While the Mac can use a hard drive formatted for Windows, some features may be limited. So it's a good idea to format a new hard drive specifically for macOS.

If you just built a PC, or added a brand new hard drive or SSD to an existing computer, you have to format it before you can actually store data on it. This is called 'initializing' the drive.

You might need to format an external hard drive before you can use it with your computer. We have some tips to help the process go smoothly.

How to Format SSD on a MacBook. A Solid State Drive is primarily used on laptops and other lightweight devices, as its compact size proves adequate for such portable hardware units.

Whether you're trying to repurpose an old hard drive, or utilize a new one as external storage for your Android phone, picking the right file system format can help with optimization and alleviate any ...

To format a hard drive before you start using it in Windows, use the Disk Management utility; on a Mac, use Disk Utility.