Get three methods to format WD Passport for Mac and Windows:
1 - Format WD Passport for Windows (using free software)
2 - How to format WD Passport for Windows using File Explorer
3 - How to format WD Passport for Mac (macOS/OS X platform)
Can I use WD My Passport on Mac and PC?
Before getting the answer, you should find out what type of file system works well on macOS and Windows systems. macOS supports several popular file systems - HFS+, FAT32 and exFAT, with read-only support for NTFS. While Windows uses two main file systems: NTFS and FAT. FAT was inherited from old DOS and has exFAT as a later extension. In addition, the ReFS file system was developed as a new generation file system for servers starting with Windows Server 2012.
Overview of the WD My Passport file system on Windows and Mac
| Devices | NTFS | HFS/APFS | FETT | exFAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows-PC | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mac-PC | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
We list the comparison table forfile system format. That is, only FAT32 and exFAT can work on both Mac and PC. If you want to easily exchange digital files between Mac and Windows systems, you must do thisFormat WD My Passport for Mac. Here are three ways to format WD My Passport for Mac, follow one of them to convert to FAT or exFAT.
1 - Format WD Passport for Windows (using free software)
You can format a Western Digital My Passport external hard drive to Ex-FAT or FAT32 format with a free Ex-FAT or FAT32 converter -Free EaseUS Partition Masteror use built-in Windows apps.
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It's a wise choiceFormat hard drivewith a professional formatting tool. With the help of EaseUS Partition Master Free, you can perfectly bypass the format limitation of Windows Disk Management tool and help you format WD My Passport to FAT32 or exFAT easily without any obstacles.
wire of life: EaseUS Partition Master Free Edition is one of the best disk partitioning tools out there...
Follow the details below to convert WD My Passport to WD Passport for Mac format.
- Right-click the USB or external drive you want to format and select "Format".
- Set the partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT) and cluster size and click "OK".
- Click Yes to continue.
- Click the "1 Perform task(s)" button and then click "Apply" to format the hard drive partition.
Format a 64GB SD card to FAT32 Format 128GB USB to FAT32
2 - How to format WD Passport for Windows using File Explorer
Windows limits FAT32 partitions to 32GB. It doesn't offer an option to format a drive larger than 32GB to FAT32, the only options available are NTFS or exFAT. If you want to format your WD My Passport to FAT32, make sure the size is less than 32GB. If it is larger than 32GB, you can only format it to exFAT.
1.Open Windows File Explorer, locate the WD My Passport you want to format and right click on it. Choose "Format".
2.Rename the drive, reset its file system to FAT32 or exFAT.
3.Click Start to begin formatting.
3 - How to format WD Passport for Mac (macOS/OS X platform)
The easiest way to format the drive to FAT32 or exFAT is to use the built-in macOS Disk Utility for FAT32 or exFAT.
Tips:The following instructions are designed to help you repartition and format a hard drive. Once the process begins, all data on the drive will be lost! ready to learnhow do i format my passport for macorHow can I reformat my passport for Mac?.
Check the video! How to format WD Elements for Mac
- This video explains the method to format WD Passport for Mac.
- 00:25 Connect cable to Mac.
- 01:35 See WD Elements, what to do next?
- 01:56 Format WD Elements for Mac
How to format my passport for Mac:
1.Connect WD My Passport to your Mac.
2.Once that's done, double left-click on your Mac's hard drive, the Mac's internal hard drive, which is visible in the top-right corner of your desktop screen. Choose Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
3.Select your WD My Passport in the sidebar and select Delete.
4.Rename the drive, select the "Volume Format" drop-down list and select "MS-DOS (FAT)" or "Ex-FAT File System". Then click Delete.
Wait for the process to complete and let macOS erase the drive data and reformat it in FAT32 or Ex-FAT format. You can then use the drive in macOS or OS X like a normal hard drive. If after formatting your WDhard diskOn Mac, you can run EaseUSMac data recoveryto get data back.
How to use WD My Passport for Mac
- Plug in the wall/power strip and let the power in.
- Plug one end of the USB cable into the drive and the other end into your system. If your system has a USB 3.0 port, use it for faster transfer speeds.
