Most users understand how the process of formatting a hard drive, removable drives, memory cards on a computer is carried out. However, the same task provokes a kind of stupor if the MacBook is in the hands.
There is an algorithm for how to format a hard drive on a MacBook.
Sometimes it is quite useful to format a drive, completely clearing its space. And also at the time of formatting, you can perform additional useful manipulations, in particular, split the hard drive into several sections. In addition, when performing such tasks, you can change the format of the hard drive, which is positively reflected in the performance of the device.
Formatting methods
We invite you to consider the sequence of actions that lead to a positive result. However, before proceeding with the procedure, it is important to figure out which format would be preferable for you. For MacBooks, we recommend using a format such as Mac OS Extended, although if you really need to format your hard drive or removable drive in a different format, this option also exists. In particular, you can give preference to such formats as FAT, NTFS.
Formatting algorithm
Open the "Programs" section initially, then go to the "Utilities" subsection. There you will find the "Disk Utility" option, double click on it.
After that, a window will open, in its left part those disks that can be subjected to the format change process will be displayed. Select your drive by clicking on it once. Now in the main window, go to the second tab "Erase". It will also contain a small instruction that allows you to figure out what steps and in what sequence you need to perform to format the MacBook Air hard drive.
In the "Format" line, specify the format that you prefer. To do this, click on the arrow indicating the opening of the existing list. From the list that opens, select the option you need. In most cases, it is still recommended to choose Mac OS Extended, since it is this format that allows the device to work quickly. On the second line, enter the name of your drive that you currently want to format.
If you are no longer pursuing any tasks, then click on the "Erase" button located at the bottom of the window. The process will start automatically and in a few minutes the hard drive will “shine clean” on your device.
In some cases, it is very important to erase all the information stored on your Macbook without the possibility of its further recovery. If you have such goals in front of you, then we suggest you use the "Security Options" button. After clicking on it, new options open up before you, including the choice of the number of repetitions for deleting content.
ADVICE. Technically, you can "force" the system to subject the disk to the process of erasing information up to 35 times. Such actions are resorted to by those users who decide to sell their gadget, so they are worried that the new owner will not be able to use the personal information of the previous owner.
It is important to take into account one more technical secret. In particular, it is also possible to format the disk on which the operating system is installed on the MacBook Air, but to do this, you must first cause the system to reboot, and at the time of its next start, hold down two buttons at once: Cmd and R. In this case, the system will boot into standby mode, so it will allow you to format the system drive.
And you can also use a button such as "Erase free space". In this case, the erasing process will not apply to the entire disk, but only to its unoccupied part.
Division into sections
If you want to not only format the disk, but also partition it, then you will have to perform slightly different steps. In particular, splitting a disk into several separate partitions is especially useful when the hard disk is large. In this case, you can not only split the disk, but also format each partition in different formats, expanding the possibilities for further use of the device.
To perform such tasks, you will have to go to the third tab "Disk Partition". Of course, you will need to specify the desired format for each section, then click on the "Apply" button.
It is important to understand that after the formatting process is completed, the disk will be completely freed from all information, including the operating system. Accordingly, in order to ensure the further operation of the laptop, the OS must be reinstalled.
The question of how to format a flash drive on a Mac most often arises among users of the Windows operating system who, for some reason, had to use an Apple computer and rewrite some information from it to an external drive.
At the same time, the formatting process in the usual ways (right-clicking and selecting the appropriate command) is not suitable.
But the problem is solved quite simply - moreover, you can even format in Mac OS in such a way as to transfer information to a standard PC with Windows and even Linux.
Important! It is worth noting that when formatting, the information that was on the media will be destroyed, so if you have important data, you should transfer it to another device.
Basic formatting principles
Users who are just starting to use a Mac, and before that they worked only with Microsoft products, do not immediately understand how to format a flash drive in a new system for them.
Although all that is needed for this is to know about the existence of the Disk Utility utility (or in the Russian translation of "Disk Utility").
