FORMAT EXTERNAL DRIVE FOR MAC OS X HOW TO
FORMAT EXTERNAL DRIVE FOR MAC OS X FOR MAC

FORMAT EXTERNAL DRIVE FOR MAC OS X FOR MAC

Each volume uses only part of the overall container, so the available space is the total size of the container, minus the size of all the volumes in the container.Ĭhoose one of the following APFS formats for Mac computers using macOS 10.13 or later.ĪPFS (Encrypted): Uses the APFS format and encrypts the volume.ĪPFS (Case-sensitive): Uses the APFS format and is case-sensitive to file and folder names. If desired, you can specify reserve and quota sizes for each volume. The disk’s free space is shared and can be allocated to any of the individual volumes in the container as needed. macOS 10.13 or later supports APFS for both bootable and data volumes.ĪPFS allocates disk space within a container on demand. While APFS is optimized for the Flash/SSD storage used in recent Mac computers, it can also be used with older systems with traditional hard disk drives (HDD) and external, direct-attached storage. MS-DOS (FAT) and ExFAT: File systems that are compatible with Windows.Īpple File System (APFS), the default file system for Mac computers using macOS 10.13 or later, features strong encryption, space sharing, snapshots, fast directory sizing, and improved file system fundamentals. Mac OS Extended: The file system used by macOS 10.12 or earlier. Disk Utility User Guideĭisk Utility on Mac supports several file system formats:Īpple File System (APFS): The file system used by macOS 10.13 or later. Looking to add storage, or for a smart way to back up your Mac? Here's what you need to know, along with our top-rated Apple-friendly drives. The Best External Hard Drives and SSDs for Mac in 2020.

The yellow arrow in the Internal/External picture above shows you where to click. You can have problems with your Mac refusing to format your Elements drive if its not picked at the right level. Be sure to choose your WD Elements drive at the top level. MacOS 10.13 or later supports APFS for both bootable and data volumes.Ĭhoose your WD Elements external hard drive on your Mac’s external drives list. To format the drive in Windows, right-click it in the File Explorer window and select “Format.” Choose the “exFAT” file system in the list and click “Start.”. Rather than use a Mac-formatted drive, you should get the important files off of it and use exFAT-formatted drives for moving data between Macs and PCs. That said, if you want to change settings, you.

FORMAT EXTERNAL DRIVE FOR MAC OS X HOW TO

How to Format Your External Drive on Windows Formatting a hard drive on Windows is a simple affair, especially if you leave everything as default.

Format external drive for mac os x