Formatting Guide (Illustrated)

i thought i'd write guide people don't know how format ntfs flash drives hfs+ or fat32 in disk utility. think idea sticky cut down amount of threads , replies link guide. reply , tell me think of guide first one.



so, you've plugged in usb drive you've been using pc ages, right?



drag file drive, and, oh no!



means drive formatted ntfs, file system works microsoft windows. need reformat work mac only, or mac & windows. guide show how.

warning: formatting drive erase on it. of files on drive before erasing it.



first, find disk utility. if have mac os x tiger, can spotlight search clicking blue magnifying glass symbol in top right hand corner of screen. if don't have tiger, can find disk utility in /applications/utilities. earlier versions of disk utility differ, method should same.

open disk utility , see screen looks this.


now, find usb drive in left hand menu, , click on it.


now, click on 'erase' tab.


opening 'volume format' drop-down menu, can see have quite few options.


choosing 'mac os extended (journaled)' (also known hfs+) make drive compatible mac, , windows computer not able see on it.

choosing 'ms-dos file system' (also known fat32) make drive compatible both mac , windows computer, cannot make file larger 4gb.

whichever option choose, ready format drive. click 'erase' button , see warning this.


click 'erase' on warning continue. see small progress bar appear near bottom of disk utility.


when full, drive formatted, , compatible mac.

congratulations, you've formatted usb drive using apple's disk utility software!

 

thanks, smurfy! that's awesome. i'd add little detail here.

if know going use flash drive on macs, or on windows-based computers adaptive software allows reading , writing mac os extended volumes, or on linux-based computers have hfs , hfs+ support enabled, formatting flash drive mac os extended may option.

however, if know will, or if may use flash drive on non-mac os x-based systems lacking support hfs/hfs+, not option @ all. you'll want stick typically fat32-formatted option, since single supported file system, period.

best not use ntfs on these devices @ all, , reason presently nt-class windows oss (that is, win2k, winxp, winvista) have full and stable support writing ntfs file systems.

part, have sandisk cruiser mini 1gb (which i've had 3 years or so), , though presently have nothing macs in home, time time have interact computers running other operating systems, , continue use fat32 on drive.

1 thing can real hassle hidden metafiles mac os x generates, quite visible everywhere else. nuisance both within windows , linux (where you're tripping on darn things), , on portable media players, have go , manually delete each of these files.

here know way around while flash drive or other flash media still mounted on mac?

 

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