You can format the external hard drive or USB drive to make it compatible with both Mac and Windows machines. This thing is still unknown for many users but doesn’t worry it’s not complex. If you are techy and use Windows and Mac computers frequently, then you might need to transfer data between Mac and PC. On Windows: Plug your hard drive into your computer. Insert the drive's USB cable into one of the. First, connect the external hard drive to a laptop or desktop. From the Start Menu, choose Disk Management and choose the external hard drive that you need to format. To look for this more easily, base it on the drive size that will appear once you choose Disk Management. If you need to format the drive, you can do that on the PS4 too – head to Settings, Devices and USB Storage Devices, choose your drive, and then click the Options button. This will reveal a menu.
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Video editors will often find that they need to share files between a PC and a Mac. Use these steps to format external hard drives for both operating systems.
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As a video editor or Digital Imaging Technician, you will often need to share files with others. Eventually you will find out that you may not be working on the same operating system (OS) as others. If you work solely on a Mac, but need to send files to someone working on a PC, your external hard drive needs to be set up for both operating systems. Let’s take a look at the different types of formats, and which are best for video production.
Formatting the Hard Drive
A vast majority of video production will be done on a Mac or Windows operating system, so we aren’t going to cover Linux. Hard drives set up for use on Windows machines only will often use NTFS, while Macs will use HFS+. That said, if you are using both a PC and Mac in the workflow, you’ll need to use a different format.
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You may be using only Macs or PCs in your own office, but you will also need to take into account what type of machines your client is using. If you need to send them RAW files or an edited sequence, you will need to make sure the external hard drive is set up for both operating systems. To do this, you will need to use either exFAT or FAT32 formats. This will allow you to use the hard drive on both a Mac and PC.
FAT32 is often used among general users, but FAT32 has limitations that can affect filmmakers. FAT32 has a maximum file size of 4 GB per file. The limitation affects both Mac and PC users. A single high resolution file can easily go over 4 GB, so Fat32 may not the best format. The best format for video production is exFAT. The maximum individual file size for exFAT is 16 EB. 1 EB, or exabyte, is 1 billion GB. That said, if you are using smaller file sizes — FAT32 can suffice.
Format Hard Drive (Mac)
1. Connect the external hard drive to the computer.
2. Click Go on the top tool bar, and select Utilities.
3. Open Disk Utility.
4. Select the external hard drive on the left-hand side.
5. Click the Partition tab.
6. Change the Partition Layout from Current to 1 Partition.
7. Click Options, Select Master Boot Record, and click OK.
8. Name the hard drive with a name of your choice.
9. Click the Format drop-down menu.
10. Select exFat (or MS-DOS FAT for a FAT32 format).
11. Hit Apply, then click on Partition.
Formatting Hard Drive (Windows)
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1. Right-Click on the Windows icon in the lower left-hand corner.
2. Select Disk Management.
3. Right-Click on the external hard drive in the Volume tab.
4. Click Format.
5. Name the hard drive.
6. Select exFAT (or FAT for FAT32).
7. Click OK.
Naming and Labelling Hard Drives
If you will be using multiple external hard drives on a project, you’ll want to make sure to keep them organized. This includes the way you name the drive and how you label it.
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One of my personal tricks is naming all drives after an actor. For instance, one project had several external drives, all of which were named after different Will Ferrell characters — Mugatu, Megamind, Lord Business, and Ron Burgundy. Another project used Tom Hanks characters — Forrest and Woody.
Remember that external drives should be used temporarily — and all footage should be backed up elsewhere. Use checksum verification to make sure everything is copied correctly.
There are plenty of ways you can label your drives. You can simply use some masking tape or gaff tape, and then write the name of the drive. You can also use hard drive labels, which are the awesome stickers featured above. You easily put them on your external drive to keep track of them.
If you are a parent, like myself, you can also use any stickers you have lying around the house. I recently had Kermit the Frog and Optimus Prime hard drives.
