How to format Hard Drives using Windows and Mac Operating Systems
- Susan LaRonde
- Susanne Kraft
- Jeffrey Fromme
- Jeremy Gruy
NOTE THIS WORKFLOW WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO FORMAT YOUR HARD DRIVE WIPING ALL DATA OFF OF IT -
MAKE SURE THERE IS NOTHING ON YOUR HARD DRIVE YOU NEED BEFORE PROCEEDING
Note we do not recommend formatting ExFat
Bad drive performance - slower than APFS or HFS
APFS and HFS have data protection and file system journaling, which can help prevent data corruption,
while exFAT has a simpler design focused on cross-platform compatibility.
How To Format a Hard Drive for Macintosh Computers
Open Disk Utility Go to Macintosh HD Applications >Utilities> Disk Utility |
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in Disk Utility> Click on the sidebar and choose >Show All Devices |
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Pick the drive you want to reformat but choose the >External top volume in the display as shown here |
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Click Erase |
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Two Choices when formatting forMAC Operating Systems | APFS (Apple File System) is the newer, more advanced file system used on modern Macs, offering better performance, space management, "Mac OS Extended" (also known as HFS+), which is considered a legacy file system primarily used on older Macs APFS is optimized for SSDs, Mac OS Extended is better suited for older mechanical hard drives and is generally used when compatibility with older Macs is needed. |
Name the Hard Drive Choose the Volume Format: as APFS Scheme: GUID Partition Map Erase in the lower right corner to erase the drive |
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You can also use Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled) Scheme: GUID Partition Map Then Click Erase |
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How to format a hard drive in Windows.
Right click the windows icon in the lower left corner and go to Computer Management |
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Go to Disk Management |
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Right click the D drive or similar might have a different letter but probably D |
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Choose Format name the drive and hit OK |
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Choose - Name File System - NTFS Allocation of Unit - Default Choose Quick Format - hit OK |
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For new disks not currently formatted for Windows you can use the Formatting Wizzard Click on cancel. If the disk says Not Initialized then right click on the drive and initialize it by clicking on Initialize Disk. Click OK at the next menu to complete the process. | |
| The next step is to format. Right click the drive in the stripped area and click New Partition |
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Click Next at the Convert Disk Wizard |
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Select the Primary partition and click Next |
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Specify Partition Size to the default which is the capacity of the drive and click Next |
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Assign a drive letter or choose the default then click Next Select Format the partition with the following settings
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