It also includes support for features from OS X Lion, such as Versions. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) - This is the default file system format for Mac OS X drives.Īdvantages: Formatting your USB flash drive this way will give you full interoperability with Macs. I'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the other three formats below. Unless you have extraordinary needs, you can safely ignore two of them: Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled) and Free Space. There are several possible file system formats you can use for a USB flash drive, and changing them in Disk Utility is as easy as selecting the number of partitions you want on the drive (usually just one), picking the format you want for the drive, and clicking 'Apply.' Note that this will erase all information on the drive, so make absolutely sure you've got copies of everything before moving forward.ĭisk Utility gives you five different choices for drive formats in OS X Lion.

If the drive is listed as NTFS-formatted, you're going to need to format it to something else if you want full compatibility with Mac OS X. If the drive's format comes up as MS-DOS (FAT) or, less likely, ExFAT, you may be able to simply leave the drive as-is and not bother reformatting it. Finally, click on OK and then select Erase.This is a complete process of formatting a USB drive on Mac.By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy. But keep in mind this step will increase the time of the format.Ħ. This will let you choose how securely you want the files to be deleted.Just move the slider to right, the further it moves, the more passes the erase feature will make meaning that the files will be removed discreetly. Next from the drop-down menu, select the type of format you want.If the USB flash drive, has some sensitive data, click on Security tab. Now select Erase from toolbar that is situated at top of window.Next a window will drop down here type a specific name for formatted drive.ĥ. Next navigate to Applications and select Utilities, then select Disk Utility by double-clicking on it.Ĥ. Note: – Formatting will wipe the entire data, so make sure the drive contains no important data on it. The latest MacBook Pro or MacBook Air have only USB-C type connectors, so if you have the recent Mac’s, you will require an adaptor to convert from USB-C to USB-A.Ģ. To format a USB drive, follow these steps:ġ.

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