When it comes to formatting an external hard drive for your Mac, there are a number of different options to choose from.  This includes the partition scheme, format type, security options, and additional questions including what the drive will be used for, and how it will impact those options. e.g. Do you need different settings depending on your version of macOS, or whether you wish to use your drive on both Mac and Windows computers?

In this tutorial, I’ll cover how to format your external drive for use with your Mac, using the excellent Disk Utility application built into macOS.  We’ll also cover the 3 most important questions to consider when formatting your drive.  This includes the Partition Scheme to use – GUID Partition Map vs. Master Boot Record vs. Apple Partition Map.  And this also includes a comprehensive overview of the different file system format types, including: APFS, Mac OS Extended (Journaled), MS-DOS (FAT), ExFAT, and the different options such as Encrypted and and Case-Sensitive within those.  We’ll also explore what Security Options are the best choice when formatting/erasing, and how Time Machine backups specifically should be handled when formatting your drive.

By the end of this tutorial, you should have a solid understanding of what each of this Disk Utility erase options mean, how they will impact your drive, and what settings will be the best match for your drive and expected workflow.

If you like Mac-related tips and tutorials like this, feel free to leave a like and subscribe, and check out the many existing tutorials on my channel.  Also, let me know if you have any questions in the comment below!

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0:00 – Intro
0:21 – Launching Disk Utility, connecting and erasing a drive
1:34 – #1: Partition Scheme
2:21 – #2: File System Format
5:12 – An important point about Security Options…
6:17 – #3: Time Machine Backups

5 IMPORTANT Editing Workflow Tips for M3/M2/M1 Mac Users!:
https://youtu.be/Chs56PjDDZk

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