How to Format an External Hard Drive: Windows 10, 11, Mac (2024)

Co-authored byYaffet Mesheshaand Rain Kengly

Last Updated: January 29, 2024Fact Checked

Quick Steps

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1. 1

   Plug your hard drive into your computer. Insert the drive's USB cable into one of the thin, rectangular slots in your computer's casing.

   • If you're using a desktop computer, USB ports are typically in either the front or the back of the computer's CPU box.
   • Formatting an external hard drive will erase all files on it. If you have important files to keep, make sure you create a backup before continuing.
2. 2

   Open the File Explorer. For quick access, right-click the Start menu and select File Explorer.

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3. 3

   Right-click your external hard drive. You can find this in the left panel, underneath This PC.

   • You may need to click the arrow next to This PC to expand it.
4. 4

   Click Format…. This will be in the right-click menu.

   • A new window will open.
5. 5

   Select a new File System format. Click the drop-down menu and select one of the following options:

   • NTFS - Use this for Windows-only drives.
   • FAT32 - Works on Windows and Mac, but has a storage limit of 32 gigabytes with an individual file size of 4 gigabytes.
   • exFAT (Recommended) - Use this for hard drives you plan on using with multiple devices (Mac, Windows, console, etc.). Similar to FAT32, but has no storage limit.
   • If you've formatted your drive before, check the Quick Format box. Otherwise, uncheck this.
6. 6

   Click Start. Windows will begin formatting your drive.

   • If prompted, click OK.
   • Your external hard drive's files will be erased during this process. It may take a few moments to complete.

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Download Article

1. 1

   Plug your hard drive into your computer. Insert the drive's USB cable into one of the thin, rectangular slots in your computer's casing.

   • If you're using an iMac, you may find the USB ports on the side of your keyboard or on the back of the iMac's screen.
   • Not all Macs have USB ports. If you're using a newer Mac that doesn't come with USB ports, you'll need to purchase a USB-C to USB adapter.^[1]
2. 2

   Open the Disk Utility app. Open the Spotlight and enter "disk utility" or find the app in your Utilities folder.

3. 3

   Click View. This is at the top toolbar.

4. See Also

   How to Install Windows on an SSD Without Removing the HDDBest Bootable USB Format Tool for Windows 11/10/8/7Champions League draw: Predictions, best games and breakthrough star in league phaseHow to Activate Hard Drive Windows 11: A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide - i5 Apps

   4

   Select Show All Devices. It should now have a checkmark next to it.

   • If there's already a checkmark, skip this step.
5. 5

   Click your external hard drive. You'll find it in the left panel, under External.

   • Make sure you click the external hard drive name, not the volume within it.
6. 6

   Click Erase. This will be in the top-right corner of the Disk Utility window.

   • A pop-up window will open.
7. 7

   Select a new Scheme. By default, this may be set to Master Boot Record.

   • For more Format options, select GUID Partition Map.
8. 8

   Select a new Format. Click the drop-down menu and select one of the following options:

   • Apple File System (APFS) (compatible with macOS 10.13 or later):
     • APFS: uses APFS format without encryption or case-sensitivity
     • APFS (Encrypted): uses APFS format with volume encryption
     • APFS (Case-sensitive): uses APFS format with case-sensitivity for files and folder names
     • APFS (Case-sensitive, Encrypted): uses APFS format with volume encryption and case-sensitivity for files and folder names^[2]
   • Mac OS Extended (compatible with macOS 10.12 or earlier):
     • Mac OS Extended (Journaled): The default Mac format. Only works on Mac.
     • Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted): Encrypted version of the default Mac format.
     • Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled): Version of the default Mac format that treats files with the same name differently if there are case differences (e.g., "file.txt" and "File.txt").
     • Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted): A combination of the three above formatting options for the Mac format.
   • Windows-compatible formats:
     • MS-DOS (FAT): Works on both Windows and Mac computers, but has a file size limit of 4 gigabytes.
     • ExFAT (Recommended): Works on both Windows and Mac computers. Has no storage limit.
9. 9

   Click Erase. The external hard drive will be erased and reformatted. It may take a few moments.

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