Open the Terminal, and run sudo apt-get install gparted ntfsprogs to install the GParted utility.How to format an external hard drive in Linux? Enter a name for your unit in the Name field, and click Delete to start formatting.Display the menu to the right of Format, and choose the file system with which you will format the disk.In Disk Utility, select your external hard drive and click the Delete tab. Next, open the Disk Utility tool, which is located in the Applications > Utilities. Connect the external hard drive to a USB port on your Mac.How to format an external hard drive on Mac? The time it takes will depend on the size of the disk. After accepting, formatting will begin.Note that NTFS is compatible with Windows only exFAT is compatible with Windows and Mac.

In the window that opens, enter a name for your disk and choose the file system with which you will format it.In the disk manager window, right-click on the external hard drive and select Format.Press the Windows + X keys, and then select Disk Management.How to format an external hard drive in Windows? Before formatting the hard disk, it is advisable to make a back-up copy of the information contained therein, since the formatting will delete all of the data. Most users do this by opening the Start Menu and searching for 'Disk Management', which brings up a Control Panel option titled Create and format hard disk partitions. The hard part is finding the confidence to follow the instructions and do it yourself - and even that's not very difficult.

Windows 10 makes it very easy to format drives, so it's not the process that's difficult. Given a particular file, the format determines how exactly individual bits should be stored on the drive. Formatting HDDs and SSDs in Windowsįormatting a data drive means wiping it clean and resetting the drive's internal file system to use a particular format: FAT32, NTFS, EXT4, etc. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions on how to do this. Whatever the case, you should always format a brand new data drive because you never know what a previous owner has hidden on it - not just bloatware, but malware, viruses, keyloggers, and other scary things.

How to format my hard drive