- Navigate to My Machine to view the new hard drive. It will be called "My Book".
- Double click on it and select "Create WD Applications". Then you will see WD Apps for Mac.
- Just follow the program's setup instructions. Do not deviate from it or manipulate instructions that you do not understand.
WD My Passport not showing up/recognized?
Is your WD My Passport external hard drive not showing up, not recognized, or not recognized on your PC? Follow this guide to fix WD Passport not showing error.
Difference between FAT32, exFAT and NTFS
FETTis called the file allocation table. The successive major versions of the FAT format are named according to the number of bits in the table element: FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32. FAT32 is the oldest of the three file systems available for Windows. Individual files on a FAT32 drive cannot exceed 4GB in size. A FAT32 partition should also be less than 8TB, which admittedly is a minor limitation unless you're using high-capacity drives.
exFAT,Extended file allocation table, is optimized for flash drives. It was added to older versions of Windows with updates for Windows XP and Windows Vista. This file system does not have the limitations of FAT32. You can use it when you need larger file size and partition limitations than FAT32 provides.
NTFS,NTFS file system, is the modern file system that Windows likes to use by default. It has modern features that are not available for FAT32 and exFAT. However, it only works with all Windows versions but read-only with Mac by default.
If you want to use WD My Passport or any other hard drive on Mac and PC, you need to format a Western Digital My Passport external hard drive in exFAT or FAT32 format.
How to convert exFAT to NTFS/FAT/FAT32?
Here the best exFAT to NTFS converter software and exFAT to FAT32 converter software can help you format exFAT to NTFS and convert exFAT to FAT32 without losing data.
Tips to avoid formatting WD My Passport without backup
As mentioned above, once the process starts, all data on the drive will be lost. To avoid unnecessary data loss troubles, it is highly recommended that all users extract or backup important data to another device or partition beforehand. You can copy files one by one to a new hard drive or drive. If you need to transfer a lot of data, professional backup software is your best choice. Here we recommend you try itEaseUS backup and restore software, which allows you to backup target data directly with simple steps.
Conclusion
You can format your Western Digital My Passport external hard drive in FAT32 or exFAT format to conveniently transfer data between Mac and Windows system. As per the above solutions, EaseUS partition tool stands out for its practicality and ease of use. It is always your best choice. You can contact us via live chat or email if you have any questions.
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Frequently Asked Questions About WD My Passport Format (Mac)
Review the following questions about formatting your WD My Passport for Mac.
How to format WD external hard drive for Mac?
1. Connect your WD external hard drive to your Mac.
2. Open Disk Utility and select the hard drive you want to format.
3. Click the Erase button and select the desired file system.
4. Click on the Delete option again.
How do I make my WD compatible with my Mac?
1. Open Disk Utility.
2. Find your WD drive in the left pane.
3. Erase your drive and select the Extended Mac OS (Journaled) file system.
How do I format my passport for my Macbook Pro?
1. Connect Passport to Mac.
2. Run Disk Utility and you will see the list of internal and external drives.
3. Select the correct drive and click Erase option.
4. In the Erase window, select the correct file format.
5. Begin formatting your WD My Passport drive.
FAQs
Can I use WD Passport for both Mac and PC? ›
My Passport for Mac is ready to deliver plug-and-play storage out of the box. You can also work across both Mac and PC.
What format should my WD Passport be for Mac? ›WD My Passport FAQS:
If you want to format My Passport for Mac only, format it with the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) file system. It is also the default file format for Mac OS.
- Connect your Western Digital hard drive to your Windows computer. ...
- Click the "Start" button, type "cmd" and press "Enter" to run the Command Prompt.
- Type "format /FS:FAT32 X:" and press "Enter." Replace "X" with the drive letter of your Western Digital drive.
- Type "y" to confirm formatting.
If you want to optimize performance, it's best to format the drive using the computer's native file system. If you need to use your drive on both Mac and PC then it's best to format exFAT.
Does exFAT work on Mac and PC? ›Compatibility with both Windows and Macs
exFAT is a lightweight file system compatible with all versions of Windows and modern versions of macOS. If you use your drive with both PCs and Macs, format your drive in exFAT.