No matter how you label your hard drives, just make sure you keep track of them. You never know when you will need that footage from a three-year-old project.
Got any hard drive organizational tips to share with the community? Let us know in the comments below!
If you’re planning to format an external hard drive for PS4, read through this guide to make the process as smooth and hassle-free as possible.
For most PS4 users, having a back-up external hard drive can enhance your gaming experience. After all, the primary hard drive inside the gaming console has limited memory capacity and may not be able to carry specific games.
If you have experienced difficulty backing up files in your PS4 because of the limited memory space, then you know that getting an external hard drive will instantly resolve this issue.
While it may be an easy task to look for a hard drive for your PS4, you need to format it before using it as back up or extended memory for the console. First off, you have to know what file system you need to use in order to use it properly for gaming.
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Tips to Format An External Hard Drive For PS4
Below is a step-by-step process (suitable for Windows 10) on how to format an external hard drive for PS4:
First, connect the external hard drive to a laptop or desktop.
Open File Explorer (you may use the keyboard shortcut Win+E).
Right click the external hard drive under ‘This PC’, and pick ‘Format’. A new window should pop up.
Under the File System dropdown, pick ‘exFAT’ and click ‘Start’.
Meanwhile, if you’re using a computer running on Windows 8, follow these tips to formatting your PS4 external hard drive:
First, connect the external hard drive to a laptop or desktop.
From the Start Menu, choose Disk Management and choose the external hard drive that you need to format. To look for this more easily, base it on the drive size that will appear once you choose Disk Management.
After choosing your external hard drive, choose the New Choose Volume option. Once the ‘New Simple Volume Wizard’ appears, click Next.
To make sure that your external hard drive will only have just one volume, the size of the volume needs to be the maximum disk space. Click Next.
To help you find your external hard drive easier next time, assign a drive letter. While Window readily assigns one, choosing your own will make you remember it more easily. Click Next when done.
Click Format Partition and select exFAT as your file system. Change ‘Volume Label’ to any desired name for your drive. Tick the ‘Perform a quick format’ checkbox and then click Next.
Note that the wizard will show the settings for your review. If there is no need to save the data on the drive to another location, click ‘Partition’. Otherwise, copy all data to another location where you want to save it. Afterwards, click Next.
After you format external hard drive for PS4, it will be listed as a Healthy ‘primary partition’. The drive will also be in the ‘Computer’ menu of Windows, carrying the assigned drive letter.
By the end of the process, you should have successfully formatted an external hard drive for your PS4. It should also be noted that the PS4 comes with a manual (Back and Restore) that you may also follow in formatting your hard drive.
How to Choose the Default Hard Drive
Once you’ve successfully set up your external hard drive, go ahead and hook it up to your PS4. From there, you can now choose the default hard drive to store your game downloads.
On the PS4 home screen, go to Settings > Storage.
Click the Options button on the controller.
Choose System Storage > Applications.
Click the Options button on the controller.
Choose ‘Move to System Storage’.
Tick the checkbox beside the game titles that you want to save to the default hard drive.
Choose Move, and click OK.
Getting The Most Out of the External Hard Drive for PS4
When you format external hard drive for PS4, the purpose can either be for back up or for extended storage. Before going through the formatting process, you should define the purpose first. That way, you’re able to follow the right instructions accordingly.
How To Format A Hard Drive For Both Windows And Mac | Laptop Mag
Although owning and maintaining gadgets can be painful to your pocket, most PS4-compatible external hard drives are relatively cheaper than years past. What’s amazing is that you also have the option to upgrade the PS4 external hard drive in case you need to do so.
Concluding Thoughts
While there are many external hard drives for PS4 being offered in the market today, always do comprehensive research. That way, you’ll know what type of external hard drive is best suited for your needs. By following our tips above, the process to format an external hard drive for PS4 should be a walk in the park.