How to Format/Reformat a Seagate External Hard Drive on Windows or Mac

Updated by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Key points

Unlike Seagate internal hard drives, most new Seagate external hard drives come preformatted as exFAT. However, you might need to format the drive if you're using it with a new computer or want to erase the data on the drive.

This article provides instructions on how to format and reformat a drive on Windows and Mac.

Page Content

What Happens When You Format a Seagate External Hard Drive?
Available File Systems
Format Seagate External Hard Drive on Windows
Format Seagate External Hard Drive on Mac
FAQs About Formatting a Seagate External Hard Drive

What will happen if I format my Seagate external hard drive?

Formatting a Western Digital external hard drive will erase all data stored on the disk, including any files, folders, or installed programs.

Moreover, the drive will be formatted to the default file system, which might not be compatible with all devices. Before formatting the disk, you must back up any important data that you don't want to lose. Once formatted, you can use the disk as good as new and store data on it without issues.

Optional file formats

• NTFS - Compatible with Windows and Mac, but only readable on Mac.
• exFAT - Compatible with Windows and Mac. Higher risk of data corruption, though.
• FAT32 - Compatible with Windows and Mac. Best for smaller storage capacities. Don't choose FAT32 if your Seagate external hard drive is larger than 32 GB.
• APFS (Apple File System) - Supports macOS 10.13 and later.

File System Comparison: NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and EXT

This article compares four common file system formats - NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and EXT2/3/4 - to help you decide which file system to use on your storage devices.

Format a Seagate External Hard Drive on Windows

This section includes the utilities Partition Master Free (recommended) and Disk Management .

1. Format a new disk

You can directly format a pre-formatted Seagate external hard drive without initialization. Here, we recommend a free formatting tool - AOMEI Partition Assistant Free. This partition manager allows you to format any brand of hard drive in four steps. Even if you choose the wrong format, you can immediately rollback, and no data will be lost.

? From pcworld.com: I recommend the free tool Partition Master Free. It's simple and, as the name suggests, free.

Connect the external hard drive to your computer and download the software:

- Right-click on the external drive or USB you want to format, and select "Format." - Set the Volume label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and Cluster size, then click "OK." - Click "Yes" to proceed. - Click the "Perform 1 task" button and hit "Apply" to format the hard drive partition.

Want to format a USB or SD card?

2. Reformatted Seagate external hard drive

You can format the Seagate external hard drive using a third-party formatter as mentioned above, or use Windows Disk Management.

1. Open Disk Management.

2. Right-click on the partition and select “Format.”

3. When the formatting window appears, name your volume and choose a file system. Leave the Allocation Unit Size at its default value.

4. Click "OK."

Format Seagate External Hard Drive for Mac

You don't need to download any additional software to format a disk on your Mac – you can use Disk Utility, which comes pre-installed on every Mac. Disk Utility is a powerful tool for managing disks, allowing you to format, partition, and repair them, as well as create disk images and burn CDs and DVDs. Disk Utility has a lot of features, so it might seem a little complicated at first. This guide will walk you through some of the basics of using Disk Utility on your Mac.

Note: If you click "Erase," you will delete everything on your Seagate hard drive (akin to emptying the trash). Make sure to back up all of your data before erasing, as it will be very difficult to recover afterward.

Video Guide: How to Format Seagate Portable External Hard Drive

This video demonstrates how to reformat a Seagate external hard drive on a Mac using Disk Utility.

• Start playing “Erase” from 0:52.

How to Format Seagate Hard Drive for Mac?

1. Connect the Seagate external hard drive to your Mac.

2. Press “Command + Space” to open Spotlight. Type “Disk Utility” and click the app to open it.

3. From the left panel, select your Seagate external hard drive and then click the “Erase” button in the top right corner.

4. In the “Erase” window, give your drive a name and select a file format. Click “Erase.”

Want to know how to format a USB drive on a Mac?

Frequently Asked Questions on Formatting Seagate External Hard Drive

Here are two more questions that you may be asking:

1. How do I erase and format a Seagate external hard drive?

To format a Seagate external hard drive, first connect the drive to your computer. Once connected, you'll need to open the Disk Management tool. In this tool, you'll see a list of all drives connected to your PC. Locate the Seagate external hard drive in the list and right-click on it. From the context menu, select "Format." A window will appear to confirm the formatting process. Choose the file system you prefer and click "OK." The formatting will begin and may take a few minutes to complete.

2. Can I format Seagate hard drive?

Seagate hard drives can indeed be formatted, but bear in mind that this process will erase all data on the disk. Before formatting, the Seagate hard drive must be connected to a computer. Once connected, you can use the built-in disk management utility on your computer to format the device. Alternatively, you can utilize third-party software such as Partition Master to format the Seagate hard drive.