how to reformat external HD from APFS to Mac OS Extended (Journaled)?

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how to reformat external HD from APFS to Mac OS Extended (Journaled)?

I am trying to change format on a 2T Lacie portable HD from APFS to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). This is to use it as a backup HD for large Photos libraries pursuant to an instructive discussion on this forum.

But when in Disk Utility, I click on the 2T HD, and then on Erase, I only get 4 options to format and all of them are APFS formats, which is how disk is already formatted.

Don’t know if makes a difference, but the disk in partitioned, and contains backups and photos and other materials. I have saved all these elsewhere, expecting that reformatting will erase all of them.

So, how to I reformat disk as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)?

Thanks.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.4

Posted on Jul 24, 2021 1:24 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,656 points

Jul 24, 2021 1:28 PM in response to ArmandoWyo

open disk utility

click on view in the menubar and select show all devices.

now highlight the disk, not any indented volumes

and click erase.

you should now see the mac os x extended options

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Answer 2

ArmandoWyo Author

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Jul 24, 2021 3:41 PM in response to dialabrain

SUCCESS. Thanks for patience in sticking with me. dragged Photos and even iPhoto libraries to trash and emptied trash on MBP, and I was then able to erase and reformat.

Now, I can backup MBP and the external HD that has photos, libraries etc that had been on 2 T.

Managing backups and storage not easy, but necessary. I had 2 other external HDs fail in past 9 months and all photos on one lost forever.

Thanks again,

armando

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Answer 3

dialabrain

Level 10

135,563 points

Jul 24, 2021 3:27 PM in response to ArmandoWyo

See if you can delete them.

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Answer 4

ArmandoWyo Author

Level 1

104 points

Jul 24, 2021 1:31 PM in response to Eau Rouge

That's exactly what I said that I did. I researched how to format and change format before posting. But as I said, when click on erase, I only can choose one of 4 APFS formats and Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is not an option. Can't choose what menu does not list.

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Answer 5

ArmandoWyo Author

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104 points

Jul 24, 2021 1:46 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Found way to pick Mac OS Extended Journaled, but then when clicked Erase, I get this popup:

Unmounting disk

The volume on disk3 couldn’t be unmounted because it is in use by process 57588 (photoanalysisd)

Couldn’t open device. : (-69877)

Operation failed…

Don't know what process 57588 (photoanalysisd) could be. Not using anything on HD

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Answer 6

ArmandoWyo Author

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104 points

Jul 24, 2021 2:18 PM in response to Eau Rouge

That's for sure. but I've tried again and again, and I keep getting popup that Operation failed b/c “disk couldn’t be unmounted because it is in use by process 57588 (photoanalysisd).”

I got past the 1st mess-up that didn't give MacOS Extended (Journaled), and see I'm on correct page but now, don’t know what that means, nor understand why disk has to be unmounted to erase?

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Answer 7

ArmandoWyo Author

Level 1

104 points

Jul 24, 2021 3:19 PM in response to dialabrain

Yes, I have 3 or 4 Photos libraries there. But Photos app is off? Still I can delete the Photos libraries and try again. I have them on another external HD as well. The copies on this disk were going to be deleted anyway

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