How to Format a Hard Drive in Hfs+ on an Old Mac
Are you struggling to format a hard drive in HFS+ on your old Mac? Do you want to know how to do it without losing any data? Look no further! In this article, we will guide you through the process of formatting a hard drive in HFS+ using two different methods: Using Utility Disk and using Terminal.
Why Format in Hfs+?
Before we dive into the instructions, let’s quickly discuss why you might want to format your hard drive in HFS+. If you’re using an old Mac that only supports HFS+, formatting your hard drive in this file system will allow you to use it on your Mac without any issues.
Method 1: Using Utility Disk
The first method we’ll cover is using the built-in Utility Disk tool on your Mac. This tool allows you to easily format a hard drive in various file systems, including HFS+.
Step 1: Connect The Hard Drive
To get started, connect the hard drive that you want to format to your Mac. You can do this by connecting it via an external disk cable or using a USB hub.
Step 2: Open Utility Disk
Next, open Utility Disk on your Mac. You can find this tool in the Applications/Utilities folder. Once opened, click on the “Disk Utility” icon to launch the application.
Step 3: Select The Hard Drive
In the Disk Utility window, select the hard drive that you want to format from the list of available disks. Make sure that it’s the correct one to avoid accidentally formatting your main Mac hard drive!
Step 4: Choose Hfs+ as The File System
Next, choose HFS+ as the file system for the hard drive. You can do this by clicking on the “Format” button and then selecting “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” from the dropdown menu.
Step 5: Erase The Hard Drive
Finally, click on the “Erase” button to format the hard drive in HFS+. Be careful here as formatting a hard drive will erase all data!
Method 2: Using Terminal
The second method we’ll cover is using Terminal to format your hard drive in HFS+. This method requires some technical expertise but can be more convenient if you’re comfortable with the command line.
Step 1: Open Terminal
To get started, open Terminal on your Mac. You can find this tool in the Applications/Utilities folder.
Step 2: Run Diskutil Command
Next, run the diskutil command to list all available disks on your Mac. This will show you a list of devices and their respective partitions.
Step 3: Select The Hard Drive
From the list of available disks, select the one that you want to format by typing its name in the Terminal window.
Step 4: Format The Hard Drive
Finally, type the following command to format the hard drive in HFS+: Diskutil eraseDisk JHFS+ NomeDisco percorsoDiIlDisco. Replace NomeDisco and percorsoDiIlDisco with your actual hard drive name and path.
Formatting a Hard Drive in Hfs+ on Windows
If you don’t have a Mac but still want to use a hard drive formatted in HFS+, there is a workaround. You can download the Paragon Software’s HFS+ for Windows, which allows you to format a hard drive in HFS+ on your Windows computer.
Step 1: Download And Install
Download and install the HFS+ for Windows software from the official website. Follow the instructions provided by the software to complete the installation process.
Step 2: Launch The Software
Once installed, launch the HFS+ for Windows software on your computer. You can find it in the Start menu or by searching for “HFS+”.
Step 3: Select The Hard Drive
Select the hard drive that you want to format from the list of available disks.
Step 4: Format The Hard Drive
Finally, click on the “Format” button to format the hard drive in HFS+.
Conclusion
In conclusion, formatting a hard drive in HFS+ is relatively straightforward using Utility Disk or Terminal. If you’re using an old Mac and want to take advantage of this file system, follow these steps to ensure that your data remains safe.
