Format Flash Drive For Mac And Windows 10



The best ways to format an external drive for Windows and Mac. Compare the different options for formatting an external hard drive to work with Windows and Mac. And, no: the answer isn't always FAT32. Not a problem since most USB Thumb/Flash drives come formatted as FAT32, allows use on Windows, Linux and MAC OS X latest known as macOS. It's a lot like the old bootable floppy disks, the DOS format command with the /s switch creates the bootable part along with the formatting. Nov 30, 2020 Well then, how to format USB drive to FAT32/NTFS/exFAT/EXT 2,3,4/HFS+ if you have the need. Don't worry, the following part will show you the solution for Windows and Mac OS users. The process for formatting a drive is different depending on the system you’re using. Let’s see how to format USB drive on a Windows PC first. Format USB drive. Steps to Partition Flash Drive on Mac. Follow these instructions to partition flash drive on Mac: Step 1. On your Mac, open Disk Utility. And connect your flash drive to your Mac. Once the Disk Utility is opened, select your flash drive from the sidebar and click the Erase button. On the newly opened window, select OS X Extended. See full list on thelinuxcode.com.

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Just like most storage mediums, partitioning a flash drive is also possible. There may be a number of reasons why you would want to partition a flash drive. If you have never partitioned a flash drive before, then don't worry; this article will help you. Read on to find how to partition a flash drive..

    • Partition with Diskpart

    • Partition with an USB Flash Drive Partition Tool

  • Bonus Tip 1. Best Way to Recover Files from Flash Drive after Partition or Format

1How to Partition Flash Drive on Windows10/8.1/8/7?

Although it is possible to create multiple partitions on a flash drive via third-party tools, Windows will only read and show the first/primary partition. If you want the Windows to read a certain partition of the flash drive, then you will need a third-party tool to set that partition as primary.

Backup Your Data

Partitioning a flash drive will erase all data stored on it. That's why it is highly recommended that you back up all the important data before proceeding. The backup process is quite easy as all you need to do is connect the flash drive to your computer and copy the desired data to a location of your choice. Follow these instructions:

  • 1. Connect your flash drive to your computer. Then open This PC on your Windows and find your flash drive.

  • 2. Double-click on it to see its contents. Select the files that you want to back up and right-click on them and click Copy.

  • 3. After that, navigate to the folder on your computer's hard drive where you want to store those files, right-click and select the Paste option. The transfer process will begin and your selected files will be copied to that folder.

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Now that you have backed up your data, you can proceed to partition your flash drive. Following are some methods to do this:

1Partition a Flash Drive Using Diskpart

You can easily partition a flash drive via the Diskpart utility of Windows. The utility is run through Command Prompt. Follow these instructions:

Step 1. Press Windows and R key on your keyboard at the same time and type 'diskpart' in the Run pop-up window and then press Enter to launch it. A command prompt window will open.

Step 2. On that window, input 'list disk' to see which number your connected flash drive has.

Step 3. Next, input 'select disk X (X here is the number for your flash drive). It will be selected.

Step 4. Now input 'clean' and press enter to clean the device.

Step 5. Now enter 'list part' and then input 'create partition primary'. After that, input 'list part' and then input 'select partition 1'. Set this partition as active by inputting 'active'.

Step 6. Next, input 'format fs=fat32' to format the partition. After that, your newly created flash drive partition will be ready to use.

Format Flash Drive For Mac And Windows

2Partition a Flash Drive with an USB Flash Drive Partition Tool

If the method to partition a flash drive via diskpart seems complicated, then there is another easier way to partition a flash drive. You can partition the USB flash drive via a flash drive partition tool called Bootit. Follow these instructions to partition a flash drive via Bootit:

Fist, you should install and launch Bootit software on your computer.

Step 1. Connect your flash drive to your computer and make sure it is detected by the operating system.

Step 2. Now open Disk Management on your computer. You can launch it from the Start Menu.

Step 3. Now select the current partition shown on the flash drive and delete it via the software.

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Step 4. After that, right-click on the unallocated space of flash drive and click on New Simple Volume to create a partition. You can specify the size, label, etc. for the new partition according to your preferences.

Step 5. You can create multiple partitions on your flash drive by repeating the above step.

2How to Partition a Flash Drive on Mac?

If you want to partition your flash drive on your Mac, then you will be glad to know that it is possible. On Mac, you can do this via Disk Utility.

Steps to Partition Flash Drive on Mac

Follow these instructions to partition flash drive on Mac:

Step 1. On your Mac, open Disk Utility. And connect your flash drive to your Mac.

Step 2. Once the Disk Utility is opened, select your flash drive from the sidebar and click the Erase button.

Step 3. On the newly opened window, select OS X Extended (Journaled) from the Format menu.

Step 4. Make sure to click on Scheme > GUID Partition Map. Next, format the drive via the Erase option.

Step 5. After formatting, click the Partition button and then use the '+' button to create and add additional partitions. Add as many partitions as you like.

Step 6. After setting the sizes, labels, etc. to partitions, click Apply to confirm your action. Partitions will be created.

