How to format internal and/or external drive to work properly on Mac and Windows computers?

• Format Flash Drive To Use On Mac And Windows 7
• Flash Drive For Mac
• Format Flash Drive To Use On Mac And Windows Computer

External data storage devices such as USB flash drives, external Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), and Solid State Drives (SSDs) provide one of the easiest ways to transfer files between separate computers without accessing the Internet. This option is often used when attempting to move very large files. The method is also chosen by people who work with media data that imposes various limitations and automatic optimizations when transferring via Internet. Despite the advantages of using external data storage to transfer content, some experienced users encounter problems caused by the difference between operating systems. This article addresses these issues.

A common issue discussed by users within various technical support forums is that of USB flash drives not working on their computers. This is a cross-platform problem that Windows and macOS users often experience. For example, a photographer may provide you with a USB flash drive with stored photos and videos from your birthday party, but you cannot access them on your system. This is the result of differences between operating systems on computers. Windows and macOS use separate file system formats. PCs with Windows operating systems use New Technology File System (NTFS) while Macs with macOS operating systems use Hierarchical File System (HFS+). By default, USB flash drives and external storage are formatted with the NTFS file system - this works flawlessly on PCs, while Mac computers are able to read data in the format, but struggle to write using this type of storage. Fortunately, there is a simple solution: format your external storage with the File Allocation Table (FAT32) or Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) file system. In this article, we describe the differences between these two file systems and how to format external storage using a Mac computer.

The best ways to format an external drive for Windows and Mac. Compare the different options for formatting an external hard drive to work with Windows and Mac. And, no: the answer isn't always FAT32. Click a format option. You'll generally use one of the Mac OS options for a Mac-only flash drive (e.g., a backup drive), though you'd choose MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFat for greater compatibility. 9 Click Erase, then click Erase when prompted. Formatting is the fastest way to prepare the USB flash drive for the initial use. It wipes all the data stored on your flash drive and allows full use of the storage capacity. Meanwhile, it also creates a filing system that can help organizes your data on Windows or Mac. Which File System Should I Choose for a USB Flash Drive?

Table of Contents:

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Which file system to choose - FAT32 or exFAT?

This article will teach you how to format the USB flash drive so both Mac’s and PC’s can read them. There are two parts to this tutorial. One for Mac and the other for Windows 7. (Be careful using these instructions to ensure you are formatting the correct disk.) (for Windows instructions please scroll down) MAC INSTRUCTIONS.

As mentioned above, both file systems are compatible with Windows or macOS/OS X operating systems. Naturally, the question is: which should you choose? To make the choice easier, we describe both file systems and their features below.

Starting with FAT32 [on a Mac, known as MS-DOS (FAT)], this file system is fully compatible with all versions of Windows and Mac operating systems. Therefore, even the oldest versions of operating systems such as Windows XP SP1 and OS x 10.5 Leopard are compatible. As well as computers, the FAT32 file system is supported by PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and most cameras. This particular file system does contain file size restrictions. For example, the maximum size of supported files is 4GB (you cannot write files larger than 4GB). Also, you cannot create a startup drive for Mac computers within storage media that uses the FAT32 file system. If, however, you are not planning to use external storage to transfer large files or create any executable partitions (such as a Mac startup drive) the FAT32 file system might be an option, since this format is supported in all versions of the operating system.

exFAT is a newer file system format and has the biggest advantage when compared with FAT32: there are no restrictions on file or partition sizes stored. Therefore, you can write a file of, for example, 1TB size and create partitions of 5TB within the device. Despite this improvement of available data size, some older versions of operating systems are no longer compatible with this file system format. The oldest versions of operating systems compatible with exFAT are listed below:

• Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.5 or later
• OS X Lion
• Windows XP SP2 or later (with an additional update for exFAT support)
• Windows Vista SP1 or later
• Windows 7

Unfortunately, as well as some old versions of operating systems, the exFAT file system format is not supported by various cameras, video games consoles, and other devices able to read and/or write to external storage. If you will be using a USB flash drive or external storage device with any of these, the required format is FAT32. Otherwise, if the device is to be used only with computers with modern versions of operating systems, the recommended format is exFAT.

