
In short, if you’re on Mac use APFS (Apple File System) and if you’re on Windows, use NTFS. Let’s take a look at and talk about which file system you may want to choose. First and foremost, you need to decide which file system to use.
Regardless of why you want to format your hard drive, there are some considerations to be made before you begin. A format can usually fix this as the device might have corrupt data on it.
👩🏻🔧 The storage device is experiencing issues and isn’t working correctly. This can be a common scenario for when you’ve taken pictures or files off of a storage device and put them onto your computer and now you don’t have a need for them on the external device anymore. 💽 You have a storage device that you want to erase to free up the space on it for new data. 🎁 You received a storage device from someone and want to erase the contents on it so that you can start using it. 💵 Purchased a new external hard drive and you’re ready to set it up and use it. There can be many reasons why you may need to format a storage device. In this article, we will take a look at the various ways you can format a storage device on both Mac and Windows.įirst, let’s talk about the common situations for when you might need to format a storage device in the first place.Ĭommon Situations When You Need to Format a Hard Drive It could be because the storage device is experiencing an issue or maybe you purchased a new external storage device and are trying to get it to work with your Mac or Windows computer. Even though most people associate formatting with system installation, there are many other reasons why you might want to format your hard drive. It adds several extra features, including automatic file defragmentation, support for RAID setups, and a way to create Mac ISO files.Both macOS and Windows allow users to format their hard drives using built-in utilities. Other useful features include the ability to create and partition Mac disks direct from your PC, a powerful disk repair feature, and robust security tools. You will also be able to see your APFS or HFS+ drive directly within File Explorer, allowing easy integration with the rest of the Windows operating system. It acts as a hub for all the Mac drives connected to Windows.
The app is focused on the freshly redesigned Disk Management Window. Unlike some options, MacDrive lets you read and write data to your Mac-formatted drive directly from Windows. The app works with APFS drives and HFS+ drives. If you're prepared to spend some money, you don't need to look elsewhere.
The first version was released way back in 1996. MacDrive has been one of the go-to apps for a long time.