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How to format ntfs drive to apple format?

I just bought a seagate backup drive, but when I plugged it in to my mac, it says in disk utility that it's in NTFS format. What can I do? Can I format it in apple format? How would I do that?

Mac mini, macOS 10.15

Posted on May 9, 2020 2:39 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 9, 2020 2:49 PM

Open Disk Utility in your Applications> Utilities folder.

Click on View in the menubar and select Show All Devices.

In the left hand panel select the Seagate Drive under External

highlight the upper Disk and not the indented Volume.

Click Erase,

give the Disk a name,

Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

Scheme: GUID Partition Map.

click Erase.


That will reformat your Seagate drive for use with Macs


If you need to use this drive between Macs and windows PCs

then as above but

Format: exFAT,

Scheme: Master Boot Record.


3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 9, 2020 2:49 PM in response to madirmur59

Open Disk Utility in your Applications> Utilities folder.

Click on View in the menubar and select Show All Devices.

In the left hand panel select the Seagate Drive under External

highlight the upper Disk and not the indented Volume.

Click Erase,

give the Disk a name,

Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

Scheme: GUID Partition Map.

click Erase.


That will reformat your Seagate drive for use with Macs


If you need to use this drive between Macs and windows PCs

then as above but

Format: exFAT,

Scheme: Master Boot Record.


How to format ntfs drive to apple format?

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