- How to format external drive for mac for time machine how to#
- How to format external drive for mac for time machine mac os#
- How to format external drive for mac for time machine Pc#
I would set up any new Time Machine volume formatted with APFS, but not convert an old one from HFS+.īig Sur APFS-based Time Machine backups can’t be used in Catalina or earlier releases.
How to format external drive for mac for time machine mac os#
However, if your external hard drive is for use with Macs only, Mac OS Extended (Journaled) would be the best option since it’s compatible with all Macs.While APFS has advantages for SSD-based storage, there really aren’t any for hard disk drives, the most likely kind of drive used for large-capacity backup drives. Using exFAT, you can store files of any size and use them with computers made in the last 20 years. If you want to use your external hard drive with Mac and Windows computers, the best format to use is the exFAT. You can also drag the white dots at the edge of the circles to change the size of each partition.Īdditional FAQs What Is the Best Format for a Mac External Hard Drive?
How to format external drive for mac for time machine Pc#
This is ideal if you use a Mac and PC and want to transfer files between both operating systems via your external hard drive. Once your drive has been formatted (see the steps above), you can partition it into two formats. It will also help protect your drive if it’s infected with malware since it would be contained in one partition section. A partition offers dedicated space for a bootable backup of your OS or your Time Machine backup files.
How to format external drive for mac for time machine how to#
How to Partition an External Hard Drive on a Macīy partitioning your external hard drive, you can have separate drives for Mac, PC, and other operating systems.
Click on the first level of your external drive.In the pop-up on the left, your external hard drive should appear in the list under your Mac’s internal drive, under the “External” heading.