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Then, select the disk you want to format from the menu at the left. Turn on your Mac or MacBook and go to Finder > Go > Utilities > Disk Utility. The easiest and fastest way to format your hard drive or SSD on Mac is by using the Disk Utility tool. Format the drive from the Disk Utility tool exFAT is a newer file format compatible with both Windows and macOS.It’s also known as HFS+ (Hierarchical File System Plus) macOS Extended encrypts your files and requires a password.macOS Journaled is a specific format for macOS that you can use if you don’t need your files to be encrypted.If you’ll use your external HD only on macOS, then this is the preferred format. APFS (Apple File System) is the default format for Mac.The file system also specifies the path to a file on the drive through a file format.Įach file system allows a format and has its own specifications. How to Choose a File FormatĪ file system is how a file is placed logically for storage and retrieval on a storage device. Make sure to back up your files before proceeding. Warning: Formatting your Mac hard drive or SSD will erase all data on it. Erasing the Mac completely restores it to factory settings, this is usually done when you’re setting it up for a new owner. Keep in mind that formatting the internal hard drive of your Mac is not the same as erasing your Mac. What changes is if your device is an Intel-based Mac or a Mac with Apple Silicon. The steps to format your Mac hard drive or SSD are the same. To format a hard drive on Mac, or an SSD on a MacBook, is easy and only takes a few steps. But you can also format your Mac for different reasons, such as removing errors or changing the file format. If you just bought yourself a used Mac or MacBook, you probably want to reformat it before using, it to guarantee you’re starting from zero.
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