You can then rightclick in the empty space and select new simple volume to create a partition and format it with the windows ntfs or fat32 file systems. You can select the exfat format when using the disk utility to format the drive. Filesystem to use for external hard drive to be used with mac, linux. Click go on the top tool bar, and select utilities. Place the linux install cddvd in the cddvd drive on the computer. Since it is an external drive, you might want to format with fat32 or ntfs, so you access the files when moving the disk around to different platforms. How to choose the best format for usb drive on windowsmac. Step 1 connect the external hard drive you want to format to your mac, then start the disk utility app that you can find under applications utilities.
I originally thought of using fat 32 as its compatible with both and windows but it has a 4 gig file size limit. How to format external hard drive for pc, mac and linux. This solves the problem of your external hard drive not letting you add files. Select your external hdd on the left side and then select partition option. With exfat, you can store files of any size, and use it with any computer made in the last 20 years.
Mar 29, 2019 you can format an external hard drive or thumb drive to work seamlessly with both mac and windows by using the exfat file system. May 09, 2017 this is because external hard drives in linux unlike windows and mac do not automatically start up so that users can access files. How to format external hard drive mac 2 simple methods. Then, you can share external hard drive between mac and pc. This live usb loads perfectly by using the option key on my imac.
Formatting external disk can be done via various methods and it can be formatted to a range of file system so that you can use the disk under. Formatting an external hard drive would erase everything on it. Apr 14, 2020 by this way, you can easily format an external hard drive for mac and pc without losing any data. Open the disk utility app and highlight your external hard drive.
May 29, 2018 to format external drive to file system compatible with mac and pc, connect the drive to your computer and follow the detailed steps given below take formatting hard drive to exfat in windows 7 for example. I have an external new hard drive connected using usb port under red hat fedora core linux. You can format the external hard drive or usb drive to make it compatible with both mac and windows machines. The best format for your external hard drive the hellotech blog. Feb 08, 2020 how to partition an external hard drive on mac.
Click the erase function on the top of the disk utility window. Rightclick on the external hard disk and select format option from context menu. In this guide, well show you how to format an external hard drive so you can not only get rid of the. By formatting its linux drive, you can improve its performance as well. Dealing with macformatted drives on linux fosswire. How to format drive with compatible file system for mac. Aug 30, 2016 you can, however, format a windows hard drive from a mac if you connect the windows hard drive to the mac and format it through disk utility, or the command line as described above.
This hard disk was setup and formatted by friend under windows xp ntfs partition. In this article, i will talk about some of the basics of storage devices on linux. Oct 16, 2019 the best format for external hard drives. How to format a usb or external hdd so it works on both. If you want to format your external hard drive to work with mac and windows computers, you should use exfat. Mar 09, 2017 managing storage devices whether they are internal hard drives, ssds, pcie ssds, or external usb devices is always a tricky task. In the end, i just erased the drive and formatted it to a so called fat msdos format. Start by connecting your external hdd to mac s usb port. For most reasons to erase, including when reformatting a disk or selling, giving away, or trading in your mac. Plug the external usb device into the usb port on the computer. Which mac file system is best for an external drive. Replace ext3 with ext2 or ext4 if you wish to format in these filesystems. Click the icon of the unmountable external drive on the left part of the window.
As darnir said, gparted is a suitable tool for this. How to erase a disk for mac use disk utility to erase format a hard disk, ssd, flash drive, or other storage device. Also you can enter a name for the drive under volume label. If you are having a hard time using the command line, try the disk utility app, which is simpler and uses the gui. Hence, you must backup your important files before reformatting the drive if you want to save them. How to format a usb external disk for mac osx using disk.
Now that you know which format to use, check out our guide on how to format your hard drive on. I have external hdd of segate on which i want to install linux. This is not hard to do, and will take you only about a minutes effort. The answer is yes, in most cases, and it is actually quite easy to get your mac formatted stuff mounted on your linux system with readonly, and in most cases readandwrite, support. How to format an external hard drive with pictures wikihow. How to create an external usb bootable linux hard drive. How to format hard drives on windows, mac and linux techwiser. Using gnomediskutility on linux mint, i format one spare drive to exfat gpt. Linux is the absolute operating system suitable for geeks. Also find out the difference between file system i. How to format a hard drive for both windows and mac.
