best way to format external hard drive windows

Best way to format external hard drive windows how to#
Best way to format external hard drive windows windows 10#
Best way to format external hard drive windows Pc#

Then indicate how big you want the partition. If you want to use the remaining space, enter the maximum disk space shown above. Then click Next.Ĩ. Right-click the unallocated space on your disk and select New Simple Volume.ħ. Then click Shrink. This will divide the hard disk, with one part into unallocated space.ĥ. Enter the amount of space you want to use to decrease the volume. The remaining space will be displayed in megabytes.Ĥ. Right-click on your external hard disk and select Shrink Volume. If this option is not available to you, reformat the disk to NTFS and try again.ģ. Open the Windows search box, type “diskmgmt.msc,” and press enter. The Windows Search Box is a magnifying button icon in the lower-left corner of your screen.Ģ.

Best way to format external hard drive windows how to#

Now you have a hard disk formatted for Windows, but what if you also want to use it for Mac computers? One of the ways to have a working hard disk with Mac and Windows is to partition it. This means you can split the disk into two formats, one for Mac and one for PC. Here’s how to do it: How to Partition an External Disk in Windows 10ġ. Click OK when the Format Complete pop-up screen appears. Check the Quick Format box, and click Start. It depends on the size of the disk, and if any files are to be deleted on it, it can take a few to several minutes to complete.ĥ.

Note: The exFAT file system only works on Mac 10.6.5 or later, and Windows XP SP3 or later.Ĥ. Select a format under File System. By default, Windows computers will select NTFS (New Technology File System) for you because that is Microsoft’s filing system. But if you want the external hard disk to work on your Mac too, you’ll need to choose exFAT. Right-click on the external hard disk and click Format.ģ. Note: If you are already using an external hard disk on your PC, make sure to back up any files on it. Formatting your disk will erase all data on it.Ģ.

Best way to format external hard drive windows Pc#

Connect your external hard disk to your Windows computer. If your external hard disk is working, your computer will detect it automatically, and the disk will appear under Devices and disks next to your internal disk in this PC window. You can also find it on the left sidebar of File Explorer. 4 Ways to Speed Up Booting Windows 10ġ.

Best way to format external hard drive windows windows 10#

How to Reset Administrator Password on Windows 10.

How to Find IP Address on Windows 10 PC.

How to Factory Reset Windows 10 Through Settings and USB Drive.

Note: Formatting your disk will erase all files on it. So if your external hard disk already has important files, make sure to make a backup before continuing the hard disk formatting process. How To Format External Hard Disk on Windows 10 Laptop PC 2022