Erasing your disk: For most reasons to erase, including when reformatting a disk or selling, giving away, or trading in your Mac, you should erase your entire disk.
May 21, 2020 However, when we connect a NTFS formatted disk to Mac, Mac OS X doesn't allow us to write files to the drive neither edit files, though it can read a NTFS drive. Similarly, Windows OS will ask us to format the HFS+ formatted drive when we connecting such a disk, let along edit files saved on HFS+ formatted hard disks unless we resort to third. Jan 04, 2012 How to Format an External Drive for Mac Compatibility. This is a simple procedure and is achieved the same way for all drive types and through all connections, be they USB, Firewire, or Thunderbolt. Formatting a drive will erase all data and partitions on the disk: Connect the hard drive or USB key to the Mac.
Erasing a volume on your disk: In other cases, such as when your disk contains multiple volumes (or partitions) and you don't want to erase them all, you can erase specific volumes on the disk.
Erasing a disk or volume permanently deletes all of its files. Before continuing, make sure that you have a backup of any files that you want to keep.
How to erase your disk
How to erase a volume on your disk
Reasons to erase
You can erase at any time, including in circumstances such as these:
About APFS and Mac OS Extended
Disk Utility in macOS High Sierra or later can erase using either the newer APFS (Apple File System) format or the older Mac OS Extended format, and it automatically chooses a compatible format for you.
How to choose between APFS and Mac OS Extended
Disk Utility tries to detect the type of storage and show the appropriate format in the Format menu. If it can't, it chooses Mac OS Extended, which works with all versions of macOS. If you want to change the format, answer these questions:
![]()
How to identify the format currently in use
If you want to know which format is currently in use, use any of these methods:
If your disk or volume doesn't appear, or the erase fails
Learn more
Jun 08, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
In all likelihood, you’re more acquainted with formatting an external hard drive than your Mac’s internal one, aren’t you? That’s often the norm because there’s rarely ever a need to format your internal drive. But regardless of what type it is, errors can still restrict it from reading and writing data. This means you can’t store files and neither can you copy or delete anything from the drive. At times, formatting your drive could be the only logical solution to fixing it; other times, simple fixes could get it working again.
Part 1: How to Format Hard Disk on Mac
The simple reason you might want to completely wipe your Mac’s internal drive is that it has encountered one serious error or another. Apple has given you several options to choose from should you ever need to format or reformat your drive. No one needs to tell you formatting your Mac’s drive entails reinstalling the macOS afterward, right? As long as you’re aware of that, you’re good to go.
1. How to Format New Hard Disk
Formatting a new disk, in the simplest of terms, means setting up a file system in the new drive to work with your macOS. There are different file systems, as you’ll soon find out, and each has unique features that some of the other file systems may or may not have.
a) Start up your Mac and press the “Option” + “⌘” + “R” keys to boot into 'Recovery'. Let go of the keys once the Apple logo or spinning globe comes on. The “Utilities” window will then show up.
b) Click on “Erase” to format the new hard disk. If you’re prompted, choose “macOS Extended (Journaled)” or any of the other file systems based on your needs or preference. This is also where you give the drive a name.
![]()
c) Go back to “Disk Utility” and select “Install macOS”. Restart your Mac once it’s done. The end.
2. How to Reformat Hard Drive
You can think of reformatting your drive as a way to reset it by putting a new file system into the drive to supplant the old one. It can also mean putting the same file system in the drive to fix it if it’s faulty. Reformatting your drive will get rid of your files, of course, but it also gets rid of any errors.
Related: Further read and know more complete details on undeleting files on Mac.
a) Yes, you’re going to be using “Disk Utility” again. Matter of fact, you’ll be seeing this tool a lot throughout the article. Now, fire it up!
b) Look to the left of the “Disk Utilities” window and select the drive to be reformatted. Click on the “Erase” button.
c) Follow prompts to select a file system. Choose “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” or another file system if you’re aware of what each of them offers. Click “Erase” and let the disk be formatted. Restart your Mac and you’re done here.
3. Video Tutorial on How to Format an External Hard Drive4. Tips for Formatting HDD on Mac
Part 2: When You Need to Format Disk on Mac
There’s nothing complex about what formatting HDD is used for. It completely erases the contents of your Mac’s drive. That’s simple enough for anyone to understand, but the ramifications of formatting a drive are very broad. A single click of a button can mean the erasure of decades’ and terabytes’ worth of files. That brings up the question of when it becomes necessary for you to format the drive in your Mac.
Airport express alternative for os x. Aug 04, 2017 AirPort Utility is already installed on your Mac running OS X Sierra (10.12.3). Open Finder Applications Utilities AirPort Utility. Click on the AirPort Utility menu in the upper left corner of the screen, then click on About AirPort Utility to confirm that you have AirPort Utility Version 6.3.7.which is the most up to date version of the application. The alternative to the AirPort-style routers, both cheap and expensive, is a mesh networking system. Mesh networks don’t require configuration on each device to get them to find each other,.
Part 3: Different Formats of Mac Hard Drive
The file formats out there waiting to be used by you are few. Knowing the right one to choose depends on what you intend the drive to be primarily used for. Have a read below and determine which one best suits your needs.
