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- The low-level format of floppy disks (and early hard disks) is performed by the disk drive's controller. For a standard 1.44 MB floppy disk, low-level formatting normally writes 18 sectors of 512 bytes to each of 160 tracks (80 on each side) of the floppy disk, providing 1,474,560 bytes of storage on the disk.
- NO.1 USB drive formatting software for Mac – DoYourData Super Eraser. DoYourData Super Eraser.
When formatting a pendrive using a Mac, the first issue to be concerned with is that it's operational.
Disk Utility User Guide
Disk Utility on Mac supports several file system formats:
- Apple File System (APFS): The file system used by macOS 10.13 or later.
- Mac OS Extended: The file system used by macOS 10.12 or earlier.
- MS-DOS (FAT) and ExFAT: File systems that are compatible with Windows.
Apple File System (APFS)
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Apple File System (APFS), the default file system for Mac computers using macOS 10.13 or later, features strong encryption, space sharing, snapshots, fast directory sizing, and improved file system fundamentals. While APFS is optimized for the Flash/SSD storage used in recent Mac computers, it can also be used with older systems with traditional hard disk drives (HDD) and external, direct-attached storage. macOS 10.13 or later supports APFS for both bootable and data volumes.
APFS allocates disk space within a container on demand. The disk’s free space is shared and can be allocated to any of the individual volumes in the container as needed. If desired, you can specify reserve and quota sizes for each volume. Each volume uses only part of the overall container, so the available space is the total size of the container, minus the size of all the volumes in the container.
Choose one of the following APFS formats for Mac computers using macOS 10.13 or later.
- APFS: Uses the APFS format.
- APFS (Encrypted): Uses the APFS format and encrypts the volume.
- APFS (Case-sensitive): Uses the APFS format and is case-sensitive to file and folder names. For example, folders named “Homework” and “HOMEWORK” are two different folders.
- APFS (Case-sensitive, Encrypted): Uses the APFS format, is case-sensitive to file and folder names, and encrypts the volume. For example, folders named “Homework” and “HOMEWORK” are two different folders.
You can easily add or delete volumes in APFS containers. Each volume within an APFS container can have its own APFS format—APFS, APFS (Encrypted), APFS (Case-sensitive), or APFS (Case-sensitive, Encrypted).
Mac OS Extended
Choose one of the following Mac OS Extended file system formats for compatibility with Mac computers using macOS 10.12 or earlier.
- Mac OS Extended (Journaled): Uses the Mac format (Journaled HFS Plus) to protect the integrity of the hierarchical file system.
- Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted): Uses the Mac format, requires a password, and encrypts the partition.
- Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled): Uses the Mac format and is case-sensitive to folder names. For example, folders named “Homework” and “HOMEWORK” are two different folders.
- Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted): Uses the Mac format, is case-sensitive to folder names, requires a password, and encrypts the partition.
Windows-compatible formats
Low Level Format For Mac Os X 10.7
Choose one of the following Windows-compatible file system formats if you are formatting a disk to use with Windows.
- MS-DOS (FAT): Use for Windows volumes that are 32 GB or less.
- ExFAT: Use for Windows volumes that are over 32 GB.
See alsoPartition schemes available in Disk Utility on MacAbout Disk Utility on Mac
Erasing the Primary Drive
Low Level Format Mac Os X
The best way to reformat a Mac hard drive is from the operating system disk you currently have installed. Using a previous version system installer disk doesn’t usually work well. You have to complete an extra step that does a high-level erase before doing a more comprehensive low-level one. It will also cause some hiccups when trying to install the new operating system. Essentially, to get off to a good start use the operating system that you have all the disks for. On the other hand, if you are upgrading simply use your new disks.
Why Reformat you Macintosh HD (hard drive)
We tend to reformat a hard drive to prepare the disk for use, either with an operating system or as a storage drive. A corrupt operating system (OS) might also require you to reformat the drive before reinstalling OS X 10.x. This is a drastic last step that you should only use once all other options have been exhausted. Troubleshooting this problem of formatting disk structure damage involves two types of repair paths that use the Disk Utility to address the potential damage to the logical or physical formatting structures. Both eventually lead to the reformatting of the hard drive. For the sake of keeping this to the point I am describing the final step in both of these repair paths.
There are two types of formatting that can be performed on your hard drive: low-level and high-level formatting. Both will erase your Mac hard drive, but there are differences which will determine which type you want to use. The Low-level format is used when you are deleting personal information from your hard drive and preparing it for re-installation of the OS; whenever a high-level format path my have failed to resolve problems that you might have encountered; and when disk testing applications within Apple’s utilities have failed, such as Apple HD SC Setup, Internal HD Format, Drive Setup, Disk Utility, etc. The High-level format is used anytime you are troubleshooting for systems that deal with formatting structure damage. For more information regarding the two complete repair paths please visit Apple’s Support page Troubleshooting Hard Drives: Reformatting
Mac Os X Download
Reformat you Macintosh HD
A high-level format can be used to Erase and Install or just simply Erase your hard drive. This does not zero out, or reset the hard drive’s 0 and 1 binary digit data. It simply overwrites it as it needs space.
The low-level format option you have available to you depends on which version of Mac OS X you have the installer Disk for or have installed on you computer. Earlier versions of OS X prior to OS 10.3.x offered a Zero All Data, returning all the binary digits of the hard drive to 0. Zero All Data does pretty good job of completely erasing your hard drive. Mac OS X 10.4 and later include additional secure erase options that include the once, seven times, or 35 times rewrite options. Note that if you have a large disk overwriting the free space several times can take a long time.
Hdd Low Level Format Mac Os X
- 1. To erase the primary drive, insert the OS X installer disk.
- 2. Reboot the computer. It will ask for your administrator user name and password.
- 3. Select you language.
- 4. From the menu select Utilities > Disk Utility.
- 5. Select the disk you want to erase and click Erase.
- 6. Specify a volume format and name for the disk.
- 7. Click Security Options and select your formatting option.
- 8. Click OK.
- 9. Click Erase.