Format the drive with Mac computer

Firstly, bear in mind that formatting the drive will erase all content stored on it. Mac computers are capable of formatting any storage device (internal or external) such as HDD/SSD, USB flash drive, and external storage. Even if the Mac is unable to mount the storage, following this method will enable you to format the storage. Begin by connecting the storage device to your Mac, and then launch Disk Utility using Spotlight. Simply use the keyboard shortcut of Command and Spacebar, type Disk Utility, and then press return. Alternatively, open Finder and go to Applications, open Utilities, and then launch Disk Utility. Select the drive you wish to format from the list in the left sidebar of the Disk Utility window.

Then click the Erase button at the top of the window, in the new pop-up window, and type the name of drive. Then click the drop-down menu beside Format and select MS-DOS (FAT) - the FAT32 file format - or exFAT. These formats are described above.

If you are not planning to use this drive as the Windows startup disk or use it with the oldest version of the operating system, do not change the Scheme. Select Master Boot Record.

Finally, when all preferences are set, click the Erase button. The formatting process duration depends on size and type of the drive. A hard disk drive will take longer to format than a flash drive. NOTE: formatting will erase all existing data on the drive.

Video Showing how to format drive for Mac and Windows computers

Dec 16, 2020 • Filed to: USB Recovery • Proven solutions

It is no secret that USB flash drive comes with more flexible features for different use. They`re the widely used removable storage devices. And when buying one, the possibility of formatting never crosses your mind.

But the truth is that, with time, there will rise a necessity to format your flash disk drive. Not necessarily a negative situation, not necessarily when you want to fix a USB flash drive problem, but also when you realize you can demand more from it.

And here's the question that brings things into perspective: When is it appropriate to format your flash disk drive?

Let's explore some situations that necessitate formatting USB using CMD.

Part 1: Why Do You Need to Format a USB Flash Drive

1. To Change the File System

The default file system for most USB drives is Fat 32, which is only appropriate if you`re using it on different operating systems like Mac OS, Linux, and Windows. But if you're using it exclusively on Windows, you can demand more from it by safely changing the file system to NTFS.

And here is how the NTFS file system will serve you better:

• NTFS System file is more powerful and includes features that can host Active Directories
• NTFS has better protection from unauthorized physical access
• Your drive will support file large than 4GB
• Work faster on Windows—It is built for speed, and even more.

However, do not convert the file system to NTFS, if your flash drive is less than 2GB as it will affect its performance.

And to change from one file system to another, you must format your USB flash drive.

2. To Execute Fast Erasure of Bulk data

Removing personal data from a flash disk drive might be the most common reason why many people format flash drives. This is more common when you want to donate, sell, or you`ve bought a new drive, and you want to get it set for new usage.

Note that if you're seeking data privacy by formatting, it isn`t 100% secure as it doesn`t erase the digital signature of your data in the storage medium. The new user can retrieve non-overwritten data using recovery software.

3. To fix Bad Sector and Flash Drive Corruption

Sometimes flash disk drive denies access to the users due to the RAW data file system. Under this situation, Windows asks you to format it before you can use it. And there is no other way you can go about it.

If the data on such drive is essential, and you don't want to lose it but access it, you can format the USB drive with CMD then use a recovery tool to retrieve your data.

4. When you Want to Create a Bootable Flash Drive

If you want to create a bootable USB flash drive to use to deploy Windows server's essential or install an operating system to have Windows portable USB drive, you'll be forced to format the flash drive first.

A bootable Windows portable USB drive can save you a lot of time and energy of carrying your computer along.

