Now, let’s take a look at some ways you can format your USB drive on Windows 10. Method 1: Format USB Drive using File Explorer. This is the easiest way and simply requires you to plug in your USB Drive, open the Windows File Explorer and right click your drive to view a number of actions that you can perform.
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., the hard drive manager included with all versions of Windows. Note: In Windows 10 and Windows 8, the gives you the quickest access to Disk Management. You can also in any version of Windows, but is probably easier unless you're really quick with. See if you're not sure which of those several versions of Windows is installed on your computer. With now open, locate the drive you want to format from the list at the top.
Important: Is the drive you want to format not listed, or does an Initialize Disk or Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard window appear? If so, it means you still need to partition the drive. See and then return here to continue.
Note: Formatting the C drive, or whatever letter happens to identify the drive that Windows is installed on, can not be done from Disk Management. Or from anywhere else in Windows. See for instructions on how to format your primary drive. Once located, right-click or tap-and-hold on the drive and choose Format. A 'Format drive letter:' window should appear. Warning: Obviously, it's very, very important to choose the correct drive to format. Once started, you can't stop a format without causing problems.
If you're formatting a drive that has data on it, double-check that it's the correct drive by looking at the drive letter and then checking in Explorer that it is, in fact, the correct drive. If you're formatting a new drive, the drive letter assigned should be unfamiliar to you and the File System will probably be listed as RAW.
In the Volume label: textbox, either give a name to the drive or leave the name as is. If this is a new drive, Windows will assign the New Volume. I recommend giving a name to the drive so it's easier to identify in the future. For example, if you're planning on using this drive to store movies, name the volume Movies. For File system: choose NTFS unless you have a specific need to choose another file system.
is always the best file system option to use in Windows unless you have a specific need to choose. Other FAT file systems are only available as options on drives 2 GB and smaller. Set the Allocation unit size: to Default unless there's a specific need to customize it. There are very few reasons to change this. In Windows 10, 8, and 7, the Perform a quick format option is checked by default but I recommend unchecking the box so a 'full' format is done.
Yes, a quick format will format the hard drive considerably faster than a standard format, but the benefits usually outweigh the short-term cost (your time) of the full format. Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista: In a standard format, each on the hard drive is checked for errors (great for new and older drives) and a one-pass is also performed (great for previously used drives). A quick format skips the bad sector search and basic. Windows XP: In a standard format, each sector is checked for errors.
The quick format skips this check. Automatic data wiping during the format process isn't available in Windows XP. The Enable file and folder compression option is unchecked by default and I recommend keeping it that way.
Note: can be enabled to save on disk space and you're welcome to enable it if you think you may benefit from it. However, most drives are so large today that the tradeoff between the saved space and lower drive performance probably aren't worth it. Tap or click OK at the bottom of the window. Tap or click OK to the 'Formatting this volume will erase all data on it. Back up any data you want to to keep before formatting.
Do you want to continue?' . The hard drive format will begin. You can keep track of the drive format by watching the Formatting: xx% progress in the Status field. Note: Formatting a hard drive in Windows could take a very long time if the drive is large and/or slow. A small 2 GB hard drive might only take several seconds to format while a 2 TB drive could take considerably longer depending on the speed of the hard drive and the computer as a whole.
The format is complete when the Status changes to Healthy, which will happen a few seconds after the format counter reaches 100%. Windows does not otherwise notify you that the drive format is complete. You've just formatted or reformatted, your hard drive and you can now use the drive to store files, install programs, back up data. Whatever you want. Note: If you created multiple partitions on this physical hard drive, you can now return to Step 3 and repeat these steps, formatting the additional drive(s).
How can I make external hard drive compatible with Mac and Windows? “I have two computers, one running Mac operating system, another running Windows. I want to copy and transfer files between the two computers using my portable external Western Digital hard drive that is originally formatted with NTFS. I have realized that NTFS drive is fully supported on Windows computer, but read only on Mac computer. That is to say, my external hard drive is unable to work well both in Mac and Windows computer.
Is there anyone can tell me how to make my hard drive compatible with Mac and Windows? Thanks a lot!” Two file systems compatible with Mac and Windows NTFS is the default file system for Windows operating system and HFS for Mac operating system. If you want to make your drive compatible with Mac and Windows, you need to format it with a common file system for Mac and Windows. FAT32 and exFAT can be compatible with Mac and Windows and you can choose one after realizing their respective merits and defects based on your demands: FAT32 takes advantages in compatibility. It is compatible with various devices like DVD player, game console etc. Apart from Mac and Windows, it can support Linux and Android.
However, it is with significant defects: Single file size is up to 4GB and partition capacity is not beyond 2TB. ExFAT supports partition larger than 2TB and single file over 4GB. But it is also with defect: Compared with FAT32, the entire file system of exFAT is easier to be corrupted. Format a drive for Mac and Windows From all above, you can have a general idea of FAT32 and exFAT file system. It is time to learn how to format your external hard drive or other external drives to a common file system for Mac and Windows. Format drive to exFAT via Diskpart In general, Windows built-in tools Disk Management and Diskpart can format drive to exFAT easily. However, in Disk Management, you’ll find that when you right click the partition that you need to format and choose “Format Partition”, if the partition is on an internal or external hard drive.
Then, let’s see how to format drive with exFAT using Diskpart utility. PS.: Formatting will delete all data on the partition. It is advised to backup important data on the partition before formatting. Connect your drive to working computer running Windows and make sure that it will be detected by operating system. Open Run box by pressing “Windows” + “R” simultaneously and hitting “Enter”.
In the box, input “diskpart” and hit “Enter”. In the Diskpart windows, type the command lines below and each command shall be followed by hitting “Enter” key:. list disk. select disk n (“n” is the disk number). list partition. select partition m (“m” is the partition number that’ll be formatting). format fs: exfat When you see Diskpart successfully formatted the volume, type “exit” and press “Enter Format drive via free partition formatting tool is great partition formatting freeware, which offers you more file systems to choose during formatting.
It allows you to format partition to exFAT, FAT32, NTFS, Ext2 and Ext3 and Ext4 on external hard drive, internal hard drive, USB flash drive and SD card. It can work with Windows 10/8/8.1/7, XP and Vista. To format external drive to file system compatible with Mac and PC, connect the drive to your computer and follow the detailed steps given below (Take formatting hard drive to exFAT in Windows 7 for example): Step 1. AOMEI Partition Assistant. Install and run it. In the main interface, right click the partition on that need formatting and choose “Format Partition”. Step 2. In this pop-up window, choose exFAT among listed file systems and click “ OK”.
PS.: In this window, it is available to specify Partition label to the partition. Step 3. Here you’ll go back to the main interface. Confirm formatting operation and click “ Apply” “ Proceed” to perform this operation. Notices:. For partition larger than 32GB, AOMEI Partition is able to format it to FAT32 file system quickly and easily. If there is no partition on your disk, you can create exFAT or FAT32 file system partition using “Create Partition” function.
Conclusion It’s not a tough task to format your drive with common file system for Mac and Windows. You can format it using Windows built-in tools or third party partition formatting tool. In fact, AOMEI Partition Assistant can provide you with more functions. For instance, it allows you to delete partition, resize partition and wipe partition etc. And you can experience more functions if you it to Professional version.