How To Format an External Hard Drive for Mac - Everything You Need To Know
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- Learn how to format an external hard drive, SSD, or a usb flash drive on mac for both mac and windows. I explain the differences between the formats AFPS, Mac OS Extended (Journaled), MS-DOS (FAT), and ExFAT in Disk Utility and show you which is the best to use.
0:00 - Intro
0:26 - Eject all other drives connected to your mac
0:38 - What to expect when connecting a windows NTFS formatted drive or usb drive to a mac
1:21 - Using Disk Utility to format an external drive or usb thumb drive on a mac
1:57 - What to do if you don't see APFS and other options in format menu in Disk Utility
3:05 - Explaining AFPS (Apple File System) and when to use it for formatting a drive
3:57 - Running test to see if AFPS, Mac OS extended, or ExFAT is faster transfer speeds
4:37 - Why you shouldn't format an external drive to AFPS
5:16 - Explaining Mac OS Extended Journaled Format
5:52 - Explaining MS DOS (FAT) Format
6:14 - ExFAT format is compatible with both Mac and Windows
6:40 - Explaining Case Sensitive and Encryption formats on mac
7:22 - Finishing my example of formatting an external drive to Mac OS Extended Journaled
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If this was helpful leave a comment! To Summarize how to format your external hard drives on Mac. Use Disk Utility. Use the Mac OS Extended Journaled format if you work on Mac computers only (choose APFS instead if you work with newer Macs and have a SSD or flash drive.) If you want the external drive to work on both Windows and Mac then choose ExFAT. Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
0:26 - Eject all other drives connected to your mac
0:38 - What to expect when connecting a windows NTFS formatted drive or usb drive to a mac
1:21 - Using Disk Utility to format an external drive or usb thumb drive on a mac
1:57 - What to do if you don't see APFS and other options in format menu in Disk Utility
3:05 - Explaining AFPS (Apple File System) and when to use it for formatting a drive
3:57 - Running test to see if AFPS, Mac OS extended, or ExFAT is faster transfer speeds
4:37 - Why you shouldn't format an external drive to AFPS
5:16 - Explaining Mac OS Extended Journaled Format
5:52 - Explaining MS DOS (FAT) Format
6:14 - ExFAT format is compatible with both Mac and Windows
6:40 - Explaining Case Sensitive and Encryption formats on mac
7:22 - Finishing my example of formatting an external drive to Mac OS Extended Journaled
MS DOS limits my file transfer to only 4 GB, is there any format that is compatible for both windows and mac with no file transfer limit?
i like this very good and easy but my mac is not letting me format it it keep saying error
can u help me
I have a dumb question. Why can't I just Drag and drop files into the drive when it pops up on my desktop?....
This was so helpful! Thank you for being so articulate, and explaining things so clearly!
Clear and straightforward explanation. I am 80 old and was able to follow the instruction and erase my files. Excellent communicator.
This was the best explanation I've seen about formatting external hard drives. Good job Javier, keep em coming 😊
Glad it was helpful for you Michael!
I totally agree. So frustrating
I couldn't agree more. The best by far.
I agree!
I agree 100%
4 years ago, but as useful as back then. The most straightforward, uncomplicated explanation. Thank You .
After poking around the internet for an hour, this is by far the most thorough and easy-to-understand video covering this topic...thanks Javier.
totally agree!
Thank you Javier for jumping right into the topic, speaking fast and concisely, and conveying excellent relevant info in the least amount of time.
Thank you for such a clear, straight forward explanation. My husband used to do these things for me but due to health problems he can't. I'm learning thanks to wonderful people like you. Thank you.
This video was THE best instructional video I've ever had. I cannot tell you how many different youtube videos don't even mention that if you have a Mac - you are probably going to have to reformat your external hard drive that you just bought. I don't think I've ever commented on a video EVER and today is a new day. You helped us so much! Thank you!
Great video. What I liked most was that you didn't talk about irrelevant things and you didn't talk slowly. I get frustrated when it takes forever to get the information you need. Loved it.
Thank You!! I searched all over the web and you're the only one whose instructions and explanation got my Seagate external hard drive to work for my iMac.
