How to format an SSD – DIY in 5 Ep 211

Опубликовано 3 декабря 2023, 14:00

Knowing how to format an SSD, whether a new purchase or an old one you’re getting rid of, is an essential skill. This week’s video walks you through it.

When you get a new drive, you may want to format it to ensure compatibility with your system. Repurposing an old drive can incentivize reformatting, so you can erase what was on there before, such as partitions or data, and start anew. It is wise to do this before handing it over to the next owner. (If you’re concerned about the security of your data, there are more thorough ways to do this. Look into more secure methods of erasing your disk.) That said, formatting your SSD will erase the data previously stored there. If you want to keep anything from it, be sure to backup your photos, videos, important documents, Baldur’s Gate 3 save files – all the essentials.
When formatting an SSD, you’ll be asked to choose a file format for the drive to use. The most common options include:

- NTFS, the default format when installing Microsoft Windows. It’s got a very large max file size, but is read-only on MacOSX without third-party software.
- APFS is the native solution for Mac users, starting with MacOS 10.13, but Windows will not be able to use this file system without third-party software.
- Ext4 (fourth extended file system) is the Linux default.
- FAT32 is compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, gaming consoles, and other devices with a USB port. However, file size is capped at 4GB and there’s no security.
- exFAT is compatible with Mac and Windows but older systems may struggle to work with it. It lacks the file size limitation of FAT32, though.

This is another reminder that FORMATTING YOUR SSD ERASES ITS CONTENTS, so backup any data you want to keep, either with an external drive, the cloud, or whichever method you prefer. It’s almost impossible to recover data post-reformatting. You can secure erase using your BIOS or SSD management software (such as the Kingston SSD manager) if you’re interested in being more careful.

To format your SSD on a Windows device, simply right-click on the Windows Start button, and head to the Disk Management tool. Right-click the partition or drive you want to format, then select ‘Format’. Select your file system and Allocation Unit Size, then select Quick Format.
On a Mac, the easiest way to format an SSD is using Disk Utility, which can be searched in Finder. Select your SSD from the list on the left and click Erase. Type in a name for the drive, select a file system, and select Erase again. If you’re specifically formatting a drive for a Time Machine backup, you’ll need to pick Mac OS Extended if you’re using macOS 10.12 or earlier, and APFS if using MacOS 10.13 or later.

0:24 Introduction to formatting
1:11 What are file formats?
2:51 Formatting a drive on Windows
3:06 Formatting a drive on Mac

It's that simple! However, if you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments.
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