Buzz
This article provides a detailed guide on how to reformat an external hard drive (USB) on both Windows and Mac operating systems. Formatting the drive allows you to modify the file system, ensuring compatibility between files and the computer's operating system, as well as resolving hidden errors on the drive. However, please note that formatting will erase all data stored on the drive.
Steps
On Windows Operating System
Connect the hard drive to your computer. Plug the USB cable of the hard drive into one of the flat rectangular ports on your computer.
- If you're using a desktop, the USB ports are typically located on the front or back of the CPU.
⊞ Win
Click on This PC (This Computer) on the left side of the File Explorer window.
Click on the name of the external hard drive listed under the "Devices and drives" section in the middle of the This PC window. This action selects the hard drive.
Click on the Manage (Manage) tab. This menu is located at the top-left corner of the This PC window.
Click on Format (Format) with the hard drive icon in the Manage toolbar near the top of the window. Clicking this opens the Format window for your external hard drive.
Click on the "File System" box located under the "File System" heading near the top of the page. This action will open a selection list as follows:
- NTFS - Ideal for hard drives dedicated to Windows.
- FAT32 - Compatible with both Windows and Mac, but has a memory limit of 32 gigabytes and a file size limit of 4 gigabytes.
- exFAT (Recommended) - Choose this option for hard drives you intend to use across multiple devices (Mac, Windows, consoles, etc.). This type is similar to FAT32 but without memory limitations.
Select the format. Click to choose the format you wish to use.
- If the hard drive has been formatted previously, check the Quick Format box.
Click on Start, then select OK. This will prompt Windows to begin formatting the hard drive.
- Files on the external hard drive will be deleted during this process.
Click on OK when prompted. Your external storage is now reformatted with the selected file structure.
On the Mac operating system
Connect the hard drive to your computer. Plug the hard drive's USB cable into one of the thin rectangular ports on your computer.
- If you're using an iMac, you'll find the USB ports on the side of the keyboard or the back of the iMac screen.
- Not all Macs come with USB ports. If you're using a newer Mac without USB ports, you'll need to purchase a USB-C to USB adapter.
Open Finder using the blue face icon in the Dock.
- You can also click on the computer screen.
Click on Go in the top-left corner of the screen.
Click on Utilities near the bottom of the Go menu.
Double-click on Disk Utility in the middle of the Utilities page.
Click on the name of the external hard drive located on the left side of the Utilities window.
Click on the Erase tab at the top of the Disk Utility window.
Click on the "Format" selection box in the middle of the page. A list of options will appear as follows:
- Mac OS Extended (Journaled) - The default format for Mac, exclusive to Mac systems.
- Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted) - An encrypted version of the default Mac format.
- Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled) - A variant of the default Mac format that differentiates between files with the same name but varying letter cases (e.g., "file.txt" and "File.txt").
- Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted) - A combination of the three aforementioned Mac format options.
- MS-DOS (FAT) - Compatible with both Windows and Mac computers but has a 4-gigabyte file size limit.
- ExFAT (Recommended) - Suitable for both Windows and Mac computers with no memory limitations.
Select the desired format. Simply click on the format you wish to use.
Click on Erase, then click Erase again when prompted. This allows your Mac to proceed with erasing and reformatting the external storage. Once completed, your hard drive will have a new format.
Advice
- When formatting an external hard drive for a game console, FAT32 or exFAT are the most suitable file system options.
Warning
- Formatting does not completely destroy all data on the hard drive. The process helps the drive store new files. Typically, data can still be rewritten on the disk or recovered using specialized software.
- Formatting will erase all data. Ensure you back up any important files before proceeding with the hard drive format.