This video was really helpful. I have a stack of hard drives that I haven't been able to use because they were formatted to Windows, but now that I've switched over to Mac they've just been sitting in a cupboard. I've asked people about what I should do, and they just say "oh, just reformat it". Zero further explanation of how to do that... and because I'm an idiot when it comes to technology, I haven't been able to figure it out until coming across your video. So thank you. Super helpful, really detailed information, clear instructions. Loved it. Thanks again. :)
This is a must watch video for many of the people still out there, searching on how to setup the extranal drives to their mac! It worked immediately for me without any issues, and you have explanined things in such way. Many thanks dude! Cheers 😎👍
I'm was a confused beginner, now that I have encountered your class! WoW, you take no prisoners. Your delivery is not for the faint of Heart, but if you really want to learn & not continue to be LAZY, the WORK done for you. This is for the Faint of Heart. YES, Javier, Bring it. This is the delivery of info without pity as a Military Instructor. Get it or Recycle in life. But, you do have passion for us to timely absorb the wealth of info !!?? Only for some of us you are fast!.But, no excuses we can view your video again, again, again & again until we get it. No tears participants of seeking Knowledge. Hang in there. I'm just 72 y/o who started using Pc's 5-8 yrs ago. ... I may be a couple of yrs behind , But You Younger one's are not to leave me behind! Hang in there! YaHoooooooooo ecddd
YES!! Saved me from buying a new drive. Your tip on NOT using the included software is spot-on! I tried to erase/format my WD easy store a few different times - nothing. Your step by step video was exactly what I needed. THANKS SO MUCH for sharing your knowledge with us!
Glad I could help Paul!
Best, most concise explanation of the various format types that I've heard.
I also wanted to mention that you were the just the only one who mentioned how to search "Disk Utility". For a layman like me it means the world. Thanks bro.
This came in clutch. I've been having issues with my FCP projects for two full days. Even bought a new computer! Come to realize after chatting with Apple support this is what I needed to know and you even clarified the options more than they did, so thank you so much for this!
you're awesome, informative, and straight to the point
BILLY !!!
BILLYYYYY
Very well done. Best lesson on the subject I have ever seen or heard. You jammed a lot of good info into this and did not waste any time. Very much appreciated lesson in storage device formatting. Thanks much!
I was just going to say that it’s the easiest and the most comprehensive explanation, without any BS information I don’t need, but someone beat me to it. Dude! I finally just started backing up my photos from the phone. It was so freaking painful to shoot a video only if you have anything to erase to free up some space. Thank you so much!
Exactly the video I was looking for! I was about to PAY for software to do this, then I decided to search UA-cam and came across your video. I am a new Mac user I had No Idea how to format my WD Passport HD or which format to use. Your explanation of each was very detailed and helpful for me as a new Mac user. EXCELLENT VIDEO! THANK YOU!
Much more complicated than I expected. Guess that’s why it’s called a hard drive
Soft drive just doesn’t roll off the tongue as well ha! Thanks for watching Chris!
Don’t even get started on floppy disks...
lol
@@picsbypixrephotography4696 😂
lmao you legend
I am so F*&%#$ing appreciative that you took the time to annotate and index your meeting minutes for us. It's the perfect antidote for typical windbaggery.
Glad it helped Gus!
This video saved my life!!! I've had a seagate hard drive sitting aorund doing nothing for a year because I couldn't figure out how to get it to work on my mac laptop! I finally decided to tackle the issue again and was searching around and finally came across your video. THANK YOU!!!
i had a hard drive that i first used on Windows before i bought my Macbook. So i couldn't back up my music on my Macbook and then your video helped me. I did format it , everything went great and i have already backed up everything. So thank you for your help. You were very explanatory and you ve saved me from buying another hard drive :)
Never found a video so perfectly explain EXACTLY what I needed
You’re a life saver and thanks for taking the time to explain the different formats
Okay, maybe I've only viewed 100 or so tutorials, but this one by Javier was THE BEST TUTORIAL I'VE SEEN! It could be a prime teaching tool on how to make an efficient, functional tutorial. Javier checked all the boxes & then some. Thank you Javier, I look forward to your future instructions!
Gosh! I just can hug you tightly trough the screen! I bought the disk online and almost had a panic attack when it came and I couldn't sent any files on it! Then your video helped so so much! Now it's working perfectly~ Thank you for the video. Straight to the point with some additional interesting info!
You did a really good job. Thank you for making it simple, quick and professional.
As a many-year PC guy with my first Mac (Mini - Ventura) this was AWESOME! Had a NTFS drive I needed to repurpose for both Mac & PC and told me all I needed to know. THANK YOU!
This was the easiest to follow video about tech I've ever seen...I didn't skip a single thing AND I feel like I learnt something! Thanks
No even water can be more clear than this video, thanks a lot!!
Thank you my brother, simple explanation. 🙏
Im a little confused from other UA-cam videos about this topic, but you explain it very well and you nailed. thumbs UP😃
Brilliant video, clearly explains everything, and had the EXACT info I needed at the right moment to stop me doing the wrong format for a Time Machine SSD. Wish more videos were this good and clear!
