How to format a seagate external hard drive for mac​?

To format a Seagate external hard drive for use on a Mac, the process is straightforward but requires careful attention to detail. 

1. Disk Formatting

Disk formatting is the process of preparing a storage device, such as a hard drive or SSD, for use by a specific operating system. It involves creating a file system that the computer can read and write to. For Macs, the primary file systems are HFS+ (Mac OS Extended), APFS (Apple File System), and exFAT/FAT32 (for compatibility with both macOS and Windows).

When formatting a Seagate external hard drive, you must choose the right file system based on your needs. For example:

APFS is the latest file system used by macOS for SSDs and newer Mac computers.

Mac OS Extended (HFS+) is the older file system that is still used for mechanical hard drives and older macOS versions.

exFAT is a good choice if you plan to use the drive with both Windows and macOS.

2. Preparing for Formatting

Before you begin formatting your Seagate external hard drive, it’s important to back up any data stored on the drive. Formatting a hard drive erases all the data, so you’ll want to ensure you have a copy of anything important before proceeding. Here are the steps to prepare:

Back up your data: Move any important files from your Seagate drive to another location, such as your Mac’s internal drive or cloud storage.

Ensure the Seagate drive is connected: Plug the Seagate external hard drive into one of your Mac’s USB ports.

Check for errors: If your drive is not functioning properly or showing any errors, it’s a good idea to check and repair it using Disk Utility before formatting.

3. Using Disk Utility to Format the Seagate External Hard Drive

Disk Utility is the built-in macOS tool that allows you to manage your disks, format them, and perform other tasks such as repairing file system errors. Here’s how to format your Seagate external hard drive:

Step 1: Open Disk Utility

Go to Finder and navigate to Applications > Utilities.

Find and double-click Disk Utility to open it.

Step 2: Select Your Seagate External Hard Drive

In Disk Utility, you will see a list of all storage devices connected to your Mac. Locate your Seagate external hard drive in the sidebar on the left.

Click on the Seagate external hard drive to highlight it. Make sure to select the drive itself (not just a volume or partition within it) to ensure that the formatting process applies to the entire drive.

Step 3: Erase the Drive

With your Seagate drive selected, click on the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window.

A dialog box will appear, asking you to name the drive, choose the format, and select the scheme.

Step 4: Choose the Format and Scheme

Name: Enter a name for your external hard drive. This can be anything you prefer.

Format: Choose the format based on your needs:

APFS (Apple File System): Best for newer Macs and SSDs.

Mac OS Extended (Journaled): Recommended for mechanical hard drives and older Macs.

exFAT: If you plan to use the drive on both macOS and Windows, choose exFAT for maximum compatibility.

Scheme: Choose GUID Partition Map for macOS. This is the default and recommended option for most modern Macs.

Step 5: Erase the Drive

Once you’ve selected the format and scheme, click Erase. This will start the formatting process. Disk Utility will erase all data on the drive and set it up with the file system you’ve chosen.

Step 6: Wait for the Process to Complete

Formatting may take a few moments, depending on the size of the drive. Once it’s complete, you’ll see a confirmation message. At this point, your Seagate external hard drive is formatted and ready to use on your Mac.

Step 7: Close Disk Utility

Click Done once the process is complete, and close Disk Utility. Your Seagate drive should now be available for use with macOS.

4. Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter issues during the formatting process, here are some potential solutions:

Drive Not Appearing in Disk Utility

Make sure the drive is properly connected. Try using a different USB port or cable if necessary.

Check if the drive is showing up on your desktop. If it’s not, try restarting your Mac and reconnecting the drive.

Error Messages During Formatting

If you get an error message, it could indicate a problem with the drive, such as a hardware failure or an existing file system issue. Use Disk Utility’s First Aid tool to check and repair the drive before attempting to format again.

Format Not Working

If the drive does not format properly, ensure you’re using the correct format and scheme. In some cases, you may need to try formatting the drive in Single Partition mode if you have multiple partitions.

If all else fails, you might need to try reformatting the drive from a macOS recovery environment if the operating system is experiencing issues.

5. Alternative Methods for Formatting

While Disk Utility is the most common method, there are other ways to format a Seagate external hard drive on Mac:

Using the Terminal

If you prefer using command-line tools, you can format your drive via the Terminal using the diskutil command. Here’s a simple example:

Open Terminal from the Applications > Utilities folder.

Type diskutil list to see all available disks and volumes.

Locate your Seagate external hard drive in the list (e.g., /dev/disk2).

To format the drive, type the following command (replacing disk2 with your actual disk identifier):

bash

diskutil eraseDisk exFAT MyDrive /dev/disk2

This will erase and format the drive with the exFAT file system and name it “MyDrive.”

6. Post-Formatting Tips

Once the drive is formatted, you can start using it with your Mac. Here are some post-formatting tips:

Create backups: Use Time Machine or any other backup software to keep regular backups of your important data.

Use Finder to manage files: You can now use Finder to drag and drop files to and from your Seagate drive.

Eject the drive properly: Always eject your external hard drive properly to avoid data corruption. Right-click on the drive icon in Finder and select Eject, or drag the icon to the Trash.

About us and this blog

Panda Assistant is built on the latest data recovery algorithms, ensuring that no file is too damaged, too lost, or too corrupted to be recovered.

Request a free quote

We believe that data recovery shouldn’t be a daunting task. That’s why we’ve designed Panda Assistant to be as easy to use as it is powerful. With a few clicks, you can initiate a scan, preview recoverable files, and restore your data all within a matter of minutes.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

More from our blog

See all posts