Disk Utility does not show APFS format

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Level 1

21 points

Disk Utility does not show APFS format

No Ability to Format APFS with Disk Utility!

All contemporary Support Articles in the "Disk Utility" thread states that I can format a disk (including an external HDD) by using Disk Utility and create APFS as the Format. The Disk Utility app [Version 17.0 (1635)] was installed as part of MacOs 10.13.2 - High Sierra. Disk Utility correctly shows that my MacBook Pro internal (boot) SSD is formatted APFS. My new Seagate 2TB-USB 3.0 (as-received) is formatted NTFS. Only the "Erase" button in the top menu is active (not grey). Clicking Erase gives a pop-up window...where the "Format :" drop down menu does NOT contain APFS. This is completely contrary to the very first statement in the Disk Utility Help article:

"File system formats available in Disk Utility

You can format a disk or volume using one of the following file system formats.

Apple File System (APFS)"

and in the Disk Utility Help article:

Erase a volume

Select the disk or volume in the sidebar, then click the Erase button .
Click the Format pop-up menu, then choose a volume format.
- APFS: Uses the APFS format, recommended for volumes using macOS High Sierra.
- and several other APFS choices.

I bought SuperDuper! v3.1.2 which is set up for bootable backup from APFS, but somehow, I must format the disk for APFS file structure.

Anyone know what is going on?

So...how do I format an external HDD drive with APFS?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, iOS 10.3.2

Posted on Jan 30, 2018 11:02 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

CountryGirl56

Level 4

2,592 points

Jan 31, 2018 4:20 PM in response to drbillAZ

Try switching "View" in the top left corner of Disk Utility to "Show All Devices" and try again.

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Answer 2

drbillAZ Author

Level 1

21 points

Jan 31, 2018 4:26 PM in response to CountryGirl56

Wow! Thank you.

That was not obvious. I spent hours scouring Apple Help, forums, and web pages.

Hopefully, Apple will modify the docs on contemporary Disk Utility to show and explain the View Menu, including why the APFS formatting is only applicable to the "Master Boot Record" which is a superset of the drive itself.

Anyway, you have made my day!

Thanks so much.

bill

(drbillAZ)

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Answer 3

Jan 31, 2018 4:30 PM in response to drbillAZ

You're welcome. Yes, it would be nice if the View menu option was listed somewhere in the Apple documentation.

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Answer 4

GeeD

Level 6

9,179 points

Jan 31, 2018 4:27 PM in response to drbillAZ

It is not recommended to format hard disks (i.e. spinning disks) with APFS at present (this may change in the future with APFS updates). It is better to use HFS+. Superduper v. 3.1.2 can back up and make bootable HFS+ clones on external hard discs from APFS - formatted internal SSDs. I have done this several times without problems.

Geoff.

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Answer 5

Jan 31, 2018 4:35 PM in response to drbillAZ

FWIW, Time Machine does not work with a APFS drive. FWIW, there's no real advantage to formatting an external HDD drive to APFS. It will work. But there isn't much point.

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Answer 6

drbillAZ Author

Level 1

21 points

Jan 31, 2018 4:32 PM in response to GeeD

Thanks for the comment. The latest info from SuperDuper! is that the current version is compatible with APFS on external drives, with the caveat of placing an upper bound (there are 2 ways to do that) on the SuperDuper! bootable segment.

My understanding is that if one can use APFS, the gain is the ability to add partitions dynamically later.

Thanks for taking your time to respond!🙂

Bill

drbillAZ

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Answer 7

drbillAZ Author

Level 1

21 points

Jan 31, 2018 4:42 PM in response to CountryGirl56

Yes. BobtheFisherman pointed at an Apple article which raised the issue that only High Sierra (and beyond, presumably) can read the format. That might not be an issue if the HD is used only for a Bootable backup disk, but as you point out, backing up with TimeMachine has definite advantages and is incompatible (now) with APFS.

You guys are great.

Bill

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Answer 8

GeeD

Level 6

9,179 points

Feb 1, 2018 2:50 AM in response to drbillAZ

If you want to get into the details of APFS and why in its present form it is not going to work well on hard disks there is an excellent video at http://docs.macsysadmin.se/2017/video/Day3Session4.mp4

Sierra can also read and write APFS according to Macworld: https://www.macworld.com/article/3230498/storage/apple-file-system-apfs-faq.html

Compatibility with old OS versions is only a limitation if you want to attach an external APFS drive directly to a Mac running an OS older than Sierra. It will still be able to read and write files on another 'up to date' Mac with an internal or external APFS drive when networked to that Mac.

Time machine is compatible with High Sierra, it just has (for now) to write backups to an HFS+ formatted drive.

Geoff.

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Answer 9

Jan 31, 2018 4:29 PM in response to drbillAZ

Do not format your external HDD APFS.

How to choose between APFS and Mac OS Extended when formatting a disk for Mac - Apple Support

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Disk Utility does not show APFS format

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