Bonus Tip 1. Best Way to Recover Files from Flash Drive after Partition or Format

It's wise to backup the data on your flash drive before partitioning or formatting it. So, what to do if you forgot this or some important files were left when made a backup? Don't worry, a powerful data recovery tool can help you find them back!

iMyFone AnyRecover is one of such popular data recovery tools. It can help you find all your lost files no matter how you lost them. Files recovery at a formatted or partitioned USB flash drive is easy as 1-2-3 with AnyRecover.

Key Features

  • Recover lost files from different data loss scenarios, including formatted data recovery, deleted files recovery, formatted device recovery, etc.

  • Recover over 1000 type of files, including photos, videos, audios, emails, documents, archives and more.

  • Recover files from various storage mediums, such as USB flash drive, hard drive, SD card, digital camera, computer, etc.

  • Differing from other recovery tools, AnyRecover is 100% safe to use, it won't do any damage to your existing data.

  • One of the most reliable data recovery software with high data recovery rate - Up to 98%.

Steps to Recover Files from Flash Drive after Partition or Format

Step 1. Open AnyRecover on your computer, then connect your Flash Drive to your computer, select it.

Step 2. After selecting the location, hit “Start” button to start the process.

Step 3. After scanning, preview and select the files, then click on Recover button to get the lost files back.

Best flash drive for mac

Bonus Tip 2. Best USB Flash Drive for Windows & Mac

Among many quality flash drives, SanDisk Extreme PRO 128 GB Drive is considered the most popular USB flash drive for Windows and Mac. Following are the top features of this USB flash drive:

  • Blistering speeds: 380 MB/s write, 420 MB/s read.

  • Durable, sleek, and eye-catching aluminum casing design.

  • AES, 128-bit file encryption for excellent security for sensitive files.

  • USB 3.0 as well as backward compatibility with USB 2.0.

  • Lifetime warranty.

Dec 03, 2020 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

USB Flash Drives are the new file briefcase in this world of technology. It allows you to store as many files you want within a little device. It makes files very compact, easily transportable, and organized. However, just like with a filing system used in paperwork, USB drives also make use of file systems. The most common file systems used are NTFS, exFAT, and FAT32. If you’ve been using flash drives and other external storage devices for a long time, you may be already familiar with this. Each file system has its pros and cons. Many PC users are opting to format or change their file systems to NTFS. If you’re unfamiliar with the file system and have no idea why this needs to be done, keep on reading. In this article, we will provide you with three easy ways you can format your USB drive to NTFS.

Why Do You Need To Format a USB Drive to NTFS?

The default format used by most USB flash drives and other external storage media is FAT32. Some people are fine with keeping this format. But for most users, they always find the need to convert or format their USB drive to NTFS. This is for many reasons. With a USB drive that uses the FAT32 file type, you can only copy or add files less than 4GB. This may be a hassle for some users who want to transport large files like movies, program installers, etc. Meanwhile, NTFS doesn’t have this limitation. You can copy or add files of any size and the partition sizes usually have a large capacity.

What is NTFS?

NTFS is a type of file system. It stands for the NT File system and is also called the New Technology File System. It’s a way of organizing files within a flash drive. It’s a new improvement from previous file types like File Allocation Table (FAT) or Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) previously used by Microsoft Windows. Because it’s a relatively new file type, it has increased security from its new features like file permissions and encryptions. NTFS also has a Change Journal where the driver keeps track of the changes made within the drive. This means that if ever your PC unexpectedly shuts down or you experience a system crash, you can recover files that were lost during the event.

Here are three proven methods on how to format USB flash drive to NTFS.

Method 1. Format USB Flash drive to NTFS using Disk Management

1. Find My Computer in the Start menu or by typing it in the search bar. Right-click on it and click on Manage.

Usb Format Mac And Windows

2. In Device Manager, look for your USB drive in the Disk Drives tab.

3. Right-click on your drive and choose Properties.

4. Under the Policies tab, click on Optimize for performance. Select OK.

Player

5. Go to My Computer and look for your drive. Right-click and choose Format in the drop-down menu.

6.In the format options that will pop-up, select NTFS to convert your drive to NTFS.

7. Select Start and wait for the process to finish.

Method 2. Format USB flash drive to NTFS using Command Prompt

Using Command Prompt, make sure to type in the exact commands to avoid unexpected errors.

1. Launch Command Prompt by typing in cmd in the Run tool or typing Command Prompt in the search bar. Select Run as administrator.

2.Type in the command:

convert G: /fs:NTFS

NOTE: In this command, we’re formatting drive G. Change this to whatever drive letter you’re trying to work with.

Method 3. Formatting your USB drive using Windows tools

You can easily format your USB drive with just the built-in features of your Windows computer. Follow the steps below to perform this:

1. Plug the USB drive into the USB port of your computer or laptop.

2. Go to My Computer and right-click on your USB drive. A drop-down menu will appear. Choose Format…

3. The format window will open. Here you will see the device’s capacity, File System, and Allocation unit size. You can also rename the volume label. The Restore device defaults button will revert your drive’s settings to default. You can change the file system in NTFS or FAT and also assign the unit size.

4. Select the Start button at the bottom of the window and click OK to begin the format and erase all the data contained in the drive.

Formatting your USB drive may seem intimidating at first. Formatting changes the file type of your drive and along with this, also wipes out all the data saved within. So it’s important to back up all the files to your computer or another drive before performing any format. With any of the methods previously mentioned above, you will be able to perform a format of your USB flash drive easily and quickly.

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