Sometimes something as simple as format external hard drive pen drive It might not be so simple on a Mac depending on what you need to do with that external storage drive. For this reason, and to dispel all doubts, we have made a video with which we summarize the process.
Warning: you will erase all the data on the disk
As I say in the video, first of all you have to remember that formatting an external storage drive involves deleting all data on it. If you want to keep them safe, copy them somewhere else before following the tutorial steps.
If you are already sure that you can format this data drive, you can navigate to the “Utilities” folder in the macOS Monterey “Applications” directory where you will find the application. ‘Disk Utility’. Open it and you will see that its window includes a sidebar where the external storage drive that you have connected to the Mac and want to format should appear.
Use ExFAT, HFS+ or APFS depending on your needs and best to avoid using FAT32
Select this disk then click on the button ‘To delete’. It’s time to select the file format you want to use, and it depends on what you need to do with this external storage unit:
-
United States ExFAT if you want a disk compatible with Windows and macOS focused on pure file storage, with complete freedom of use between the two ecosystems.
-
United States macOS Plus (this is the HFS+ file system) or APFS if you want a drive compatible only with Macs and/or where you want to install a macOS instance and be able to boot from it. APFS will not be available on USB flash drives USB, and this will be the default format that Time Machine will want to use.
Do not use file systems FAT the FAT32. MacOS and Windows are able to read them, but they are very old and do not allow storage of files larger than 4 GB. Maybe they will help you to connect a USB memory to a TV, because they usually read this well type of format whereas they pose problems with other more modern formats.
Formatting will take a few seconds (usually less than a minute) and once you’re done, the reformatted drive will be mounted in macOS. If you made a mistake in the format, don’t worry: you can repeat the process without problem and format the disk as many times as necessary. Remember that each time you do this, you delete all data from the drive.
Imagen | Samsung memory