The next steps should be:
Opening the application menu in Mac OS
After that, a list of applications will appear on the screen, from which you should select Disk Utility. Further work is carried out in the Disk Utility window that opens.
Mac OS Disk Utility
Working with Disk Utility
When the Disk Utility panel appears on the screen, you should find your USB drive in the list of devices and select the Erase tab.
You should be aware that older operating systems from Apple only support formatting in a format suitable for Mac.
And then the information can only be read on another Mac, and your data transfer using a flash drive may be useless.
But such systems are only on outdated computers, and already Mac OS X is able to format in several ways:
Disk Utility Appearance
The usual Disk Utility has all these features, although it is possible that converting to NTFS will require additional drivers to be installed on the Mac.
Method number 1. Formatting for use in Mac OS
If you need to format the flash drive only for use on "poppies" with any version of Mac OS, you should:
Mac Formatting
Your drive is now clean and waiting to be written to. But it will no longer be possible to read a USB flash drive formatted for Mac on a computer with Windows.
In order for the system to detect the USB drive after the Mac, one more formatting is required.
Method number 2. Transferring a flash drive to FAT and ExFAT format
There are among the possibilities of the utility and formatting in standard formats such as FAT32. Most modern computers, even those with Windows, no longer use it.
However, it is possible that you are going to connect a data flash drive (for example, with a movie that has the same extension, regardless of the system where it is played) to a TV or DVD player, which is much easier to work with this particular format.
Your actions when choosing this method are almost the same as in the case of formatting for Mac OS:
Formatting in one of the FAT formats on Mac OS
It is worth noting that multimedia devices such as TVs or DVD players may not work with the exFAT format.
At the same time, it is universal and allows you to use the same flash drive on both PC and Mac.
Moreover, it is supported by both modern Mac OS and Windows XP SP2, 7 and, of course, later versions.
Method number 3. Formatting in NTSF
The disadvantage of FAT is that it can only use files that are less than 4 GB in size.
Which, given the size of modern games, programs, movies, and even the flash drives themselves (32 GB is considered quite a normal amount for a medium), is far from always enough.
In order to transfer information and not split the file into parts, it is better to format it in NTFS.
The format is also listed in Disk Utility. However, to use it, you will need to do the following:
Choosing a Windows NT Filesystem
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And iMac. To do this, you need to run the Disk Utility application, which is located in the folder Programs → Utilities. Most external drives are formatted for Windows, in FAT32 or ExFAT format. If the flash drive will be used to exchange data only between Mac with OS X, then you can safely format it in the Mac OS Extended file system.
How to format a flash drive in OS X format
disk utility.
3. In the "Format" section, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the drop-down list and click the Erase button.
How to format a flash drive to Windows format from OS X
If you need to format a flash drive in a format understandable by Windows devices, then there are 2 types of supported formats: FAT, ExFAT or NTFS. FAT is the old format that was used in the DOS operating system, it is impossible to write a file larger than 4 GB to it. At the same time, OS X will also be able to work with this format, you can read such a USB flash drive and write files to it. ExFAT a more modern format that does not have such file size restrictions and is supported by Windows XP SP2 and Windows 7.
1. Connect your flash drive to your Mac and launch disk utility.
2. Select your flash drive in the sidebar and switch to the Erase tab.
3. In the "Format" section, select MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFAT from the drop-down list and click the Erase button.
How to format a flash drive to NTSF from OS X
If the 4 GB file size limit doesn't suit you, then you can format the flash drive to NTFS format, but for OS X you need to install the NFTS driver.
1. Download NTFS Seagate or NTFS Paragon drivers for OS X and install them.
2. Restart your Mac.
3. Connect your flash drive to your Mac and launch disk utility.
4. Now in the list of formats of the Erase tab will appear Windows NT Filesystem.
How to split a flash drive into multiple drives
You can split the flash drive into several sections, each section can be formatted in its own format. For example, one partition will be Mac OS Extended, and the second ExFAT. When partitions are changed, data is also deleted from them.