Compatible Hard Drive Format
OS X and Windows include native support for FAT32 file systems, so if you're sharing an external hard drive between a Mac and PC, format it with FAT32. However, if your drive is larger than 2TB and you plan to store files larger than 4GB, use exFAT instead.
Solution 1.
If you want to use Windows hard drive on Mac without formatting, using a cross-platform NTFS driver for Mac is the best choice. iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is the best pick. This easy-to-operate NTFS for Mac software can change the hard drive from read-only Mac without erasing, and help you use NTFS drive on Mac.
Yes, you can back up as many computers as you want on a single My Passport. It will automatically recognize the correct computer when you plug it in. You can also use up to 3 Passports on a sigle computer.
How do I make my WD passport readable Mac? ›- Keep the WD My Passport drive connected to Mac.
- Open Disk Utility by going to Applications > Utilities > Find and double-click "Disk Utility".
- Select the WD drive, and click "First Aid" at the top pane > Click "Run" > Click "Done".
One of the leading causes that your Mac might not be showing your WD passport can be that your Mac is not formatted to display external devices on the desktop. Your Mac can be recognizing your WD passport, but it is not set to show to the icon on the screen.
How do I format a WD drive for Mac? ›
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition on your external hard drive/USB/SD card which you want to format and choose the "Format" option. Step 2. Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and cluster size to the selected partition, then click "OK".
What format is Mac OS Extended journaled? ›Mac OS Extended (Journaled): Uses the Mac format (Journaled HFS Plus) to protect the integrity of the hierarchical file system. Choose this option if you don't need an encrypted or case-sensitive format.
How do I format an external hard drive to exFAT on a Mac? ›- Hold down "Command + Space" to open "Disk Utility". ...
- Select the USB drive on the left side and click on "Erase" at the top.
- Give a name to the drive and select the "exFAT" format.
Plug in the drive and open Windows Explorer. Right-click the drive and choose Format from the drop-down menu. Select the file system you want, give your drive a name under “Volume label,” and make sure the Quick Format box is checked. Click Start, and the computer will reformat your drive.
Should I use exFAT or journaled for Mac? ›Here's a basic rundown of which format we recommend for your USB flash drive, broken down by use case. If you absolutely, positively will only be working with Macs and no other system, ever: Use Mac OS Extended (Journaled). If you need to transfer files larger than 4 GB between Macs and PCs: Use exFAT.
Should I format my external hard drive to NTFS or exFAT? ›Q #2) What is the best format for a hard drive? Answer: NTFS (New Technology for File System) is the recommended format if you intend to use a drive on Windows operating system. However, if you want to use a storage device on both Windows and macOS, the best format is exFAT.
Is NTFS or exFAT better for Mac? ›exFAT for Windows and Mac
For flash drives, memory cards, and flash drives, the NTFS file system is not suitable for use, exFAT is better. If you are using Windows and Mac computers, exFAT is a good choice.
exFAT also performs better than FAT32. You can format the drive from either Mac or Windows. However, if you want to use part of the drive for OS X's Time Machine backups, you should do this from the Mac, since there's an extra step to make the drive compatible for Time Machine.
Why does my Mac not recognize exFAT? ›Corruption issues: In some cases, the ExFAT USB might not mount on the Mac operating system due to corruption. That prevents mounting. You will need to rebuild the directory or run the repair on the USB. Missing driver software: Another reason could be the lack of essential driver software for reading the ExFAT USB.
What USB format works on Mac and PC? ›Most USB flash drives will have a FAT32 file system out-of-box. It is the most compatible file system for older/modern computers (PC and Mac) plus gaming consoles and other devices with a USB port.
Why is my Mac formatted hard drive not showing in Windows? ›
Why not? A hard drive formatted for use in a Mac has either an HFS or HFS+ file system. For this reason, a Mac-formatted hard drive is not directly compatible, nor readable by a Windows computer. The HFS and HFS+ file systems are not readable by Windows.
What is the best format for a Mac internal hard drive? ›Apple File System (APFS), the default file system for Mac computers using macOS 10.13 or later, features strong encryption, space sharing, snapshots, fast directory sizing, and improved file system fundamentals.
