User profile for user: charmain193
charmain193 Author
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How do you perform a "long format" on a new hdd?

How do you perform a "long format" on a new hdd contained within a nas or external hdd enclosure attatched to a macbook pro (2021) via a highspeed usb3 c to c/thunderbolt cable?.... I know it is possible to format a hdd in seconds using the mac disk utility but it is my intention to use the long format process to "burn in" the hdd prior to filling it with sensitive data so I can trust it's durability. I am used to pcs not macs. If I was using a pc for the task I would choose to long format the disks - which basically involves writing a 0 to every sector on the disk. I know this takes hours / days (depending on the size of the disk) but in my experience if a brand new hdd survives a long format it is more likely to take years before it fails when in use.

MacBook Pro (2021)

Posted on May 3, 2023 11:32 AM

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User profile for user: Tesserax
Tesserax
User level: Level 10
157,854 points

Posted on May 3, 2023 12:33 PM

To perform something similar to the "long" format in Windows, you would use the Disk Utility in macOS using the following steps:


  1. Connect the external drive to your Mac.
  2. Open the Disk Utility.
  3. In the sidebar, select the external drive that you want to erase.
  4. Click on the "Erase" button at the top of the window.
  5. Choose a name for the drive and select a format. Note: For HDDs, use "Mac OS Extended,' whereas for SSDs, choose "APFS."
  6. Under "Scheme," select "GUID Partition Map" if the drive will be used with a Mac, or "Master Boot Record" if the drive will be used with a Windows PC.
  7. Click on the "Security Options" button.
  8. Choose one of the security options for erasing the data: "Fastest" - erases the data by simply removing the file directory and making the data inaccessible, but not overwriting it. "Standard" - overwrites the data with a single pass of zeros. "Most Secure" - overwrites the data with multiple passes, making it almost impossible to recover.
  9. Click on "OK" and then click on "Erase" to begin the process.


On step 8, choosing "Standard" should be the direct equivalent to the Windows "long" process.

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User profile for user: Tesserax
Tesserax
User level: Level 10
157,854 points

May 3, 2023 12:33 PM in response to charmain193

To perform something similar to the "long" format in Windows, you would use the Disk Utility in macOS using the following steps:


  1. Connect the external drive to your Mac.
  2. Open the Disk Utility.
  3. In the sidebar, select the external drive that you want to erase.
  4. Click on the "Erase" button at the top of the window.
  5. Choose a name for the drive and select a format. Note: For HDDs, use "Mac OS Extended,' whereas for SSDs, choose "APFS."
  6. Under "Scheme," select "GUID Partition Map" if the drive will be used with a Mac, or "Master Boot Record" if the drive will be used with a Windows PC.
  7. Click on the "Security Options" button.
  8. Choose one of the security options for erasing the data: "Fastest" - erases the data by simply removing the file directory and making the data inaccessible, but not overwriting it. "Standard" - overwrites the data with a single pass of zeros. "Most Secure" - overwrites the data with multiple passes, making it almost impossible to recover.
  9. Click on "OK" and then click on "Erase" to begin the process.


On step 8, choosing "Standard" should be the direct equivalent to the Windows "long" process.

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How do you perform a "long format" on a new hdd?

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