Okay, those are the file systems, but how do you know which one of them your Mac is using?
Best Chromebooks 2020: our pick of the best cheap Chrome OS laptops Welcome to the T3 best Chromebooks guide for 2020, where our experts round up the top Chrome OS-powered laptops in. Operating System Chrome OS CPU Intel Celeron N4000 1.10 GHz Screen 15.6' FHD Storage 32 GB eMMC Memory 4 GB LPDDR4 Graphics Card Intel UHD Graphics 600 Video Memory Shared memory Dimensions (W x D x H) 14.16' x 9.64' x 0.65' Weight 3.75 lbs. CPU CPU Type Intel Celeron CPU Speed N4000 (1.10 GHz) Number of Cores Dual-core Processor Display. Lenovo 11.6' 2-in-1 Touchscreen Chromebook Flex 3 - Intel Celeron. Intel® Celeron® N4020 Processor at 1.1GHz; 11.6' Touchscreen IPS LCD with LED-backlit HD (1366 x 768) Display. Chrome OS is a Linux kernel-based operating system designed by Google.It is derived from the free software Chromium OS and uses the Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interface. Google announced the project in July 2009, conceiving it as an operating system in which both applications and user data reside in the cloud: hence Chrome OS primarily runs web applications. Sarah Tew/CNET. If you're looking for the best Chromebook with a big screen display, the HP Chromebook 15 is an affordable Chromebook that delivers with a 15.6-inch IPS touch screen. Google chrome os x download.
1. Open up “Disk Utility” and select the volume or drive. Open up “System Configuration” and choose “Storage”.
2. Choose the volume in “Finder”, then select “File” and “Get info” from the menu bar. The next window will show you the Format of the disk. Part 4: How to Fix Errors When Formatting Mac Hard Drive
Formatting your drive should be an affair that takes up, at most, minutes of your time. But of course, this isn’t always the case, is it? Sometimes, your Mac just decides to make things a little harder for you. Don’t sweat it. A few solutions have been rounded up and written out for you down below.
Format Mac Drive In WindowsProblem 1. Unable to Format Hard Drive
Does your Mac show you errors similar to what’s in the image below? Chances are you don’t even know what causes them. Thankfully, fixing them is a breeze.
1. Open up “Utilities”, then your “Applications” folder. Find “Disk Utility” from the list and launch it.
Mac os x update. 2. Click on “View” and choose “Show All Devices” in the dropdown menu. Next, you choose the “Top Volume” of the drive to be formatted.
3. Click on “Erase”, then give a name to the drive. When it comes to “Format”, you can either choose APFS or Mac OS Extended.
4. Choose a “Scheme” (go with “GUID Partition Map”). Click on “Erase” and wait until you see the green checkmark. That means it’s done.
Problem 2. Erase All Disk Data Without Backup
By now, everyone who handles large amounts of data should be diligent in making regular backups of their files, right? Nope, because there’s always that one guy who only decides to do this when it’s too late. Have you ever been in such a situation?
Format Hard Drive For Mac On Mac Os Sierra Mac
If you have, why not prepare yourself for a similar eventuality? Download and install Recoverit Mac Data Recovery to safeguard your files against accidental deletion and crashed drive; or if you simply forget to backup your data prior to formatting your drive. The steps below will show you how to do this.
Step 1. Choose a Location
Launch Recoverit and select the hard disk to be scanned (the one that was formatted). It will be among the other drives displayed on the first window you see once the software opens up. Click “Start.”
Step 2. Scan the Location
Use “File Type” and “File Path” to narrow your search and make it easier to recover particular files-as against everything you lost. The scan will end after a given time and show you a preview of your lost files.
Step 3. Preview & Recover Formatted Data
You will see check boxes to the left of the Recoverit window. Those are the files you came looking for. Select particular ones or all of them. Click the “Recover” ribbon and the files will be recovered. And don’t forget to save everything you’ve recovered onto a new drive.
Don’t bother yourself with the format of your Mac’s disk or how much data you lost. Recoverit’s tools and features mean it’s perfectly capable of recovering data which was erased hours, weeks, months or even years ago. Surprised? Yeah, it has that much power. Just download, install and run it. It doesn’t get any easier than that, does it?
Problem 3: Hard Drive Not Showing up
When your drive is not mounting on Mac, here are two solutions to help you.
How To Format Hard Drive For Mac1. Boot Mac into Recovery Mode
2. Change Finder Settings
Closing WordsFormat External Hard Drive Mac
It’s good to be cautious when it comes to formatting your Mac’s drive but don’t worry yourself by thinking it’s something complicated and time-consuming. Any hard drive error you come across while using your Mac is something easily rectifiable. The only time you may need an extra set of hands to help you out is if the drive is failing due to hardware damage. And if the problem is that you’ve erased everything and plan on getting formatted drive data back, Recoverit is there to help out with that too. Either way, follow every step written here and you’re good.
Formatting External Hard Drive For Mac Os SierraWhat's Wrong with MacInternal Hard Drive For Macbook Pro
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |