Before a hard drive can read or write data, it must first be formatted, or erased and reconfigured. Most external hard drives are designed to work for windows computers. It will likely already be formatted, either for use. How to format usb drive external hard drive on macos catalina. Since formatting an external hard drive will erase all of its files if you wish to save them you must back them up copy. You can format the drive from either the mac or the windows machine. Once you open the disk utility app, you can see all the drives on your mac are listed. Choose the exfat file system in the list and click start.
If you are trying to format mac external hard drive, you can go over the process step by step. Mar 31, 2020 if you buy a new external hard drive, you may notice that working between mac and pc is an often difficult but it doesnt need to be. Jun 22, 2018 reading a pc formatted drive on your mac is no problem. Lets take a look at the different types of formats, and which are best for video production. If you run into issues while formatting, see how to unlock your mac external drive how to unlock and format an external hard drive for your mac heres a quick guide on how to format an external hard drive for mac and solve any issues you may encounter. The 8 best external hard drives and ssds for mac and pc users.
Unformat mac hard drive recover formatted hard drive on mac. Feb 08, 2020 now your external drive has been formatted to be fully compatible with apple macos, and you can edit, read, and write files to it as you want. How to format seagate drive for mac and pc quickly and securely. Bonus tip data recovery from formatted hard drive on mac. How to format or partition an external hard drive for mac. Master boot record is appropriate for external drives used with a pc or boot camp. How to format external hard drive mac 2 simple methods. In this guide, well show you how to format an external hard drive so you can not only get rid of the. This is due to the fact that ntfs, the file system. This is a simple procedure and is achieved the same way for all drive types and through. Mac formatted external drive that comes in ssd and spinning disk versions, and includes both a usb hub and thunderbolt 3 support. Format usb drive, external hard drive on macos catalina. The videos below demonstrate the complete process of formatting an external hard drive for full mac os x compatibility, this uses the. How to format a hard drive for both windows and mac laptop mag.
Apr 24, 2019 what to do when your external hard drive wont show up. While the external hard drive connected to the windows computer or mac, and the device did not show up. Step 1 open finder, applications, then go to utilities and disk utility. So if youre trying to connect an external hard drive to a mac, you might.
If it does not you will need to rightclick and delete the volume first. If you buy a new external hard drive, you may notice that working between mac and pc is an often difficult but it doesnt need to be. If it is your internal hard drive that you have reformatted, consider using target disk mode or disk drills portable mode to increase your chances of data recovery on your macs formatted hard. Before a hard drive can read or write data, it must first be formatted. Buying and using an external hd is one thing, getting the most out of it is quite another. How to share an external hard drive between mac and windows. The best external hard drives for mac in 2020 pcmag. These drives are usually formatted using microsofts fat32 format, which both macs and pcs handle well. And, if you just need to get files off of a mac formatted drive once, you can just use the trial and be done with the application by the time it expires. Reformatting an external hard drive for use with mac osx is not as difficult as it might seem. If the external hard drive is pre formatted for mac, disk management will list 3 partitions and you will not be able to delete the health efi system partition because its a protected partition.
Moving files from macformatted external hard drive to pc. A hard drive can be used on any type of computer pc or mac. Use disk utility to erase format a hard disk, ssd, flash drive or other. Apr 17, 2020 to format external hard drive for mac with time machine, you must follow the steps below. If you work solely on a mac, but need to send files to someone working on a pc, your external hard drive needs to be set up for both operating systems. Macs can also read and write to exfat drives thanks to the agreement made with microsoft.
Now your external drive has been formatted to be fully compatible with apple macos, and you can edit, read, and write files to it as you want. This reduced power draw helps preserve the battery life of the mac you plug the drive into. Format external hard drive for mac with disk utility. Compare the different options for formatting an external hard drive to work with windows and mac. Choosing the right format for your external hard drive b. Usb drives and external hard drives on macos catalina are used for storing and backing up important data such as photos, videos, audios, images, notes, messages, music. Seagate branded external drives come preformatted, some for pcs, some for macs, and some of them have special utilities allowing them to work between both without. To format external hard drive on mac, all you have to do is plugin your hard drive and launch disk utility. Sep 10, 2015 of course it is possible to get back formatted files from a macbook pro, imac and mac mini hard drives. Choosing the right format for your external hard drive. Use disk utility to erase format a hard disk, ssd, flash drive, or other. A mac can see a ntfs formatted external hard drive but cannot write to it. Just plug in the drive, then access the files you need to use.
How to format external hard drive to use on mac and pc. Heres how to format a drive if you are planning to use it with a mac. Windows operating systems will support fat 32, ntfs file format. Be sure to get an external drive thats labeled for mac and pc. Amazons choice for external hard drive formatted for mac western digital 2tb elements portable external hard drive usb 3.
