You can use any USB flash drive on a Mac computer provided that it has been formatted. Most flash drives are preformatted by the manufacturer and are ready to use upon purchase. If you have an old flash drive or one that was formatted to work with Windows or another operating system, you can still format your flash drive to work on a Mac.
Volume Format
Sep 19, 2011 The overwhelming majority of USB flash drives you buy are going to come in one of two formats: FAT32 or NTFS. The first format, FAT32, is fully compatible with Mac OS. Mar 12, 2018 Want to format a hard drive for Mac and PC compatibility? You have to set it up correctly before getting starting. Mac OS Journaled is the formatting option for Mac and NTFS or MS-Doc is the.
Most manufacturers use the FAT 32 or MS-DOS (FAT) volume format. These are Windows volume formats, but they can be read by Mac OS X. If your flash drive states that it was formatted with one of these volume types, you should be able to plug it into your Mac and use it without a problem. If you plug in your drive and your Mac won't read it, you need to format it.
Formatting
Apr 22, 2012 To format a hard drive for compatibility of both Mac and windows you can use FAT32 format which has both read/write capability on win/Mac respectively. Although we know its limitation of 4gb file size only. How to Format a Hard Drive For Both Windows and Mac. Windows will format the drive as exFAT and you'll be able to use the drive on both Windows and Mac. Rar unzipper for mac. Windows 10 Storage and Backup. Format USB Flash Drives to Work With Both Mac and Windows 7 by Jack Scicluna Photography, LLC - guest writer. The latest trend with computers is not including a CD/DVD drive.
To format a flash drive on a Mac, plug in the drive and open the 'Applications' folder, the 'Utilities' folder and then 'Disk Utility.' Your flash drive should be listed in the left menu. Select the drive, and then click 'Erase.' When you see the volume format types listed, choose 'MS-DOS (FAT).' Some older flash drives may only have the options 'FAT 16' or 'FAT 32.' Choose the highest number available if 'MS-DOS (FAT)' doesn't appear.
Warning
Format Thumb Drive For Mac
Formatting a flash drive erases all data currently stored on it. If you have already saved anything on the drive, back up the data before you format the flash drive. Best usb format for mac and windows. To back up your data, insert the USB drive into the computer you used with the drive and copy the contents of the drive to the desktop or a folder on the computer. To copy, just drag and drop the files from the flash drive menu to the desktop or desired folder.
Faulty Drives
Occasionally, a faulty flash drive becomes unreadable after it's been used for a while. If you have an older USB flash drive that's been beaten around, it may not work even if you reformat it. While most flash drives are made to withstand years of use, take the age and previous use of the drive into consideration if you have a flash drive that can't be read anymore.
References
About the Author
How To Format Thumb Drive On Mac
Aubrey Kerr is a writer and photographer. With a B.A. in media arts and public relations, she has helped small business owners design and implement online marketing campaigns since 2004. Her work appears on several websites including Salon.com and the Houston Chronicle.