How to format or partition an external hard drive for mac. However, if you want to convert ntfs to exfat to make external hard drive compatible with mac and pc, 3 steps are required. Rakesh shewale writes with a common question about formatting compatibility. Firstly, it allows you to run another copy of os x without needing any additional mac computer. Locate your external drive from the list of devices and drives. Complete the related information name, format, scheme, then click erase button. Nov 21, 2015 this video explains, why external hard drive does not work with every operating system and how to solve it. How to convert a macformatted drive to a windows drive.
All is set, then you can go ahead to format the drive on your mac. According my experience on windows you can install your ubuntu outside your internal hdd e. Im having a hard time getting a 4tb external usb drive to work on both linux ubuntu 14. I bought a new external hdd for my mac about a month ago and formatted it to mac os x extended journaled.
How to format an external hard drive the easy way in 2020. How to format drive with compatible file system for mac and. In order to format hard drive on linux, you need to follow these steps. How to format hard drives on windows, mac and linux.
I am new to linux mint, am very anxious to make it another os. The best ways to format an external drive for windows and mac. Cannot mount external hard drive on mac, how to fix. Partition new disk using following command fdisk l grep disk fdisk devsdb format the new disk using mkfs. How to use external hdd with windowsmaclinuxandroid. Hi atanere, i would like to install centos on external hdd. How to access a mac drive from a windows or linux system. You can use label name insted of partition name to mount disk using etcfstab. Most external hard drives you buy will come out of the box preformatted for a windows computer ntfs. Once youve unboxed your new drive, connect it to your mac. This is a default file system for linux os including raspberry pi. For example, if you want to label the new partition backup, enter. The command line approach to disk erasure in macos is a bit different and it requires precise syntax to insure that you are erasing the proper disk, making this. Now i want to format and use one partition continue reading linux format external usb hard disk partition.
How to format external hard drive to use on mac and pc. However, linux supports ntfs, which makes for a decent gobetween if you have both windows and linux machines. Nov 19, 2015 if you format your external hard drive to hfs, you can use it on mac and linux by removing journaling. Highlight your drive and click partition in disk utility. The easiest way is to drag it from one drive to another. Choosing the right format for your external hard drive b. Follow the path applicationsutilities and click disk utility. Format external hard drive to linux compatible file system. After your drive is formatted, you can begin using it to store data. Probably the need to format a hard disk is due to an unsuccessful installation of a new os or to some problem of unknown origin. Under the finder men, go to go utilities disk utility or type disk utility in the spotlight and hit enter.
You can format an external hard drive or thumb drive to work seamlessly with both mac and windows by using the exfat file system. How to format an external hard drive for use with a mac. If youre lucky, you can just rightclick each partition on the mac drive and select delete volume to remove the partitions. This is because external hard drives in linux unlike windows and mac do not automatically start up so that users can access files. Also, since you can run a full copy of os x on the external drive, it can be used for troubleshooting purposes on other macs or it can be as a kind of virtual os x.
By this way, you can easily format an external hard drive for mac and pc without losing any data. The exfat format supports virtually any size hard drive and file, unlike the outdated fat32 format. Sep 12, 2007 if you deal with macs at all, you might be curious as to whether linux is capable of dealing with disks and drives formatted for mac os x. This video explains, why external hard drive does not work with every operating system and how to solve it. Some mac users may require the ability to erase a disk or erase a hard drive from the command line on mac os, a task which is typically performed through the disk utility application from the gui. It will likely already be formatted, either for use. Then below you will see the format type which will be ntfs or possibly msdos fat, we need to reformat the volume and make the format mac os extended journaled. The answer is yes, in most cases, and it is actually quite easy to get your macformatted stuff mounted on your linux system with readonly, and in most cases readandwrite, support. How to format an external drive in os x by shujaa imran jan 2, 2016 mac most external drives ship in formats that are universally recognised amongst nearly all operating systems fat, im looking at you, but there may be times where you might want to completely wipe a drive andor set it up to be compatible with apples mac lineup only. Mar 22, 2012 the best ways to format an external drive for windows and mac. If you are techy and use windows and mac computers frequently, then you might need to transfer data between mac and pc. This article shows you how to format an external hard drive via different methods, and you can follow these methods to format external hard drive for pc, mac or linux.
