How to reformat a usb drive from mac how to#
How to reformat a usb drive from mac mac os#
How to reformat a usb drive from mac mac#
How to reformat a usb drive from mac windows#

How to reformat a usb drive from mac mac#

Note: Terminal requires precise syntax, and thus this method is only recommended for advanced Mac users.ДЎ. HereвЂ™s how you format your USB drive using the Terminal: ItвЂ™s a non-flashy way of navigating your MacвЂ™s environment and performing certain tasks.

How to reformat a usb drive from mac how to#

How to Format a USB on a Mac using the TerminalДЄlmost everything you do with the GUI can be performed in the Terminal. If you have a large number of files or depending on how secure your erase was, it might take longer to format. Smaller devices with a few files will reformat quickly. ThatвЂ™s it! YouвЂ™ve successfully reformatted your USB drive. Once all the options are set, go ahead and click on вЂњEraseвЂќ. Keep in mind, that depending on how secure your erase is, the time it takes to format your drive could increase significantly. If you donвЂ™t want your data recovered, choose the вЂњMost SecureвЂќ option. YouвЂll be prompted to select an option as to how you would like to delete the data in your drive.ДЄs you might know, if you erase the data using the fastest way possible, certain disk recovery programs could recover what you erased easily. If youвЂve stored any sensitive data on your USB drive, it is wise to pay attention to the 'Security Options' button before you format.

How to reformat a usb drive from mac mac os#

Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is the preferred format, but depending on your requirements, select the best option for you from the drop-down menu. YouвЂll be prompted to select a name for your drive and the desired format. Select the preferred USB Drive from the menu on the left side of the screen.Д¬lick on вЂњ EraseвЂќ on the top toolbar. When you open the вЂњDisk Utility,вЂќ the tool will look like below: You can find the вЂњDisk UtilityвЂќ tool inside the вЂњUtilitiesвЂќ folder. In the вЂњApplicationsвЂќ folder, find the folder named 'Utilities,' and navigate to it. If you arenвЂ™t able to bring up вЂњSpotlight SearchвЂќ for some reason, navigate to the вЂњFinderвЂќ directory and click on вЂњApplicationsвЂќ.

Click on the first suggestion to open the вЂњDisk UtilityвЂќ tool.

Click on the magnifying glass icon and type 'Disk Utility'.

Push the вЂњCommandвЂќ button and the вЂњSpaceвЂќ button together on your keyboard to bring up вЂњSpotlight SearchвЂќ or whatever search app your have installed.Under вЂњFormat,вЂќ you can see the format of your device.ДЇormatting a Flash Drive Disk Utility on your Mac Once you click on 'Get Info,' youвЂ™ll be presented with information on the device. Right-click on the device name and click on 'Get Info'. Navigate to the Finder directory and look for your device on the left side menu. There are two ways you can approach reformatting a thumb drive:Д«efore formatting the USB Drive, check the current Format of your drive. Unless this is specifically required, we recommend the 'Journaled' format Two Easy Ways to Reformat a USB drive This is similar to the Journaled format except for the fact that all folder names are case-sensitive.ДЇor example, the file format differentiates a folder named ' MYFOLDER' from a folder named ' myfolder'. Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled) It uses the Mac format to protect the integrity of the hierarchical file system. This is the recommended file system for devices that are used with Macbooks. Unless a system specifically calls for FAT32 devices, avoid this format at all costs. For example, you can only store files that are less than 4GB on the device. This file format is highly compatible but somewhat limiting. This file format is compatible with multiple devices, like PCs and gaming consoles.

How to reformat a usb drive from mac windows#

If you plan on using your USB on both Windows and macOS devices, the preferred format is ExFAT. Different File System Formats Available in Disk Utility ExFAT LetвЂ™s look at how to format your thumb drive for a Mac. Unless itвЂ™s specifically designed to work on a macOS, you'll need to reformat the flash drive. ItвЂ™s because most computers run on Windows and most thumb drives ship with formats that favor a Windows environment. Have you ever tried to use a USB drive on your Mac only to realize you couldnвЂ™t write any files to it?