2. Seagate
  3. How to Format Your Drive in macOS 10.11 and Above

Seagate How to Format Your Drive in macOS 10.11 and Above Operating instructions

  • Hello! I've analyzed the provided document, which is a user manual for formatting Seagate external drives on macOS. It details the process of using Disk Utility to prepare your drive for use, including important steps like selecting the correct format and partition scheme. I'm ready to answer any questions you have about these procedures.
  • What should I do before formatting the drive?
    Where can I find Disk Utility?
    Which format should I select?
    Which scheme should I select?
How to format your drive in macOS 10.11
and above
⎙
✉
Instructions for how to format your external drive so that it will be fully usable in MacOS. These
steps can be used for both internal and external drives.
Note: Reformatting the drive will erase all data on the drive, so you should copy any data you want off the
drive prior to formatting.
The following is based on the latest version of macOS.
1. Open Disk Utility
Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility
2. Select the Seagate drive on the left.
Note: If you don’t see two entries listed then change the view in disk utility to show the drive and the volume.
The view button is in the upper left-hand side, change to Show All devices. This feature was introduced in
macOS 10.13 and not available in 10.11 or 10.12.
3. Select Erase which opens the following window.
4. Rename the drive
5. Select OS X Extended (Journalled) for Format
6. Select GUID Partition Map for Scheme
Note: If you do not see the scheme option, then you have selected the volume and not the drive. Click on the
view button in the upper left-hand side, change to Show All Devices. Select the non-indented entry for your
Seagate drive.
Warning: Formatting the drive will erase all data on the drive, so you should copy any data you want off the
drive prior to formatting.
7. Select Erase again.
8. Disk Utility will start formatting the drive.
9. Once complete, click done.
How to format a drive in Mac OS 10.6 to
10.10
⎙
✉
Instructions for how to format your external drive so that it will be fully usable in MacOS. These
steps can be used for both internal and external drives.
Reformatting the drive will erase all data on the drive, so you should copy any data you
want off the drive prior to formatting.
The following is based on Mac OS X version 10.10.5. However, the steps are suitable for Mac OS X
10.6.8 to 10.10.5. For instructions on how to format a drive in Mac OS 10.11 (El Capitan) and above
click here.
To reformat the drive in Mac OS X:
1. Open Disk Utility
Applications>Utilities>Disk Utilities
2. Select the Seagate drive on the left that shows the capacity
3. Select the Partition tab on the right hand side of the Disk Utility Window
4. Select Partition Layout and select 1 partition
5. Next to name you will see untitled 1 where you can name the drive. This will be the name
shown when the drive mounts.
6. Change Format to Mac OS Extended (Journalled)
7. Select Options and select GUID Partition Table
8. Select OK
9. Select Apply
You will get the follow window advising you that this is a data destructive process and any data currently on
the drive will be deleted
10. Select Partition to finish the formatting process
How to manually move your data to the drive on a Mac:
There are many ways to move files to the Expansion drive; they range from File Menu/Copy and
Paste, right-click menu/copy and paste, and drag-and-drop, to keyboard commands. Please note
that whatever option used, it is all controlled by Mac OS. Please refer to your Macintosh
computer's documentation for various copy and paste methods or view the instructions below.
Copy and Paste: the facility to duplicate (copy) files/folders in a computer program and add it to
another place (folder, directory, volume, etc.)
Copy and Paste instructions:
1. Open the location where the file/folder is stored and the location where you want the
file/folder to be copied to.
2. Select the item you want to Copy
3. Right click (Control+click) on it or click Edit in the menu bar at the top of the screen
4. Select Copy from the menu
5. Right click (Control+click) inside the location where you want to save the file or click
Edit in the menu bar at the top of the screen
6. Select Paste from the menu
Faster method of Copy and Paste:
1. Select the item you want to Copy
2. Hold down the Command key (⌘) and press ( C )
3. Inside the location where you want to save the file, hold down the Command key (⌘)
and press (V).
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