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HFS+ hard disk format

I just upgraded my macbrook pro to snow Leapord and I was going to get Word and install it. I was reading the specs and it says I need HFS+ hard disk formating.


does that mean I have to go into utilities and reformat my entire drive and reinstall every thing? What the the deal with HFS+ any way?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Dec 16, 2011 7:03 PM

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11 replies

Dec 17, 2011 5:11 AM in response to David Bixler

David Bixler wrote:


I have reformatted this drive once but just went with the Mac Os extended. I was unawere of the HSF plus

Mac OS Extended = HFS+

Mac OS Extended (Journaled) = JHFS+, or, in common parlance, just HFS+

(HFS = Hierarchical File System)


HFS+ has been the default file system on the Mac since about System 8; that is, to be very precise, for donkey's years. It is possible to install Mac OS X on different file systems, which why MS specifies HFS+, but that's only for techies. For the purposes of installing and using Word, it doesn't matter if it is journaled or not, but the former has been the default since Panther or Tiger, I can't remember which.

Dec 17, 2011 10:02 PM in response to Network 23

Network 23 wrote:


Since we know that Mac OS Extended starts from HFS+ as the base


"Mac OS Extended" is just another name for HFS+.


Kurt Lang:


do not format a drive as case sensitive.


This is HFSX, or "Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Case-Sensitive)"; it can be regarded either as an extension of HFS+, or a different HFS+-based file system (HFS and HFS+ are case-insensitive). It is sometimes required, but, basically, if you have to ask what HFSX means, you don't need it. Unless you know what you are doing and why, just go with the default offered by Disk Utility.

HFS+ hard disk format

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