How to recover data from a formatted external drive on mac we recommend stellar mac data recovery professional because its one of the best mac data recovery software we tested. So, whether you wish to format the internal hard drive, external drive, or a usb flash drive, the procedure is the same for all. How to share an external drive between a mac and a pc. External hard drives use either spinning disks or solid memory to save your files. Instead, save them to your mac hard drive first, then transfer them back to your external drive later.
By default its the disk built into your mac, named macintosh hd. Feb 21, 2012 looking to share an external hard drive between a mac and pc. Whether you are trying to backup mac to an external hard drive, wipe out any personal information and sell the computer, or even use a new operating system, you need to format the hard drive on your mac or pc. How to format an external drive to work with mac from ntfs to mac os extended. While you have bought this drive, you will find the drive already formatted for your mac or windows system. Click erase button, the external hard drive will be formatted. Apple macs can format external hard drives to the exfat file system. Apr 21, 2020 i know mac operating system doesnt fully support ntfs formatted drive. Your old external windows pc drive will work great on the mac. External hard drive compatible with mac and pc without. Dec 25, 2016 if you want to transfer files from a mac to windows pc and vice versa using an external portable hard drive then you have to have the external drive formatted in a file system both oss can read. Both fat32 and exfat can be used on windows pc and mac. I was under the impression that an external hard drive will work.
May 09, 2019 the best external hard drives for mac in 2020. The quickest way to do this is a simple spotlight search. Keep in mind that a mac can generally read other file formats, but for the best performance. This thing is still unknown for many users but doesnt worry its not complex. If your drive is formatted in microsofts newer ntfs format, your mac should be able to read it, but writing to it may be a problem. Format your western digital my passport external hard drive to fat32 or exfat format so to transfer the data between a mac and windows system conveniently. How to format external hard drives on a mac sweetwater. In the volume format list, select mac os extended journaled. It might have been difficult a decade ago since data recovery software were not that advanced but now they can easily get back formatted files.
Have not tried it yet, but description says it can read only the files in you mac formatted external hard drive. I hope you have retrieved all your lost data due to reformatting the external drive. When you take into account price, ease of use, and portability, the seagate backup plus slim is the most reliable hard drive you can carry around with you at all times. But dont forget to back up your important data in the drive into a safe place before.
Use disk utility to format an external drive after you connect an external drive to your mac, open the applications folder from the finder window. On mac computers, use the finder app to browse and manage files on your computer and external hard drives. What to do when your external hard drive wont show up. How to format external hard drives for mac and windows.
Aug 19, 20 it appears that you have formatted your external hard drive in mac os extended format, which is not supported in windows. Ever run out of storage space and start wondering if it would be possible to take a crowbar to your new unibody macbook pro to pry it open and put another hard. Thus, when you are planning to use the same hard drive on any other os, particularly macos, it is always suggested to format your hard drive for mac. How to format an external drive for mac compatibility. There are specific thirdparty systems, like digital camcorders, and sony playstation 3, which need the drives to be formatted in either fat32 or exfat format to perform read from and. Convert formatted drive from mac to windows info remo. If you want to create multiple partitions on your external hard drive in fact, you should for better file organization, heres a stepbystep guide. How to format an external hard drive for mac and windows. Which mac file system is best for an external drive. The best way to do it is with a drive formatted as fat32. In a few simple steps you are ready to go and can save your backup files to the external drive, keeping your information safe and giving you peace of mind. Well show you everything you need to know about the.
Then, click erase at the bottom to format the drive. If the drive shows up here, but not in windows explorer, you might have to assign a drive letter to the disk. Formatting an external hard drive would erase everything on it. Find out how to recover formatted hard drive on mac. Is it possible to recover data from a fully formatted mac. So, if you want to use an external hard drive on both windows and mac, you need to format it to a filesystem that is compatible with windows pc and mac. There will be no space wasted by protected mac partitions. Please keep in mind that reformatting will result in the loss of all the data on the hard drive so make sure you back up your data elsewhere before starting. Apple has built os x yosemite and some previous os x releases with the ability to read from those disks just fine. Step 2 follow the steps above to format the drive, and then you can use it with time machine on your mac system. But in order for the computer and drive to talk to one another, the drive has to be formatted.
Hence, you must backup your important files before reformatting the drive if you want to save them. How to format seagate drive for mac and pc quickly and. Rather than use a macformatted drive, you should get the important files off of it and use exfatformatted drives for moving data between macs and pcs. How to recover data from a formatted external hard drive. First, lets see how to format an external hard drive or usb drive in macos which works with both mac and pc platforms, first plugin your drive in macos machine. Some people are asking for a way to format a hard drive for mac. Mar 07, 2020 external hard drives are not only useful for storing data but are an excellent way to transport files from one location to another. Though this format has some limitations, it enjoys nearly universal support. By this i mean the ntfs drive with your documents on and the newly formatted exfat drive. Nov 14, 2019 it helps to verify and repair a range of issues related to startup hd and external drive problems. The best ways to format an external drive for windows and mac. Reading mac files on external hard drive via windows 10. Disk utility allows you to choose from a variety of file systems.
