How do I reformat a Mac drive?
Answer
(NOTE: If one needs to partition a larger drive, those steps are a bit different.)
- Insert your drive on a Mac computer.
- Find and open the application “Disk Utility.”
- Disk utility will then “see” your drive and show it on a list in the left-hand column of the disk utility window.
- Highlight the topmost listing of your drive found in the left column of the disk utility window.
- Click the “Erase” tab on the right side of the disk utility window.
- From the drop-down menu in the middle of the right column of the disk utility window (which currently probably says "FAT 32") choose “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” as the formatting.
- It is also highly recommended that you give your drive a name on the "Name" line.
- Once you've done this, then tell it to “Erase” the drive by clicking on the "Erase" button. It will erase for about a minute.
You have now erased, renamed, and reformatted your drive.