the volume format menu, choose mac os extended. Follow these instructions if you plan to share an external hard drive between pc and mac computers. How to format an external drive for mac from ntfs to mac os extended note. The formatting decides the way the files are stored on your hard disk. Well show you everything you need to know about the. Apr 17, 2020 to format external hard drive for mac with time machine, you must follow the steps below. My passport wont format external drives for mac wd community. How to install macos on an external drive macworld uk. Its recommended to use this format whenever you need to use an external drive with os x only. Mac os extended casesentive, journaled apple community. When you format your external hard drive, it should be formatted for mac os extended.

Buying and using an external hd is one thing, getting the most out of it is quite another. Here are the following most common reasons why would you like to format an external disk or a flash drive for mac under mac os extended journaled. If you want to insure full mac compatibility of a new external hard drive or flash disk, youll want to format the drive to the mac os extended. The best ways to format an external drive for windows and mac compare the different options for formatting an external hard drive to work with windows and mac. Mac os extended journaled is the best option for most mac users. The best format for your external hard drive the hellotech blog. You will learn how to format the external hard disk which has deafult ntfs format, to make it compatible with mac os. Oct 29, 2019 even if you try to format fat32 drive on mac, you might end up causing more issues. Sep 20, 2019 weve told you how to encrypt your macos hard drives, but the fastest way to get this done is enabling encryption when you first format the drive. Format an external hard drive or usb flash drive for mac os x. Wd my passport this time not untitled and then erase. Mac os extended journaled is the normal recomended way to format your drives.

Step 1 open finder, applications, then go to utilities and disk utility step 2 follow the steps above to format the drive, and then you can use it with time machine on your mac system part 3. How to format a hard drive for mac internal, external or. Apfs to mac os extended reformat with disk utility no need for terminal commands im going to show you how to fix you macbook hard drive using disk utility to reformat your. Apr 14, 2020 by this way, you can easily format an external hard drive for mac and pc without losing any data. A format popup window will give you the opportunity to choose one of the following. Quickly format an external hard drive for mac and windows pc. If your mac isnt updated to high sierra it will offer macos extended as the default. Compare the different options for formatting an external hard drive to work with. How to format an external disk or a flash drive for mac. Disk utility tries to detect the type of storage and show the appropriate format in the format menu. If it cant, it chooses mac os extended, which works with all versions of macos.

Mac os x can only be installed on a hard drive formatted in mac os extended journaled, filesystem. Format external hard disk drive for mac os and windows. If you are transferring data from an os 10 system to an os 9 computer, or trying to access the data through os 9 with a drive formatted through os 10, you will need to have installed os. Hence, you must backup your important files before reformatting the drive if you want to save them. The format is good for handling the files between both os under 4gb size. In this guide, well show you how to format an external hard drive so you can not only get rid of the. Find your external hard drive in the list of drives. The tutorial and screenshots below are based on macos sierra 10. You can use this format if you share the drive between mac os x and windows computers and have no files larger than 4gb.

Your internal macintosh drive is also formatted in this format. If youre erasing your startup disk, you might be prompted to enter your apple id. Regardless of brand or model, the very first thing that you must do when you buy a brand new external hard drive is to format it properly for your system. How to share an external drive between a mac and a pc. How to access mac osx extended formatted hard drive in. How to format usb drive or external hard drive on mac. If you didnt update your mac os to high sierra, the default file system on your mac shoule be mac os extended. Sierra, the default file system on your mac shoule be mac os extended. So if you are formatting a drive that has already been used, be sure to copy any files you will ever want to see again onto a computer or backup drive. Youve formatted your external drive to be compatible with mac os x, and have confirmed that the formatting process was successful.

Whether youre selling your computer, trying a new operating system, or setting up an external drive for backups, sometimes you need to completely erase and format a hard drive. Details say unmounting disk, couldnt unmount disk, operation failed. The quickest way to do this is a simple spotlight search. If you have already written any data to the drive, back it up before proceeding to the next. The best ways to format an external drive for windows and. But, if you plan on using an external drive with both macs and pcs, you should format the disk with the exfat file system instead.

You can, however, format a windows hard drive from a mac if you connect the windows hard drive to the mac and format it through disk utility, or the command line as described above. On mac computers, use the finder app to browse and manage files on your computer and external hard drives. How to format an external drive to work with mac from ntfs to mac os extended. For instructions on how to format a drive in mac os 10. How to format external hard drive mac 2 simple methods revealed. How to share an external hard drive between mac and windows. Which mac file system is best for an external drive. How to format or partition an external hard drive for mac.

How to format an external hard drive the easy way in 2020. The problem is that on macos, you cant work with files saved on an ntfs drive unless you use a paid app like paragon ntfs for mac. If the other mac isnt using high sierra or later, choose mac os extended journaled. The usb drivers come with the fat format by default. Choose mac os extended journaled for any disk that you plan to use with time machine or as a bootable installer.