Great video! Going daily on the videos and running out of space lol!
This was very helpful! I spent hrs trying to figure it out myself. Then I came across this video and did it in less then 5 min! Thank you so much! :)
Thank you so much, Javier! Your explanation was simple enough for someone like me, who did not even know the disk utility app existed before your video! We bought the hard drive to back up our wedding photos! Now we have them! Thank you! I also feel like I can apply what I learned to something else in the future. You are awesome!
This is the most easy to understand explanation of how to format the external hard drive. I watch other videos and none of them is as good and clear than this.
Thank you very much, I did each step of your instruction and working perfectly now!
Glad I could help Annie!
you're a damn life saver, thank you
This was super helpful! I found this two years later and it is still relevant for the SSD I purchased and my new Mac. Kudos! Cheers.
You are a genius!! I was almost an hour stuck not being able to format my new hard drive... checked you video and boom! Done! Thanks man!
surprised you don't have more subscribers.. interesting. Seem like a legit tech person....
Thanks Rebbe! Have to start somewhere, I’ll keep putting my content out there, it will come in time.
Hey Javier, thanks for the informative video. What if I already have a lot of important files on my external drive? Is there a fast way to backup my files before reformatting?
My friend, your tip to Show All Devices just gave me a new External HD! I couldn't format it in any way and that's because I was only seeing the partition, not the whole device! Thanks man!
Yours was the 3rd tutorial I watched on this. Neither of the others told me about changing the "view" so I could re-format the "parent drive". I was getting an error message when just trying to re-format the "child". THANK YOU!
Thank you for all your explanations on the different formats so that I can choose the right one for me! Your instructions were so clear and easy to follow. I needed to format my old external hard drive that was not working anymore. Although, my drive was not formatting at first using the 'Erase' option. I kept getting error messages (again, because my drive was not working even though it was previously formatted for my mac). FYI, if anyone else is having the same problem, select the option 'First Aid' to fix any errors, then do the 'Erase'. That worked like a charm! Now I have my drive working again.
thanks a lot, very useful.
This was extremely helpful. IK thought I made a bad call when I bought a WD Elements 4TB External Hard Drive to back up raw video data when done with a project. So happy you made this video.. It was a very simple fix! Keep on, keeping on friend!
A simple, easy to understand explanation, with no $100 words or tech-babble, in under 10 minutes.🤯 God is still in the miracle business. New Sub.
Great little video. Just bought a Seagate One Touch External HDD which came in EXFAT format. Encryption important to me so I chose MAC OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted). Thanks for the post.
I was about to have a meltdownt thinking that the hard drive I bought didn’t work since it didn’t let me tranfer any files, but this was a lifesaver. Thank you so much!
Brilliant, Javier. Finally this whole business is beginning to make sense - I cannot thanks you enough.
This was very helpful. I had no idea why I couldn't see the other formats until watching your video. Thanks!
Awesome explanation. I’m new to Mac and I’ve tried to download pictures to external hard drive….. And then I found your video and you picked it up and solved the problem for me. Thank you very much.
thank you so much! I was having a headache trying to get my hard drive to work and this video just solved my problem in a few seconds. THANK YOU!!
great insights and added options needed to know - my OLD Ext HD - Finally sorted - saved me money and got me 1TB back!!
I was just given a Macbook Pro and have never daily drove MacOS (windows all my life). This was SUPER helpful and I love how straightforward and to the point it was, no fluff. Thank you sir!
Thank you Andrea!
This was by far the best video I’ve watched regarding external HD’s! My Mac wasn’t reading mine until I saw this video! Thanks so much!
It worked! Thank you so much! I had to make my seagate from Window to Mac and your explanation was sooo good and easy to do together with you, and now it works! You're the best!
Thank you for this vid. I had formatted to the MS-DOS and my 4T went down to 2T. In ExFat I kept the full 4T capacity. Thank you once again
Thank you, Javier! I had run out of disk space on my MacBook Pro, so I had to buy an external hard drive. It failed to work using the manufacturers instructions (the option I needed in Disk Utility was grayed-out)... I was only able to "read" but not write to the hard drive. Thanks to your video, not only was I able to get it to format from the NTFS to the MacOsExtended Journaled format, but to better understand what the various formats were good for. Thank you so much, again. Very useful and easy to follow.
thank you!! Super helpful, so much better than the other guides because you actually explain all the options instead of just saying "use EX FAT"! Take care ☺️
Thank you so much for this video, Javier! Definitely panicked when I realized I'd forgotten to buy a Mac specific hard drive, but there was no need to worry!
