Master Boot Record (MBR): This scheme is primarily used for compatibility with older systems, including some Windows computers and legacy Mac systems using PowerPC processors. Windows 10 and Windows 11 also fully support GPT and can work with GPT-formatted drives without any problems. If you plan to use the USB flash drive primarily with Mac systems or want to boot from it, choosing the GUID Partition Map is a good option. It also allows for booting from the drive. It is compatible with all Intel-based Macs and Apple Silicon Macs. GUID Partition Map (recommended): This scheme is the default and generally works well with modern Mac computers. You can check the detailed introductions of the three available schemes below. GUID Partition Map scheme is recommended. The scheme you choose depends on the compatibility requirements of the systems. Choose a partition scheme to format the USB drive. Related post: NTFS vs exFAT vs FAT32 vs APFS – Differences. If you only intend to use the drive on Mac systems, you can choose APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

SSD vs.If plan to use the drive on both Mac and Windows computers, you should select exFAT or MS-DOS (FAT) format.How to clone a hard drive as a backup for your Windows computer.What is Google Drive? A guide to navigating Google's file storage service and collaboration tools.What is an SSD? Everything you should know about solid state drives.

What is a hard drive? Everything you should know about the computer storage device.

You'll see the MacOS Utilities window choose 'Disk Utility.' Now you can choose to erase your startup drive, and choose 'Mac OS Extended (Journaled)' as the operating system. To get around that problem, hold down the Command + R keys when you turn on your Mac and let go when the logo appears. If you want to format your Mac's system drive, you can't do that when the Mac is running normally because the drive is in use by the operating system. Usually, you'll want ExFAT, which is the default for the MacOS. Select the drive you want to format and then choose “Erase.”Ĥ. At the top of the window, click 'Erase.'ĥ. In the pop-up window, choose the file system you want to use.

Formatting disk on mac for windows