
- Make external hard drive mac compatible how to#
- Make external hard drive mac compatible for mac#
- Make external hard drive mac compatible mac os x#
- Make external hard drive mac compatible install#
- Make external hard drive mac compatible windows#
Here's our guide to the best external hard drive for mac. So, to make this a valid answer, the benefit is to know accurately the size of the drive you bought, and not have it magically shrink when you use it. If you're dealing with lots of files, then an external hard drive is what you need. Technically manufacturers should use GiB not GB when marketting and packaging their drives, but they don't/won't, and use Gigabyte which they know practically everyone uses incorrectly.


Make external hard drive mac compatible windows#
Note that all this is just so much technical drivel, your actual space available is the same on both, it's just that from a marketing perspective the given size will be correct on Mac as they have a common understanding of what a Gigabyte is, and incorrect on Windows which uses the commonly misused Gibibyte structure on it's filesystems whilst users incorrectly assume it is measures in Gigabytes.
Make external hard drive mac compatible mac os x#
Since Mac OS X also switched to this "proper" definition for storage units such as Gigabytes as of Snow Leopard, then the size of the drive as mentioned on the box is more likely to be accurate when formatted for a Mac Partition than for a Windows Partition where your usable space seems "lower". Click the Erase button to format the drive for Mac. Click the pulldown menu alongside Format and select MS-DOS (FAT). Click the drive name on the left side list in Disk Utility, and then click the Erase tab. Gibibyte = 2 to the 30 bytes = 1073741824bytes = 1024 mebibytes Connect the drive you wish to format for dual compatibility to the Mac. This should restore the version of OS X originally pre-installed on the computer.It is interesting to note that Hard Drive Manufacturers use the correct meaning of "Gigabytes" when referring to hard drives, and not what most people think of as a GB which is actually a Gibibyte: I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless. Note : You will need an active Internet connection. Available through a USB Type-C connection, USB 3.1 enables data transfer speeds double USB 3.0. When the drive and the Mac support USB 3.0, speeds can be 10 times faster than USB 2.0. One of the most common interfaces is next-generation USB 3.0 technology. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one. Connecting an external hard drive to an Apple computer.
Make external hard drive mac compatible install#
Reinstall OS X : Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Install button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. The irony is that, by default, Windows and Mac use different file systems. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Make your hard disk or USB flash drive compatible to both Mac and Windows PCs using this easy step by step guide.
Make external hard drive mac compatible how to#
Below you will learn how to format an external hard drive that works with Mac and PC.
Make external hard drive mac compatible for mac#
External hard drives designed specifically for Mac computers are usually formatted in HFS+.

Unlike FAT32, NTFS supports Windows file permissions and is more stable.

Connect the power supply (if necessary), connect to the Mac via. Mac OS X can read NTFS drives but cant write to them. Set up your drive following the manufacturer’s instructions. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. To format a drive as FAT32 from a Mac, follow these simple steps. If your model is OK for Internet Recovery, then follow these instructions:īe sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive. If you can do this, then check this article: Computers that can be upgraded to use OS X Internet Recovery. If you do, then you need a solid Internet connection - preferably Ethernet because it's much faster than Wi-Fi. You can find disk utility by clicking on the spotlight search button, then type 'Disk Utility'. What are you presently using as a computer?ĭo you carry an OS X installer with you when you travel? If you don't, then the external drive is useless to you unless you have a computer that was made in 2011 or later and can use Internet Recovery. Make sure you tick the checkboxes 'Hard Disks' and 'External Disks.' Your WD My Mac Passport drive should now be running on your screen.
