Jun 08, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
“I just bought a new USB flash drive and a hard drive for extra storage, but they are not compatible with my Mac. The only solution I can find is to format the drives but I don’t know how. Can someone tell me how do I format a new hard drive for Mac?”
Feb 07, 2016 ERASE MAC HARD DRIVE AND REINSTALL OS X! EASIEST METHOD! How to wipe your mac memory and reset to default settings. The best and most secure way if selling.NEW VIDEO EVERY SUNDAY. Like, share. Oct 17, 2019 Format an External Hard Drive. External hard drives use either spinning disks or solid memory to save your files. On Mac computers, use the Finder app to browse and manage files on your computer and external hard drives. Before a hard drive can read or write data, it must first be formatted, or erased and reconfigured. 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. Jul 02, 2020 You're changing the format of a disk, such as from a PC format (FAT, ExFAT, or NTFS) to a Mac format (APFS or Mac OS Extended). You received a message that your disk isn't readable by this computer. You're trying to resolve a disk issue that Disk Utility can't repair. Insert the Mac OS X install CD or USB drive. Power on the computer while holding down the option key.
There are lots of people who mistakenly think that the USB drives and hard drives format don’t really matter. But the reality is quite different. Whether it is a hard drive or USB or internal drive, Mac uses different format support. So, you can’t simply use the same drive with both Windows and Mac. As a result, you will need to format the hard drive for Mac. Using the Mac preferred file system is important otherwise the files will be of no use to you.
In this article, we are going to discuss how to format a hard drive for Mac and some related terms too.
Part 1. Situations When Formatting a Hard Drive on Mac:
Before you get deep, it is important that you understand what is drive formatting. Some people confuse the term with reformatting. Basically, formatting is the process of preparing the storage devices such as hard disk drive, solid-state drive, USB flash drive, or any other for initial use.
The basic operation is termed as low-level formatting which means erasing the existing data on the disk. But it leaves the track to recover the data using the recovery tool.
There is another term related to disk formatting and it is called reformatting. It is called high-level formatting as it is used to prepare the disk for different file system format. It is usually done during the OS installation or adding a new disk. Reformatting is done to free the storage space from the previous content stored in it.
You can consider disk formatting in macOS in the various circumstances. Whether your system has corrupted data, damaged software, impending system upgrade, storage is full, or it is running slow, formatting will fix a lot of issues. Take a look at the scenarios given below and you will be sure that disk formatting will help you.
Under all these situations, formatting is most likely to fix your problems and you will be able to use the drive on Mac.
Part 2. How to Format a Hard Drive on Mac:
Formatting is a very simple procedure which is operated in a similar way for all sorts of storage media. So, whether you wish to format the internal hard drive, external drive, or a USB flash drive, the procedure is the same for all. Here is the step by step guide you need to follow to format the hard disk on Mac. Before you erase a disk, make sure that you have a backup of the files you want to keep.
Step 1: Connect the USB drive or external drive to Mac and launch the Disk Utility from Applications.
Step 2: From the left side panel, pick the volume or the drive that you want to format and switch to the Erase tab.
Step 3: As you click on the Erase button, you will see several fields in the section. Enter the given information-
Step 4: After specifying the fields, click on the Erase button at the bottom of the window and Disk Utility will format the drive.
Once the formatting is complete, you can use the disk for a backup drive, sharing, time machine backup, or any other requirement. In case the drive doesn’t appear in the Disk Utility interface, you will have to disconnect all the extra and non-essential devices connected to Mac. Make sure that the External drive is on and connected properly. Restart your Mac and then carry out the task.
Part 3. How to Perform Mac Data Recovery After Format:
There are situations when Mac users don’t get the chance to create a backup of their data and forced to format the hard drive. But you don’t need to panic. You can get your hands on Recoverit data recovery for Mac. If you have mistakenly formatted the data that you still need, Recoverit is the best chance you have to get the files back. It is a complete data recovery solution which is capable of recovering all kinds of files with wide format support of 1000+.
You can download the software from the official website and install it immediately on Mac. Once the setup is complete, follow the steps below to recover formatted drive files.
Step 1: Specify Location:
Run the program and specify a location from the main drive. If data is lost from an external drive or USB flash drive, then you’ll have to connect the drive with the system and then specify the location.
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Click on the Start button to initiate the scanning process.
Step 2: Scan Results:
Depending on the data that is lost or deleted, scanning will take some time. As the process finishes, the files will be displayed on the screen according to their respective format.
You can decide whether you want to look for files according to file type or file path. You can also stop the scanning process in between if the results are displayed before the scanning finishes.
Step 3: Preview and Recover Formatted Data:
As soon as the data is displayed on the screen, you can have a preview of the files. Select as many files as you want and have a preview of the files. Tap on the Recover button to save the files on your system.
As you are retrieving the files, keep in mind not to save the files in the previous location. Depending on the amount of recovery, it will take a while and ultimately you’ll have your files back. If the normal scan doesn’t work for you, Recoverit also has a Deep scan mode to look deeper for the deleted and lost files.
Part 4. Different Formats of Hard Drive for Mac:
Mac Hard drives have wide support for formats but there are two major formats which are preferably used by the Mac users. It also depends on the macOS version you are using. The key point to consider is that the drives formatted with the newer versions won’t be recognized by the older devices. So, when you are formatting a USB drive, it will be ideal to choose the right format which is Mac OS Extended.
The supported Mac formats for the drive are explained below:
APFS:
The APFS format is optimal for Solid State Drive such as flash drives. Hence, if you are formatting a flash drive, you should definitely choose the APFS format. Along with the flash drives, this format is also faster and more reliable for Mac hard drives.
Mac OS Extended:
Talking about Mac OS Extended, it is perfectly suitable if you want to use a drive for backup. The Time Machine feature of Mac still doesn’t have support for APFS disk. In case you select this format, Time Machine will prompt you to reformat the drive.
When you are formatting disk on Mac, keep some things in mind. Never ever change the inbuilt format of a Mac drive.
Part 5. Tips for Formatting a Hard Drive on Mac:
Even though formatting doesn’t seem like a big deal, still it can be very helpful. So, it is important that you stay active and keep all things in mind. Here are some tips that might help you when you are about to format a Mac hard drive.
So, before you pick out the format, look out for the advantages and the disadvantages of the formats to choose the optimal format for Mac. The Windows supported format is usually listed as MS-DOS format in the list of formats.
Wrapping It Up:
As you can see, now you know how to format hard drive/ USB flash drive/ internal drive/external drive on Mac. So, from now on whenever someone is in need, you can help them. And formatting doesn’t always finish without complications. So, if you lost some important files while formatting the drive, you can use Recoverit data recovery software for Mac to restore them in original condition. Recommend the software to your friends and family and let them know that there is a master tool for recovery for both Mac and Windows OS in the market.
What's Wrong with Mac
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.
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?
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.
Problem 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.
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?
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.
Format External Hard Drive Mac1. Boot Mac into Recovery Mode
2. Change Finder SettingsMac Os X Hard Drive Format
Closing WordsMac Os External Hard Drive
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.
What's Wrong with MacMac Os X New Hard Drive Format Download
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