Formatting the hard drive erases the data. This article will show how to format a hard drive using Disk Utility, a helpful application that comes with every Mac. It’s easy, and takes a few minutes.

While the Mac can use a hard drive formatted for Windows, some features may be limited. So it's a good idea to format a new hard drive specifically for macOS.

To format the hard drive in a Mac laptop or a Mac desktop computer, you use software called Disk Utility. This software ships with all Mac computers, so it’s ready to use for the formatting process.

To format the hard drive in a Mac laptop or a Mac desktop computer, you use software called Disk Utility. This software ships with all Mac computers, so it’s ready to use for the formatting process.

Format A Drive To FAT32 On Windows Hard drives formatted to NTFS work best with Windows and enjoy advanced features like encryption and better performance.

With that said, there are a few ways to format a single external hard drive for both Mac and PC use without losing data or corrupting files.

This CNET TV video gives you step-by-step instructions on how to set up your external hard drive so it can be used on a Windows machine and on your Mac.

Method 1: Use Built-in Tools on Your Computer Both Windows and Mac have built-in tools to wipe your hard drive. These are quick, easy, and free, which makes them a solid option.