Select your external hard drive or usb flash drive from the list on the left. Use disk utility to erase format a hard disk, ssd, flash drive, or other. Weve told you how to encrypt your macos hard drives, but the fastest way to get this done is enabling encryption when you first format the drive. But before you can do anything, you need to make it clear that the hard. Choose either apfs or mac os extended journaled to.

Mac can read all the file system formats including windows msdos, fat, fat32. Fortunately disk utility, built right into macos, can help. Here is the step by step guide you need to follow to format the hard disk on mac. Compare the different options for formatting an external hard drive to work with windows and mac. Mar 31, 2020 if you buy a new external hard drive, you may notice that working between mac and pc is an often difficult but it doesnt need to be. How to format an external hard drive focus photo school. Whether you are trying to backup mac to an external hard drive, wipe out any personal information and sell the computer, or even use a new operating system, you need to format the hard drive on your mac or pc. If you want to insure full mac compatibility of a new external hard drive or flash disk, youll want to format the drive to the mac os extended filesystem. A stepbystep guide on how to format an external drive ntfs for mac compatible file system, mac os extended journaled.

Formatting is a very simple procedure which is operated in a similar way for all sorts of storage media. How to format external hard drives on a mac sweetwater. Earlier versions of macos dont mount apfsformatted volumes. Mac os extended format hfs plus volume and file limits. Backup disks you can use with time machine apple support.

To format as a mac disk, choose either apfs or mac os extended journaled. If you are transferring data from an os 10 system to an os 9 computer, or trying to access the data through os 9 with a drive formatted through os 10, you will need to have installed os 9 driverswhen you erase the drive. Mac os extended, mac os extended journaled, mac os casesensitive, and mac os casesensitive, journaled when reformatting an external hard drive i know that mac os fat is compatible with both pc and mac platforms, however, theres a limit to trasnferring files to 4gb. Bought wd 6t external my book to use with time machine. Or perhaps you are setting up an external drive for backups. Looking to share an external hard drive between a mac and pc. How to format external hard drive mac 2 simple methods. Then, you can share external hard drive between mac and pc.

What formatting option should i use to format an external hard drive for use with time machine on imac retina 4k 2017 running os mojave. How to format external ssd for mac time machine mashtips. The format apple support for mac owners for time machine is mac os extended journaled. Jun 30, 2018 you will learn how to format the external hard disk which has deafult ntfs format, to make it compatible with mac os. Both apfs and mac os extended offer an encrypted option, and if security is a concern, its a good idea to use this on external drives. My hard drive finally went kaput on my mac, and it is in the mac hospital getting a replacement. Aug 30, 2016 this is an article for mac, it is erasing a hard drive from a mac command line, it is not a windows tutorial. I knew this was going to happen soon, so earlier this year i purchased an external to put everything on.

Now that you know which format to use, check out our guide on how to format your hard drive on. Still with the external disk selected in disk utility go to the erase tab, select mac os extended journaled from the format dropdown, choose to name the disk and then click erase. When you use a hard disk drive, time machine will take a while to back up your mac. Formatting an external hard drive would erase everything on it. So, if you have got your hands on a drive which is formatted as fat32 of any other format instead of mac os extended or apfs, then you should go through this article.

Though this format has some limitations, it enjoys nearly universal support. If the external hard drive is pre formatted for mac, disk management will list 3 partitions and you will not be able to delete the health efi system partition because its a protected partition. Disk utility shows the recommended mac format by default. How to format an external disk or a flash drive for mac you will be presented with a dropped down panel where you need to type a name for the volume and select the format type as mac os extended journaled and partition map scheme as guid. This is particularly necessary for purchases of generic pc drives, which almost always come preformatted to be windows compatible rather than for mac os x. When done, quit disk utility to return to the utilities window. Step 1 open finder, applications, then go to utilities and disk utility step 2 follow the steps above to format the drive, and then you can use it with time machine on your mac system. Here, we are going to learn the procedure to format a usb drive and an external hard drive on mac. Its a replacement for apples mac os extended file system. I always format a new drive as mac os extended journaled, immediatly and before use.

Next to format, it should say mac os extended journaled. By default, they format disks with the mac only os x extended file system. If you wish to change to mac os extended journaled. Mac os extended journaled is the normal recomended way to format your drives, internal and external. Bonus tip data recovery from formatted hard drive on mac. The best way to do it is with a drive formatted as fat32. Now to install the beta or alternative version of the mac operating system on your external. To this day, it remains the default file system for mechanical and hybrid hard drives, both while installing macos and while formatting external drives. Choosing the right format for your external hard drive b.