Reformatting an external hard drive without losing data is a delicate process, but it can be done safely with the right steps and tools. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.

Formatting your hard drive is an important step in setting up your computer. It clears all the data off the disk so that you can start fresh.

Depending on the size of the drive, the formatting process should be completed momentarily. You can now write and read files to and from this drive on any Mac computer. Don't forget to safely eject ...

If your external hard drive or USB stick is faulty, or you simply want to get rid of all the files on it in one swoop, then formatting is usually the best way, by returning the storage medium to ...

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.