Formatting your toshiba hard drive for mac is important, as it makes the hard drive best suitable for the mac by formatting it. Click go on the top tool bar, and select utilities. The best ways to format an external drive for windows and. It helps to verify and repair a range of issues related to startup hd and external drive problems. How to format external hard drive mac 2 simple methods revealed.
By default, its the disk built into your mac, named macintosh hd. External hard drive not showing up in windows or os x. Reading pc formatted hard drives using your mac is easy enough. How to format a hard drive for both windows and mac. The drive will now be formatted for use by windows systems.
Desktop external hard drives usually run at 7200 rpm to offer all the speed they can. You can find out how to format an external hard drive to exfat in my document here. However, when we connect a ntfs formatted disk to mac, mac os x doesnt allow us to write files to the drive neither edit files, though it can read a ntfs drive. Format an external hard drive or usb flash drive for mac os x. However, if you want to use part of the drive for os xs time machine backups, you should do this from the mac, since theres an extra step to make the drive compatible for time machine. Heres what you need to know, along with our toprated applefriendly drives. The disk utility application is located in the utilities subfolder. To format external hard drive for mac with time machine, you must follow the steps below. Drive speed is measured in revolutions per minute rpm, based on how fast the drive can spin. Dec 29, 2015 follow these instructions if you plan to share an external hard drive between pc and mac computers. Mar 22, 2012 the best ways to format an external drive for windows and mac.
Transferring data from a mac to pc via an external hard drive. Use disk utility to erase format a hard disk, ssd, flash drive, or other storage device. Quickly format an external hard drive for mac and windows pc. To format the drive in windows, rightclick it in the file explorer window and select format. The instructions below are for windows 10, but other versions of windows from windows 7 and up can also format an external drive as exfat for use with mac as well. Use the wizard to create a partition with the ntfs or fat32 file system. Once youve unboxed your new drive, connect it to your mac. Connect the external hard drive to your mac and copy the important data to the mac pc. I have seen in shops that you can buy external hard drives in both windows and mac format. Once you have your new or loan external hard drive formatted to exfat. Please see below on how to reformat your external hard drive on mac and windows. What is the benefit of purchasing a mac formatted external hard. Here is the step by step guide you need to follow to format the hard disk on mac.
In this post, youll learn how to format an external drive to a mac compatible file system and recover files from a reformatted hard drive. Solved how to recover formatted hard drive on mac 2020. Apr 16, 2020 connect the drive to your mac if it is an external drive or memory card. Because mac os x mountain lion does not natively support writing to an external ntfs drive, you must erase your hard disk and format it using a compatible file system. Buying an external hard drive is one of the best options for adding the storage space to the mac computer system. If you are techy and use windows and mac computers frequently, then you might need to transfer data between mac and pc. There are a number of tools that can help you in this regard. Mac os x and windows can both read and write to disks in the fat or exfat format.
Change the partition layout from current to 1 partition. External hard drive for mac and pc with data interchangeable. Formatting is a very simple procedure which is operated in a similar way for all sorts of storage media. Dont worry, the next guide we will show you the best solution to fix the hard drive not recognized problem. Macs can easily read pc formatted hard disk drives. Give your drive a name and select the file system you want from the format dropdown. Reading a pc formatted drive on your mac is no problem. Erasing a disk or volume permanently deletes all of its files. Normally, windows does this automatically, but sometimes because of other connected devices, your external hard drive will be recognized, but not have any drive letter assigned to it. If you are able to fix the hard drive or ssd in your mac or an external drive using disk utility you will hopefully be able to recover your files. This means you can copy files from an external hard.
How to format an external hard drive the easy way in 2020. How to convert a macformatted drive to a windows drive. How to format a hard drive for mac internal, external or. Open finder and choose applications utilities disk utility to launch the app on your mac. Dec, 2019 you can format the external hard drive or usb drive to make it compatible with both mac and windows machines. Launch disk utility and then click to select the external hard drive listed on the left. Format and external hard drive on mac first, lets see how to format an external hard drive or usb drive in macos which works with both mac and pc platforms, first plugin your drive in macos machine. Moving files from a pc to a mac using an external hard drive. The easiest way is to drag it from one drive to another. Before continuing, make sure that you have a backup of any files that you want to keep. Smaller external hard drives, ssds, and usb flash keys format quickly, while a larger hard drive may take a while longer. Its possible the drive just isnt formatted for the computer youre trying to use. Select the external hard drive on the lefthand side.
Anyway, for anyone who is having the same issue, i was searching for this same issue reading files in a mac formatted drive from windows 10 and found hfsexplorer. Looking to add storage, or for a smart way to back up your mac. I want to know which file system i should apply for the seagate external hard drive so that it can be compatible both with mac and pc. Then, select your hard drive from the left sidebar. This file system is specifically for mac systems and windows cant read this file system. Mar 18, 2020 why is external hard drive not showing up on my computer.
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