1. Connect your flash drive to your Mac and launch disk utility.
2. On the sidebar, select your flash drive and switch to the tab Disk partition.
3. In the partition scheme, select the number of partitions and use the mouse to adjust their size by moving the partition between partitions up or down.
4. Set the desired name and format for each section and click Apply.
In my articles, I mainly consider the most common operating systems - Windows and Linux. But the queue does not reach Mac OS. That's why today I want to talk about how to format flash drive on mac. In this case, we will use the most common file systems we have - FAT and NTFS. It is very simple to do this, but if you have just switched to Mac OS from regular Windows, then you will have to deal with many things for a long time.
So, to format a USB drive or memory card, we start by launching the Finder search wizard.
Enter the word "disk". The search for matches in the operating system will be performed and the item found should contain the item disk utility- select it.
This is a special application that allows you to work with connected drives and removable drives, including formatting a flash drive on a Mac.
In the right part of the program window there will be a list of disks - both internal and external:
We find our memory card or usb-disk in it and select it so that information about it is displayed on the right side of the window.
In order to format it - in the upper part of the window, find and click the "Erase" button.
The following window will appear:
Here you need to specify a name for the disk and in the "Format" list select the file system in which the flash drive will be formatted. Mac OS only works with the following file systems by default:
OS X Extended MS-DOS (FAT) ExFAT (FAT64)
Select the one you want and click on the "Delete" button.
The operating system will ask again if we are sure that we want to destroy all data on the drive. We agree.
Now you need to wait until the process is completed and you can close the utility window.
Format USB drive to NTFS on Mac
By default, Mac OS cannot work with the purely Windows-based NTFS file system developed by Microsoft. In order to teach it this, you need to install an additional driver - NTFS Seagate or Paragon NTFS for Mac. Unfortunately, now they can be paid and you will have to fork out for their use. There is also a free option - Tuxera NTFS-3G, but everyone has a different relationship with it. Someone puts and is satisfied, but someone is not very.
In principle, in order to transfer large files to a USB flash drive a couple of times, the free option is also suitable. But if you plan to do this all the time, it’s better to go broke and buy an option from Paragon — it’s reliable and works faster than others.
After installing the driver, everything is done through Disk Utility, as I described above, with the only difference being that when choosing a file system in the "Format" list, you must select the option Windows NT Filesystem.
There is nothing complicated in the process of formatting a flash drive on a Windows or Mac computer, and many users have already performed this operation more than once. However, there are a number of nuances that can create certain difficulties, for example, removing write protection, choosing a file system and cluster size, and restoring data.
It should be borne in mind that using formatting, you can not only delete all files, but also debug the device if there are problems in its operation.
You can format a flash drive (USB drive) in Windows as follows:
1. Run the system formatting tool.
Connect the USB drive, then go to " My computer". Right-click on the flash drive icon that appears and select " Format».
2. Set the desired options.
When choosing a file system, the user specifies the type of data organization on the drive.
There are three different options available in total:
1. FAT32. This type guarantees compatibility with OC Windows, macOS and most USB-compatible devices such as game consoles, media players, etc. At the same time, the size of the recorded file should not exceed 4 GB. FAT32 is perhaps the best option for collaboration between Windows and macOS.
2.exFAT. If this option is selected, the flash drive will be compatible with Windows operating systems starting from XP SP2, as well as Mac OS X Snow Leopard and later. This type of file system allows you to write files of any size, however, the flash drive may not work on some devices.
3.NTFS. By selecting this type, the user will receive a fully Windows-compatible USB drive. At the same time, on macOS, it will only be possible to view files without the ability to overwrite them. NTFS also allows you to upload files of any size.
Having decided on the type of file system, you must specify the size of the cluster, that is, the distribution units. In this case, the user needs to select the minimum amount of memory allocated by the device for a single file.
