Reformatting external HD: shows in sidebar but NOT disk utility

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Reformatting external HD: shows in sidebar but NOT disk utility

I desperately need to reformat the external HD I used on my PC for several years so that I can use it on my MacBook Pro. It's a 3TB wireless external. I plugged it in to my computer just to be safe, but it only shows on the sidebar. I can open it and look at the files like usual, but I cannot get it to show up in Disk Utility. Is it not reformatable? Do I need some software? HELP ME.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2010), OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Jun 1, 2015 4:56 PM

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Answer 1

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Niel

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Jun 1, 2015 5:07 PM in response to sapphire_98

Wireless and Ethernet drives can only be reformatted by software specifically designed for the drive; the Disk Utility won’t list them in its sidebar. They are likely also limited in the formats they can use.

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Answer 2

sapphire_98 Author

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Jun 1, 2015 5:57 PM in response to Niel

Can I download the software somewhere? I don't know if mine came with a disk or not... Dumb question, but what other formats are there besides "PC" and "Mac"?

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Answer 3

Niel

Level 10

726,917 points

Jun 1, 2015 6:00 PM in response to sapphire_98

1. Check the drive manufacturer’s website or contact them.

2. There are many formats; the ones most often used are FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS, which are PC filesystems, and Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

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