How to format a hard drive (Mac)
Most accessory manufacturers tend to fix accessories for the to a greater extent than dominant platforms, which is why many figurer peripherals tend to move to a greater extent than focused on Windows users. This tin brand things a piffling complicated if you lot are a Mac user, particularly if you lot are looking to buy an external difficult displace where sometimes roughly models may move preformatted for piece of occupation amongst Windows.
We are certain that roughly of you lot induce got constitute situations inward which at to the lowest degree i time you lot induce got connected an external difficult displace or USB flash displace to your Mac computer, alone to uncovering out that it is non read or that changes cannot move made due to its formatting for Windows. However, if you lot are trying to ensure sum compatibility betwixt Windows as well as Mac, accept a expect at the next steps.
How to format an external difficult displace for Mac
The procedure to format an external difficult displace or USB flash displace for your Mac is pretty straightforward.
- Connect the external difficult displace or USB flash displace to your Mac computer
- Start the Disk Utility app located in Applications> Other
- Select the unit of measurement from the left side of the window
- Click on the Clear tab at the tiptop of the screen
- In Format, select ExFAT
- Click Cancel and, depending on how much you've archived, it may accept seconds or minutes to complete.
- Once completed, you lot should encounter the novel file type on your difficult drive.
Which file format should I use?
During the difficult disk formatting process, inward the Format section, you lot would induce got noticed that at that topographic point are several options to select from, as well as then the enquiry is: what are the differences betwixt the file formats as well as which ones should you lot choose?
ExFAT
This is the choice nosotros told you lot that you lot should select if you lot desire to brand certain your difficult displace is compatible (which way it tin read as well as write) on both Windows as well as Mac systems.
FAT MS-DOS
Also known equally FAT32 on roughly systems, this is roughly other choice you lot tin select if you lot desire to format a difficult displace that volition move compatible on Windows as well as Mac. However, i of the primary differences betwixt FAT32 as well as ExFat is that the outset i volition alone back upwards file sizes upwards to iv GB.
This way that if you lot are trying to transfer a video file larger than iv GB, you lot volition non move able to produce it. This is due to the fact that FAT32 is an older file system.
APFS (Apple file system)
This is a newer file arrangement that Apple introduced amongst its High Sierra update. It volition move the default format that volition move used for internal drives as well as likewise for novel external difficult drives designed specifically for piece of occupation amongst Macs. The upside is that it is to a greater extent than efficient, to a greater extent than reliable as well as users tin likewise select to encrypt it to protect the contents of your computer.
The disadvantage is that it volition non move compatible amongst previous versions of macOS as well as volition non move compatible amongst Windows or Linux machines. However, if you lot alone require to piece of occupation it on a Mac computer, this could move an choice to consider.
Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
This file format was previously likewise known equally HFS +. It was the file arrangement that Apple had used earlier introducing APFS. For older Mac computers that are non running High Sierra or newer, Mac OS Extended volition move the default format.
Similar to APFS, at that topographic point are options to induce got it encrypted as well as password-protected, as well as users tin likewise select to format it as well as then that it tin move case-sensitive for files that may require it.
Moreover, simply similar APFS, Mac OS Extended is non readable on Windows machines, as well as then if you lot are looking for cross-platform compatibility, ExFAT is even as well as then the best choice for now.
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