

For example, you may see a popup alert saying, “ You need to format the disk before you can use it.” In such instances, formatting the drive should fix the ongoing issues. To fix a corrupted drive: A flash drive may get corrupted and show errors when you connect it to a computer. In this situation, you’ll have to format the external drive to a supported file format. To change the file system format: If the external drive you’re trying to connect isn’t recognized by a computer, smart TV, tablet, phone, or other such devices, that’s likely because the drive’s existing file system format is one that’s unsupported by the operating system of that device. It can help you format any type of hard drive or external storage device on Mac.8) Looking to erase your startup volume? Why format a drive Now, Let’s start! Disk Utilityĭisk Utility is a disk formatter for Mac that is built-in to the Mac’s OS. You could do this manually by copying across files onto an external drive. Reminder: You should back up the files on your Mac before formatting your hard drive. We also added the pros and cons of using each tool to help you decide which is the best for you.


We did the research and compiled the top 5 best hard disk formatters for Mac. The 5 Best Hard Drive Disk Formatter for Mac In a word, you can open and view contents in an NTFS drive on Mac will not be able to write to NTFS files natively. NTFS (New Technology File System)Īpple macOS like Big Sur, Catalina, and even older operating systems can read Windows-formatted NTFS drives. Mac can fully read and write external devices with the exFAT format. This file type has all the same characteristics but has greater storage capabilities than FAT32. File sizes are also limited to 4GB, and FAT32 causes more disk errors than other file types. Remember that FAT32 cannot be encrypted and has no other security features. FAT32 is the best option for frequently transferring files between operating systems. This file type is supported by Macs, Windows PCs, and Linux machines. It's a great format when working with your external hard drives on your Mac, and will work great with every other Mac user out there. HFS+ hard drives, like APFS, can be encrypted.
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HFS+ is the pioneer of APFS, and Macs running macOS prior to High Sierra will use it by default. If you’re all-in on the latest and greatest from Apple – hardware and software – APFS is a good choice. It’s efficient, reliable, and can encrypt files. The latest file type from Apple arrived with macOS High Sierra, and is the right choice for users who only use Macs. Here are the most popular file types for Mac: 1. Choosing a suitable file format is one important step in minimizing system problems. File formats are the language of a computer's memory. The appropriate file format is necessary when formatting your Mac hard drive.