Dec, 2019 you can format the external hard drive or usb drive to make it compatible with both mac and windows machines. Sometimes, a system can become slow by having limited free space. Some versions of linux can write to ntfs while others may not. With a tiny mistake, you may lose data or wrongly format your drive in a way that can lead to data corruption. After youre done, dont forget to remove the external hard.
Step 2 on the left side of the utilities screen, find the name of the external hard drive you want to format and select it. The extended file system ext was the first file system created specifically for linux. The computer will boot so you can see the post screen. If it is not ticked, you will lose all of your data. May 01, 2020 how to erase a disk for mac use disk utility to erase format a hard disk, ssd, flash drive, or other storage device. Best format for an external hdd in 2019 to be used in macos. Format an external hard drive or usb flash drive for mac os x. Using disk utility, you can erase and reformat your external hard drive to work on both mac and windows computers. If you format your external hard drive to hfs, you can use it on mac and linux by removing journaling. In our example, we created a partition table for linux. External hard drive is popular storage device and it can be used to store all kinds of digital information such as images, documents, apps, emails, etc. How to format a hard drive on mac to work on mac and pc.
The mac drive may have an efi system partition on it. Select the file system you want to use and give the drive a name. Before you sell your sdcard or pendrive, you should format it. First, lets see how to format an external hard drive or usb drive in macos which works with both mac and pc platforms, first plugin your drive in macos machine. Compare the different options for formatting an external hard drive to work with windows and mac. On the formatting window, select quick format option, choose file system format, and click start. Under file system, choose the file system you want to use. This thing is still unknown for many users but doesnt worry its not complex. The maximum individual file size for exfat is 16 eb.
Reformatting the disk still with the external disk selected in disk utility go to the erase tab, select mac os extended journaled from the format dropdown, choose to name the disk. Linux format external usb hard disk partition nixcraft. That said, if you are using smaller file sizes fat32 can suffice. By default, macs can only read ntfs and not write to them. If you plan to use the usb drive on linux computers, you can format it to this file system. Dec 29, 2015 the instructions below are for windows 10, but other versions of windows from windows 7 and up can also format an external drive as exfat for use with mac as well. I am not sure how to format external usb hdd for use with windows, mac, and linux. However, to use it on windows you can hfs explorer read only. Buying and using an external hd is one thing, getting the most out of it is quite another. You want to use your external hard drive in both mac, pc and linux use fat32. I have a number of these usb drives, and would like to format them ideally.
If you deal with macs at all, you might be curious as to whether linux is capable of dealing with disks and drives formatted for mac os x. To format the newly created partition, issue the following command in the terminal prompt. In the main interface, right click the partition on that need. Linux offers its users gparted and fdisk from the command line. Quickly format an external hard drive for mac and windows pc. To format external drive to file system compatible with mac and pc, connect the drive to your computer and follow the detailed steps given below take formatting hard drive to exfat in windows 7 for example. Windows xp, mac os, and linux all support udf reading and writing. How to format a 4tb usb external drive to use on linux.
Mostly, users prefer to do a linux format disk before reselling their systems. If your system has been corrupted by a malware, then you can wipe the hard disk of your linux to resolve this. Push the appropriate key f12 for dell laptops to bring up the one time boot menu select boot from cddvd. When you cant mount an external hard drive on your mac, you can try the 5 methods introduced in this. How to format external hard drives for mac and windows. Can you help me with the easier method and the step by step for install centos so in the external hdd please. Linux has its own proprietary ext formats and if you are only going to use your external drive with a linux machine, you can safely go ahead and pick that format. These two do not play nice with each other but heres how you can get a usb, external hdd, or other storage device, to be readable and writeable on both operating systems. If you want to create multiple partitions on your external hard drive in fact, you should for better file organization, heres a stepbystep guide. I have created linux bootable thumb drive using centos. Managing storage devices whether they are internal hard drives, ssds, pcie ssds, or external usb devices is always a tricky task. To find out the label of an external hard drive, open up a terminal, and use the following command. For most reasons to erase, including when reformatting a disk or selling, giving away, or trading in your mac, you should erase your entire disk.
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