erase an external hard drive on mac for windows

Erase an external hard drive on mac for windows how to#
Erase an external hard drive on mac for windows windows#

When you delete a partition located at the end part of the disk, it will usually cause the partition found before it to automatically grow in order to fit the deleted partition’s previous space. This will delete all partitions contained within the reformatted disk. If you wish to change the very first disk partition, it is necessary for you to reformat the entire disk to that of a new Partition Scheme. Thus, you need not worry about deleting this partition. However, it must be noted that this first partition won’t be visible or editable using Disk Utility. This is because it has the Partition Scheme. In addition, the first and foremost partition cannot be removed or deleted as well. This first partition can only be reformatted or resized. For instance, the first partition within a particular disk always “cannot” be removed. However, there are some rules for doing this process. It is important to remember that you can remove a lot of partitions if you wish.

Erase an external hard drive on mac for windows how to#

Now, you’re one step closer to finishing the process on how to unpartition a hard drive (Mac). You can remove multiple partitions simultaneously if you wish. Then, press the minus (-) icon that will appear under the pie. You can do this by pressing its part within the pie chart. In order to remove a particular partition, you have to select it first. It goes within that of a clockwise position with regards to physical position within the disk. The partitions of the selected disk will be shown in the form of a pie chart. It will also display your drive’s current partition map.

The “Partition” button is located within the top menu bar. Thus, ensure that you have selected the right disk before you start the next steps. Any particular change you make within the main pane will then be applied to the selected disk within the sidebar. Ensure that the information regarding the drive is shown in the pane on the right side. Now, select the particular disk you wish to format within the tool’s sidebar. The said button is located within the top bar. If the drive you wish to edit is colored grey, you should select this drive and then press the button for “Mount”. If a particular drive doesn’t appear within the sidebar of Disk Utility, the tool won’t be able to edit it. If you can, you can disconnect the drive and then reconnect it when necessary. Also, ensure that it is connected to a particular power source.Īlso, you have to make sure that the drive is actually plugged into a port that is compatible. If your drive is not located there, make sure it is working properly. In order to find the drive you want to edit, you must look in the sidebar located on the left-hand side. The major pane located at the right side shows a variety of info regarding the drive you have currently selected. Once it is opened, you can go to the left sidebar in order to view all connected drives including their subpartitions. Or, you can also use the Spotlight in order to do so. You can launch Disk Utility on your Mac computer by visiting /Application/Utilities. We will be using the Disk Utility tool for this guide. Steps on How to Unpartition A Hard Drive on Macīelow are the steps you should follow in order to remove partitions on your disk drive on Mac. People Also Read: How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac? Guide on How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSD Steps on How to Unpartition A Hard Drive on Mac Part 2. In this way, you don’t lose important data such as work documents and other sensitive information.Īrticle Guide Part 1. Ensure that important data are backed up before you remove the partitions on your drive on Mac. Thus, it is best for you to check out what you’re doing on each step of this guide. Before we start into the entire guide, you have to take note that manipulating any drive, including that of unpartitioning them, is a type of process that involves removing data included on the drive. In this article, we will be focusing on how to remove partitions on your drive on Mac computers. However, how about the opposite? Some people might also wish to know how to unpartition a hard drive on Mac or Windows.

Erase an external hard drive on mac for windows windows#

A lot of people would know how to partition a hard drive on their Mac computers or Windows PCs.