Erase preformatted disks before using them
Most -- if not all -- preformatted disks sold in stores come formatted for use in Microsoft Windows computers. This includes Iomega Zip disks, many kinds of external FireWire and/or USB hard disks, and USB disk-on-keychain devices.
You should Erase a disk before you begin to use it if you are going to use it in a Macintosh computer only. Typically, for regular use solely on a Mac, you should format the disk with a Macintosh-native format. As of this writing, the best Mac-native format is HFS+, also known as "Mac OS Extended."
Some disks, such as certain USB disk-on-keychain devices, may not respond well when formatted HFS+. Please follow the manufacturer's advice, if they provide guidance for using the disk in a Macintosh system.
Section:
Keywords: desktop computer, file system, file transfer, firewire, laptop computer, mac os 8, mac os 9, mac os x, system administration, troubleshooting, usb
Question: Should I reformat PC-formatted disks for use on my Macintosh computer?
FAQ item: true
Score: 500
