

If this is your first time formatting a storage device, it might sound a bit intimidating. Unfortunately, formatting a USB on Mac (and any other device) wipes all the files and folders from that drive – but using data recovery software, you can simply restore them. Or maybe your drive was corrupted and you want to clean it by formatting it (and you chose FAT32 for its compatibility). In some cases, a device may ask you to format your USB drive to FAT32 in order to make it compatible. It works with both older and modern computers, as well as other devices like consoles.įAT32 can mostly be found in portable storage devices such as: What makes it so popular as a file system is that it is the most cross-platform compatible among all file systems.

FAT32 has a file size limit of 4 GB, and can support a partition size of up to 32 TB. A file system is a method that the disk will use to organize data.

How to Recover Data Lost From a Flash Drive During Formatting.When the new owner starts up the Mac, they can use their own information to complete setup. If you're selling, trading in, or giving away your Mac, press Command-Q to quit the assistant without completing setup. Your Mac might restart and show a progress bar several times, and the screen might be empty for minutes at a time.Īfter installation is complete, your Mac might restart to a setup assistant. Allow installation to complete without putting your Mac to sleep or closing its lid.If the installer offers you the choice between installing on Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD - Data, choose Macintosh HD.If the installer doesn't see your disk, or it says that it can't install on your computer or volume, you might need to erase your disk first.If the installer asks to unlock your disk, enter the password you use to log in to your Mac.To begin installation, select Reinstall macOS from the utilities window in macOS Recovery, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.įollow these guidelines during installation: Reinstalling macOS does not remove data from your Mac.
