How to Format an External Hard Drive for Mac (The Right Way)

If you've just picked up a new external hard drive for photo or video work, congrats! But before you start dumping your precious files onto it, there's one crucial step you don’t want to skip: properly formatting your hard drive for Mac.

Whether you're using a LaCie, Seagate, Western Digital, Samsung T7 SSD, or any other brand, formatting your drive the right way can make a massive difference in speed, performance, and reliability—especially if you're a content creator working with large RAW files or high-res video.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the full process and explain why it matters. And if you're more of a visual learner, I’ve also created a detailed video tutorial you can watch below.

Why Formatting Your External Hard Drive Matters

When you plug in a brand new hard drive, it might technically "work" on a Mac. But that doesn’t mean it's been set up for optimal performance.

Here’s what proper formatting does for you:

Improves compatibility with your Mac OS (especially if you're running macOS Monterey, Ventura, or later)

Boosts file transfer speeds for things like Lightroom catalogs, RAW images, or 4K footage

Reduces the risk of corruption or performance drops over time

Lets you name your drive for better organization in your workflow

Best Format Type for Mac Users

When you go to format the drive using Disk Utility on your Mac, you’ll get a few format options. Here’s a quick breakdown:

APFS (Apple File System): Best for SSDs and macOS-only workflows.

Mac OS Extended (Journaled): Great for traditional hard drives (HDDs) used only with Macs.

ExFAT: Ideal if you want the drive to work with both Mac and Windows systems.

Pro tip for photographers and videographers: If you’re using this drive just for your Mac editing workflow, stick with APFS for SSDs or Mac OS Extended for HDDs. It’ll give you the best performance.

Step-by-Step: How to Format Your Hard Drive on Mac

Plug in your new external hard drive.

Open Disk Utility (find it via Spotlight search or in Applications > Utilities).

Select the new drive from the left-hand menu (not just the volume, but the actual drive name).

Click Erase in the top toolbar.

Choose your drive name.

Select the format (APFS, Mac OS Extended, or ExFAT, depending on your needs).

Leave the Scheme as GUID Partition Map.

Hit Erase and let it do its thing.

And just like that, you’re good to go.

Why This Matters for Water Photographers

If you’re shooting in the water, chances are you’re capturing large RAW files or even high frame rate video. A poorly formatted drive can bottleneck your entire workflow, especially when you’re backing up, editing, or exporting files.

A clean, well-formatted external hard drive not only improves speed but also helps you stay organised and confident during busy shoot days.

I use a combination setup: a fast SSD like the Samsung T7 Shield for current projects, and larger-capacity HDDs for long-term storage. Works a treat.

Watch the Full Video Tutorial on how and why I use a special SSD hardrive for my working projects and store elsewhere

Want to see the full step-by-step in action? I’ve filmed a quick walkthrough showing you exactly how I do it:

Want to Learn More?

If you're serious about building a professional workflow for your surf or water photography, check out my online courses:

👉 Water Photographer Course

👉 Confident Photographer Program

And if you're looking for for HD's I use I get them here:

LaCie 2 GIG version: https://amzn.to/4d9r2hL

LaCie 5 GIG version: https://amzn.to/3Wvovr9

And my working SSD hardrive is the Samsung T7 find that one HERE

https://amzn.to/4jCFEZT

Setting up your hard drive properly might not be the most exciting part of photography—but trust me, it’s one of the most important.

A few minutes of prep now can save you hours (and headaches) down the track.

Catch ya in the next tutorial!

About the Author

Tom Woods is a professional commercial and surf photographer based on the Sunshine Coast, Australia.
With over 25 years of experience and thousands of published images under his belt, he now also mentors photographers worldwide through online courses and coaching.
Photography services website: www.stimages.com.au

Photography Tuition website: https://www.waterphotographycourses.com/