5. When you want to Get Rid of Viruses

If your computer is infected with viruses, formatting or erasing the flash drive and starting over will undoubtedly remove any virus. However, this isn't the appropriate way to deal with malware. If your backup still has the virus your computer will be re-infected.

With the right reasons to format your flash disk drive, the next question you`ll ask yourself is:

How do you effectively format your drive?

As you know, there is a more straightforward way to format flash disk drive on Windows. But you should head over to formatting USB using CMD if you`re experiencing the following problems:

• When Windows was unable to complete format
• When the disk cannot be fixed and formatted using the disk manager.

Part 2: How to Format USB Using CMD

Step 1: Open the Windows Command Prompt and key in 'diskpart' and click enter.

Step 2: A Window will pop up and ask you to ask you if you want to allow the Diskpart software to run your computer. Click on the 'Yes' button to proceed.

Step 3: A new window will pop up. Then Key in 'List disk.' It is vital you know which disk is the USB Key You`re formatting. This command list all storage media connected on your PC.

Step 4: Key in 'Select disk Y,' where Y is the disk you wish to format. In this case, Y is 2. If your selection is successful, you`ll see 'Disk Y is now selected the selected disk.'

Step 5: Type 'Clean' to format your flash disk drive with cmd. If the formatting is successful, the cmd will tell you that Diskpart has succeeded in cleaning the disk.

Step 6: Then enter, 'create partition primary' to create a specified partition.

Step 7: Key in (format fs=NTFS). If you like other file system format, change the command NTFS to the desired one such as exFAT, FAT32, etc.

The process can take some time.

Step 8: Type 'assign' and give a drive letter to the flash drive

Now if you were wondering about how to format a USB using CMD, you should be done already.

Part 3: How to Recover Formatted USB Pen Drive in Windows 10

Some circumstance like data changing to RAW format makes your data inaccessible and forces you to format your pen drive using CMD. And if you didn`t mean to lose your data, you can get your data back utilizing the correct recovery software. And in this case, we`ll review one of the world`s best data recovery tool for formatted USB flash drive—Recoverit Data Recovery.

Features of Recoverit

• Comprehensive Scan: The tool employs an advanced algorithm that scrapes deep into your flash disk drive to bring back all your formatted file that is accessible. The algorithm delivers a high recovery rate of 96%.
• Clutter-Free User Interface: Quickly access the powerful and seamlessly knitted utilities to recover your formatted file. Recoverit utilizes graphics and words flawlessly to offer you an intuitive user interface that reduces recovery into a 3-steps procedure—Select, Scan, and Recover.
• Quick Data Recovery: Recover it has faster processing speed in both operational and scanning functions that quickly permeates your flash drive to get the formatted files in no time.

Video: How to Recover Accidentally Lost Files

Format Flash Drive To Use On Mac And Windows 7

How to Use Recoverit Software to Recover Formatted Flash drive

Step 1: Launch the program

After a successful download and installation on your computer, you can begin to enjoy the free version of this App. Plugin your Flash disk drive to your PC and launch the Recoverit tool.

Step 2: Select the location

On the main screen select the flash disk drive you want to recover. Select the path or location, and click the 'start' button to initiate the scan.

Flash Drive For Mac

Step 3. Hit the 'Scan' button

Recoverit will thoroughly scan through your flash drive to get your formatted data. You will be able to see the entire list once it is populated.

Step 4: Preview and recover the data you want

Use the preview function to ascertain if you precisely need to retrieve the file. You can preview multiple data, including photos, videos, audios, pdfs, docs, etc. After the preview, hit the recover button to retrieve all the selected files.

The Bottom line: Formatting a USB flash drive is a straightforward job on Windows systems. But at a time, you might not be able to execute USB formatting using the windows-suggested method. Instead, you`ll get the error message 'Windows was unable to complete the format.' And that`s where CMD USB formatting comes handy—it will wipe the disk clean. And if you never intended to lose your data, you should carefully choose the data recovery tool or end up with tons of inaccessible files.

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