This is the most helpful and straight-to-the-point video and I needed it so much because I was this close to tossing my hard drive out the window not knowing how to format it. thank you
Simple. Clear. Step-by-step. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Javier.
I literally had this drive for months now and never formatted the drive. This vide help me not feel so intimidated. Thanks! Everyone isn't techy and I didn't know what the hell I was doing at 1st lol. Awesome vid! Thank you!
Thank you! I loved this video and it was super helpful. I was surprised that my new Toshiba external drive had no further information as to how to format. Your video was fantastic. Great energy!
You're a legend. 20+ videos and the tip with Hide View in the 3rd part fixed it. Thank you!!!!
Javier, you're a master! Thank you. just added a OWC elite pro dual and I formatted the new drive as per your recommendations for an i-mac, working perfectly!
Thanks for sharing this video Javier, easy to follow plus the additional info on the different HD format options.
Now this is how you create a great informative video for someone that has little knowledge about computers. Informative but to the point, not overly technical. Thank you very much!!!!
Thank you so much, Javier...watched another video regarding this topic yesterday and walked away uncertain about some things. Found your tutorial today and its all clear now!! You did a great job explaining everything...very clear and concise. I am very new to Mac and technology eludes me at times....I am looking forward to learning more on your channel!
I just bought two new Toshiba X300 Hard Drives, and I glad I found your video before i format to NTFS format on my Mac because i bought the apps to read and write NTFS Hard Drives.
this was very helpful and straight to the point, thank you. Other videos out there are way too long just to explain a "how to format external drive"
Excellent tutorial-exactly what I needed. Thank you for the bonus discussion regarding the differences between the format options. 😊
Thank you so much for making this video! You’re so intelligent and helpful! I was able to format western digital easystore hard drive on my Mac-book and store my files in here. I am so glad you’ve shared your computer and tech knowledge. I got a lot of value from you and this video.
Best explanation I’ve seen online on how to fix a flash drive to work on Mac and it was extremely helpful .
Thank you. The tip to select view was terrific. I could not figure where my TimeMachine segment was hiding! Great communications - no jargon and good examples.
Thank you soo much for this video! Great simple and short explanation for exactly what I’ve needed! Ive had my harddrive for going on two years now and could never find a video that actually explained how to format!!
Now I can clear some of the storage space on my macbook🙏🏼
Nice! Very nice! Thank you for actually explaining each one because so many videos act like it's not even there. You allow us to make an informed decision.
Thank you so much! I was reading about how to do this online and it sounded so complicated-it only took me 1 minute following this tutorial! Thank you! :)
All good solid context, no waffle,filler or hard selling. Some other videos confused rather than clarified.
Never seen such details about hard drives & formats like this ever before. Wow im surprised and subscribe for sure. Thanks bro
My favorite short simple explanation video. Been watching this for 3 years now 😂 thank you 🙏🏽.
Absolutely superb explanation, Very easy to follow and I highly recommend this. I just got a new WD Elements 4 TB to back up my files and was puzzled why I couldn't drag and drop files as usual on my Mac. Javier solved my problem! Thanks Javier!
Awesome video and information. The quality of lighting and audio is superb too!
Such a helpful video! You squeezed in all the right details in such a short amount of time!
Super HELPFUL !! Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation and step wise partition of the video. Kudos on the video and keep up the good work.
This video was a blessing to me! I am new to Mac and the photography world and this video was very very helpful. Short, sweet, and to the point. Thank you so much!!
Excellent, so helpful...thank you! Someone moving from Windows to Mac appreciated this!
Thank you for getting straight to the points and not overtalking!!!!!!! And the organizational format is fantastic. You sir are the blueprint for all thats good!
This is the best video on formatting external spinning hard drive for mac so far!!!
the most straightforward and helpful video!!! thank you for getting straight to it and explaining everything for a beginner
This was great! Thanks for quickly walking me through the proper install and settings for my new SSD! Loved the video! And ALWAYS important to have back-ups of back-ups of back-ups!
Very helpful.. Watched multiple videos and this seamed to be exactly what we were looking for.. Thank you!!
Thank you so much! Sorted in minutes. You have even solved the long standing mystery of my 'big files' could not be written! Brilliant!
This was so helpful thank you! Especially explaining the file formats and 'Show All Devices' tip.
Thanks a lot for your detailed and straight cut explanation, was having problems when taking my hard disk from windows to mac with problems like moving and deleting files, this helped me a lot. THANKS!