how to format wd external hard drive for mac and pc

Select FAT32 or exFAT format from the drop down menu.Select the external drive you want to format on the left hand side of the window.Select FAT32 or exFAT from the drop down box, and click on Start.Right click on the drive, and select Format.

You must have Mac OS X 10.6.5 or newer, and PCs need to be Windows Vista SP1, Windows 7, or newer. exFAT is not compatible with older operating systems. Individual files on a FAT32 drive can’t be over 4 GB.ĮxFAT was introduced in 2006 and has very large limits on file and partition sizes, allowing you to store files much larger than the 4 GB allowed by FAT32. Flash drives you purchase will often come formatted with FAT32 for maximum compatibility across not just modern computers, but other devices like game consoles and anything with a USB port. Before you begin the digitization process, make sure that your USB or external hard drive is formatted in FAT32 or exFAT following the instructions below.įAT32 is the de-facto standard file system that works between PC and Mac operating systems since 1995.

How to format wd external hard drive for mac and pc