If you specify a cluster size of 64 KB, then even smaller files will take up at least 64 KB of memory. It makes sense to specify the cluster size as small if it is assumed that a lot of small files, for example, text documents, will be stored on the flash drive. This saves space, but the performance of the USB flash drive will be slower. If the user intends to store large files on the flash drive, then the value should be specified more. In any case, you can always leave the default value.
In field " volume label» you can rename the drive.
Don't forget to check the box " Quick (clearing the table of contents)". If you select this option, you can save time for cleaning, however, if you uncheck this item, the system will check the drive for errors, which can be useful during debugging, although the process itself will take a little longer.
When you have finished selecting options, click " To begin' to start the formatting process.
All the procedures described above can be repeated by re-formatting the USB flash drive.
How to format a secure flash drive
The format function may not be available due to write protection being enabled. It can be disabled using the registry editor. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Go to the registry editor using a keyboard shortcut Windows+R and paste in the line that appears regedit, then press Enter.
2. Navigate to the following path in the folder tree: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE → SYSTEM → CurrentControlSet → Control → StorageDevicePolicies(the last directory may be missing).
3. In a folder StorageDevicePolicies open parameter WriteProtect and change the value from 1 on the 0 , then press "Save".
4. Disconnect the flash drive and restart the computer.
Some flash drives have physical write protection in the form of a switch. In this case, you just need to move the switch to another position.
If there is no directory StorageDevicePolicies it needs to be created. To do this, right-click on the directory control and select " Create» → « Chapter". Specify as the name StorageDevicePolicies.
For the parameter name, enter WriteProtect and make sure its value is 0 .
Then close the registry editor, unplug the flash drive and restart your computer.
What to do if you can't format the flash drive
Sometimes Windows may report that formatting is not possible. The cause of this phenomenon may be a malfunction of both the flash drive itself and the computer.
In such a situation, you can try using special software to restore normal operation. This software is often found on the website of the flash drive manufacturer. For example, for drives manufactured by Transcend, JetFlash Online Recovery is available, and for ADATA, USB Flash Drive Online Recovery is available.
In addition, universal programs are available on the Internet that are suitable for flash drives from any manufacturer, such as the USB Disk Storage Format Tool.
If you've tried all of the methods above and still can't format your drive, it may be defective and need to be replaced or repaired.
How to erase and format a flash drive or external drive on Mac?
If you're using one or more external drives to store data outside of your Mac's main drive, you'll definitely need to know how to handle them in a macOS environment. Later in this article, we will tell. how to properly erase and format USB flash drives or external drives connected to a computer using the standard macOS toolset, as well as third-party utilities.
1 . Open " disk utility» in any way convenient for you (via Dock, Launchpad, Finder explorer ( Programs → Utilities), or Spotlight search).
2 . In the left side menu, select the external drive of interest connected to the Mac (it will be displayed in the " External»).
Note that both disks and partitions are displayed in the left sidebar structure. A disc can contain several separate sections (their names are displayed somewhat to the right of the disc name). By erasing a partition, you will destroy only the files that are stored directly on it. When formatting a disk, all partitions and all data that are on this disk are erased. Be careful!
3 . Click the button Erase". Specify a name for the partition or disk and select the format of interest:
- Mac OS Extended (Journaled)- standard macOS file system;
- Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)- file system with a password and additional encryption;
- Mac OS Extended (case sensitive, journaled)- the file system defines, for example, folders named "Apple" and "APPLE" as two completely different folders;
- Mac OS Extended (case sensitive, journaled, encrypted)- combined file system with all the nuances of the formats described above;
- MS-DOS (FAT)- used on a Windows PC with 32 GB or less disks;
- ExFAT- used on a Windows PC with disks larger than 32 GB. Use this method if you need to format to NTFS format.
Typically, Mac users format external drives (especially internal ones) to the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. Formatting in MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFAT is ideal if you are going to use a flash drive or external drive with both macOS and Windows computers.
ATTENTION! After choosing the encryption option, you will need to come up with a password and remember it. If you forget the password, then you will not be able to decrypt the disk in any way and get the data.
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