How do I force an external hard drive to format on a Mac? ›- Connect an external hard drive to your Mac. ...
- Go to Spotlight Search, type in Disk Utility, and click the first option. ...
- Then click View in the top-left corner of the window and select Show All Devices.
- Click the external hard drive you want to format. ...
- On the top menu, click Erase.
- Click on Start, then type cmd and hit Enter.
- Right-click on cmd and then click on "Run As Administrator".
- Type Diskpart and then hit Enter.
- Type H: /FS :NTFS and hit Enter. (H shall be the drive letter of your RAW storage device.)
It's not possible to convert HDD from NTFS to exFAT without formatting. I suggest to backup files and format to ex-FAT. NTFS will work as Read only in Mac. But, you can use read-write compatibility for all NTFS-formatted USB drives in Mac.
Can two computers use the same external hard drive? ›Any external drive can backup as many computers as there is space on the external drive, through any number of ways.
Why won't my WD Passport work on my PC? ›A damaged USB hub or faulted USB cable can cause the issue. You may face the issue if you don't assign a drive letter to a WD passport drive. Outdated WD drive driver might be causing the chaos you're struggling with. Faulty Universal USB controllers can also be the culprits behind the whole fuss.
Can two computers access the same external hard drive? ›You can link a single external hard drive to two or more computers that are on the same network. This allows you to access the drive from either computer, and it allows you and your employees to share documents to improve productivity.
Why is NTFS read only on Mac? ›Sometimes when you connect an external hard drive to your Mac, you'll find that it's set to read-only. This happens because the drive is formatted with Microsoft's NTFS filesystem, which macOS doesn't support by default.
How do I get my Mac to recognize my WD external hard drive? ›Step 1: Go to Finder > Preferences > General, make sure the "External disks" option is ticked. This will make the recognized WD hard drive show up on the Desktop. Step 2: Select the Sidebar tab on the top, make sure the "External disks" option under Locations is also ticked.
How do I fix a corrupted WD Passport external hard drive? ›
- On the desktop, open This PC (My Computer) and select the desired external hard drive. Right-click it and select Properties -> Tools -> Click on Check. ...
- Use chkdsk.
- Use Disk Management. ...
- Use diskpart.
FAT32 is supported on both Windows and MacOS but is not recommended(especially for audio files) because of its file size limits.
Can I use my WD passport on two computers? ›Yes, you can back up as many computers as you want on a single My Passport. It will automatically recognize the correct computer when you plug it in.
How do I format my WD external hard drive for PC? ›Plug in the drive and open Windows Explorer. Right-click the drive and choose Format from the drop-down menu. Select the file system you want, give your drive a name under “Volume label,” and make sure the Quick Format box is checked. Click Start, and the computer will reformat your drive.
How do I share my external hard drive between two computers? ›Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Computer." 2. Right-click the name of the external hard drive that you want to share and select "Properties." Click the "Sharing" tab and select "Advanced Sharing." Approve the User Account Control window if prompted.
Can two computers share the same external hard drive? ›Any external drive can backup as many computers as there is space on the external drive, through any number of ways.
How do I get my computer to recognize my WD external hard drive? ›- Connect the external hard drive to a different USB port.
- Change another USB cable.
- Update or reinstall the disk drivers.
- Add or change a drive letter.
- Repair corrupted file system.
- Repair bad sectors.
Most WD Drives come formatted in the NTFS (Windows) or HFS+ (Mac) format. For a hard drive to be able to be read and written to in both a PC and Mac computer, it must be formatted to ExFAT or FAT32 file format. FAT32 has several limitations, including a 4 GB per- file limit.
Is exFAT better than NTFS? ›NTFS is faster as an internal drive file system. It consistently outperforms exFAT efficiency and uses fewer system resources. However, exFAT acts faster when used as the file system for external drives as the read/write speeds are handled differently over USB connections and between operating systems.
How can I format my hard drive without formatting Mac? ›- Step 1: Restart your Mac and immediately press and hold Command + R keys. ...
- Step 2: In the macOS Utilities window, click Disk Utility, and then click Continue. ...
- Step 3: From the left panel, select Macintosh HD and click the Erase tab.