Whenever a hard drive is added to a computer, it must first be formatted properly. Simply follow these directions, one step at a time.

When formatting a hard drive:

1. Begin by opening the system drive. On most computers, this will be labeled “Macintosh HD”.
2. Next, open “Applications.”
3. Double click on the “Disk Utility” so that it opens. A list of all of the available drives will appear on the left-hand side of the screen. The one that you are trying to format will be included in the list as long as you have physically attached it.
4. Click on the hard drive that you are attempting to format.
5. Click on the “Erase” tab that is located to the right of the hard drives. This action opens the list of options for erasing the hard drive so that it can be formatted to function on the Mac.
6. If you are not sure which option to pick, you should refer to the manual that came with your computer. In general, the best option for Mac OS X is to select “Mac OS Extended (Journaled). However, you should select the option that is best for your needs, so if this is something different, it really is okay to do so.
7. Now, name the hard drive. This is the name that will appear whenever the disk is in place on the Mac. Simply type the name that you have selected for the disk in the place next to the prompt for a name.
8. Now it is time to click the “Erase” button. You will be prompted to verify and you should do so. The disk will be erased once you click this option. Once this process is completed, the hard drive will appear with its new name on the left-hand side of the screen along with any other hard drives that already exist.
9. Change any settings for “Security Options” that you wish to make at this time by accessing this option through the “Erase” screen. Your hard drive has now been formatted properly.

Susan Keenan | September 30th, 2008
Categories: Hardware, Mac Issues

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