I can’t stress enough that it means that you’ll be wiping all the files and folders from that hard drive – there’s no other way to do it. In order to format a Mac drive for Windows, you’ll first need to erase it. The data recovery tool we’ll be using, called Disk Drill, can recover data even from formatted drives. How to Convert Mac Hard Drive to Windowsįor this process, you’ll need 3 tools: a backup utility, a tool to recover data (just in case), and Disk Utility for the actual formatting process – fortunately, macOS already comes with Disk Utility installed. Remember: reformatting a Mac hard drive for Windows completely wipes all the files and folders on it – so you’ll need to do some preparation. To convert a Mac drive to exFAT, you’ll be using the process of formatting. They’re unfortunately incompatible with each other, with the exception of exFAT, which is readable both by Windows and Mac – so for this guide, we’ll be converting a drive from APFS to exFAT. Typical Mac hard drives use the APFS (Apple File System) or the HFS+ (Hierarchical File System Plus), while Windows drives use NTFS, FAT32, and exFAT. Why You Need to Format Mac Hard Drive for Windows What to Do If You’ve Lost Files After Formatting.
#Format to ntfs mac how to
How to Convert Mac Hard Drive to Windows.Why You Need to Format Mac Hard Drive for Windows.Make sure to back up any important data before formatting the drive. NOTE: After formatting, the existing data will be gone. Depending on the size of the drive and the security selection, formatting might take a few seconds or several minutes. Click "Erase" and then "Erase" again in the confirmation window.The more times the data is overwritten, the more secure the format, but the longer it takes. Optionally, enter a name for the drive in the "Name" field.Ĭlick "Security Options" if you want to completely erase existing data by overwriting it once, seven times or 35 times. Make sure to select the rootįolder and not an indented entry under it.Ĭlick the "Format" drop-down menu and select hfs+ file system. Insert the USB flash drive into your Mac's USB port.Ĭlick " Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility." Alternatively, enter " Disk Utility" in the search bar and click "Disk Utility" to launch the application.Ĭlick the USB flash drive from the left pane of Disk Utility. If the issue still persists please change device file system: Uncheck Devices -> External Devices -> your device. NOTE: you may need to unplug from the Mac and plug back again. To pass it back to the Mac you need to uncheck Devices -> External Devices -> your device. NOTE: If the device is not recognized, you need to unplug it from the Mac and plug back again. In the Parallels Desktop menu bar go to Devices -> External Devices -> Check your device So, you need to pass the device inside the virtual machine every time you would like to copy something on the drive.
#Format to ntfs mac mac os x
The cause of the issue is that Mac OS X does not support writing permissions for NTFS file system.
#Format to ntfs mac plus
Unable to write on the Seagate Backup Plus Drive. Unable to write on the external hard drive with NTFS file system.