Luckily, there are third-party tools to help you do so. NTFS: As the default file system in Windows, it can only read by Mac OS, writing to it is not available. ExFAT: It is similar to ExFAT which can be read by both Windows and Mac, but it can store more than 4GB files. Nevertheless, this older file system is limited to no more than 4GB and there might be security issue and disk errors.

It enables you to regularly share files with your friends who own a PC. MS-DOS FAT (aka FAT32): In addition to Mac, it can also be written and read by Linux and Windows. You can encrypt it so that no one can access the contents on your drive. Mac OS Extended (encrypted) would be an ideal option if you probably carry your laptop or external drive here and there. Mac OS Extended (Journaled/HFS+): If you didn't update your Mac OS to High Sierra, the default file system on your Mac shoule be Mac OS Extended. What's more, it is compatible with SSD and flash storage devices only. However, it won't be readable and usable on machines that are not running Mac High Sierra, and Windows or Linux PCs. Which one is right for your circumstance? We'll describe them here, you'll know your choice after reading the details.ĪPFS: This is the default file system in Macs with High Sierra. There are a few file formats you can use, but it depends on the purpose you want to use the drive for. The most important, you should decide which format to use. Part 1: Which File Format You Should Choose?īefore you begin formatting the drive, there are a few things to do. Keep in mind that a MAC can generally read other file formats, but for the best performance and to create a bootable disk, formatting exclusively for MAC is required. In a few simple steps you are ready to go and can save your back-up files to the external drive, keeping your information safe and giving you peace of mind. Reformatting an external hard drive for use with Mac OSX is not as difficult as it might seem. MacOS Mojave won't install updates past 10.14.1 due to requirement for APFS formatting. Change from Mac OS Extended File to APFS in order to install Mojave. Installed Mojave 10.14.2 on a MacBook Pro mid 2012 which has HDD and volume formatted in macOS Extended Journaled. Macworld reader Andrew wrote in asking about reformatting his High Sierra system, and wanting to choose HFS+ (Mac OS.

Mac Os Extended Journaled External Hard Driveīonus: How to Recover Data from Formatted External Hard Drive on MacĪ Macworld reader can't get the HFS+ option to appear, but that's by design.

Follow the tutorial below, you'll get everything covered. You may wonder how to reformat an external hard drive on Mac. However, the Mac OS does not allow you to write data to the drive. Yo just got a new external hard drive and want to use it on your Mac.

No mac os extended journaled encrypted