To guarantee compatibility and usability, formatting an external hard drive for Mac requires a few procedures. Observe these guidelines to ensure proper formatting of your external hard drive:
Backup Data: Since formatting will destroy all current data, make sure you have backed up any vital data on the external hard drive before proceeding.
The external hard disk should be connected to your Mac via a USB or Thunderbolt port.
Launch Disk Utility: To find Disk Utility quickly, use Spotlight search. Disk Utility is located in the Applications folder under Utilities.
Choose the External Hard Drive: A list of all connected drives will appear in Disk Utility. Go to the list and pick your external hard disk.
Click the “Erase” button located at the top of the Disk Utility window to erase the drive.
Decide on a Format: You can choose the drive’s format in the popup that pops up. “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” is the option that will work the best with Mac systems. Choose “APFS” (Apple File System) or “ExFAT” if you want to use the drive with more recent Macs or if you require it to work with Windows systems.
Name the Drive: Type a name in the “Name” field to identify the drive. Anything goes here, just make sure it’s descriptive.
Section Scheme: Choose “GUID Partition Map” from the “Scheme” menu if your disk is larger than 2TB and you intend to utilize it with older Macs or Windows PCs. This option won’t be available for drives less than 2TB.
Launch the Erasure Procedure: Make sure you’ve chosen the right drive and format by double-checking your settings. Next, select “Erase” to start the formatting procedure.
Wait for Completion: The drive’s size and speed determine how long it takes to format. You’ll see a confirmation message after the procedure is finished.
Eject the Drive: Eject the external hard drive from your Mac safely once formatting is complete by either right-clicking on the drive icon and choosing “Eject” or by clicking the eject icon next to the drive’s name in Finder.
To test the drive and make sure it mounts correctly and is operational, remove and reconnect the drive from your Mac once it has been ejected.
You may prepare your external hard drive for Mac to work with your system and save files on it by following these instructions. To avoid losing data in the event of an accident or a disk failure, always store backup copies of your critical information.