How to Format External Hard Drive on macOS

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Ngày cập nhật gần nhất: 15/4/2026

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1. How to Format External Hard Drive on macOS

If for any reason you need to format your external hard drive, whether it's on Windows or macOS, you can easily get it done. In this article, we'll guide you through the process of formatting an external hard drive on macOS.

To format an external hard drive on Mac, we'll utilize the built-in Disk Utility tool. Follow along with Mytour's article below to learn how to format an external hard drive on macOS.

Note: The formatting process will erase all data on your hard drive. Therefore, before proceeding, Mytour advises you to back up your hard drive.

Additionally, macOS doesn't support writing to NTFS-formatted drives, hence Disk Utility can't format drives into NTFS. If you wish to format a drive that can be read on both Mac and PC, you can use the ExFAT format.

1. How to Format External Hard Drive on macOS

To format an external hard drive on macOS, follow these steps:

First, connect the drive you want to format to your Mac, then open the Disk Utility tool. To open Disk Utility, you can use Spotlight or access it through Launchpad.

Both internal and external drives are listed on Disk Utility's left column.

Find and select the drive you want to format, then click on the Erase button located at the top corner. A options window will appear, under the Format section choose any format you wish to use on the drive. Additionally, you can also give the drive a name. If you're unsure about the Scheme, it's best to leave it as is without selecting any options.

For a secure drive formatting, where all data on it is securely erased, click on Security Options and select Most Secure option. Then click on the Erase button to initiate the formatting process.

This process may take some time, depending on the drive size and the security level you've chosen. If you opt for secure formatting, the drive formatting process on macOS may take longer.

After the formatting process is complete, a notification will appear on the screen as shown below. Click on Done to finish.

Although Disk Utility doesn't support NTFS, it supports many other formats. If you're looking to format a drive into NTFS, you may consider third-party solutions and applications.

In this article, Mytour has just guided you on how to format an external hard drive on macOS. Additionally, readers can explore other articles on Mytour to learn how to open and view dynamic images on Mac.

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