Can't format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

[petemc]

I've got an external HD. The first part is formatted to NTFS. The second part was formatted to FAT32. I plugged it in via Firewire and went to erase it to a journaled filesystem. It did something and left the drive unmounted. I could only format it to FAT32. Any ideas why I can't format it to journaled? I want to backup my user dir.

Edit: Tried another drive. 2 fat32 partitions. I tried to format the first and it didn't work. Formats to FAT32 well enough.

[mad jew]

Some cases won't allow you to use HFS formatting. What brand of case do you have?

[petemc]

Case? I've got a Western Digital MyBook and a Maxtor OneTouch II. Neither let me format to anything but FAT32.

[Meshugana]

Case? I've got a Western Digital MyBook and a Maxtor OneTouch II. Neither let me format to anything but FAT32.


I've got the same problem with my new Western Digital 1 TB drive.

Did you solve your problem?

[sickmacdoc]

To successfully prepare a disk for Mac that has been previously formatted for a PC (as most new drives are of course), the disk needs to have the "Partition Table Map" established for Macs rather than leaving it as is.

Short version of this is just to do the following in this order and it should take care of it:

• Start up Disk Utility
• Click the disk to be formatted in the left column. Click the whole drive line, not the partition(s) if any show below it
• Click the "Partition" tab at the top of the window
• Change the "Volume Scheme:" from "Current" to "1 partition" (or however many partitions you want)
• Click the "Options" button. Choose the appropriate partition table type in the window that appears- GUID for Intel based Macs, APM for PowerPC based Macs). Click OK to close that window
• Click on the partition (or partitions one at a time) and enter a name in the "Volume Information:" section and choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled) in the "Format:" section
• When done naming, click "Apply", then "OK"
• Sit back for a short time and when complete enjoy the drive!

[Intense]

I found this thread through searching the forum,
funny enough it was revived yesterday and it had the answer that i needed.

Thanks.

[shintownalley]

To successfully prepare a disk for Mac that has been previously formatted for a PC (as most new drives are of course), the disk needs to have the "Partition Table Map" established for Macs rather than leaving it as is.

Short version of this is just to do the following in this order and it should take care of it:

• Start up Disk Utility
• Click the disk to be formatted in the left column. Click the whole drive line, not the partition(s) if any show below it
• Click the "Partition" tab at the top of the window
• Change the "Volume Scheme:" from "Current" to "1 partition" (or however many partitions you want)
• Click the "Options" button. Choose the appropriate partition table type in the window that appears- GUID for Intel based Macs, APM for PowerPC based Macs). Click OK to close that window
• Click on the partition (or partitions one at a time) and enter a name in the "Volume Information:" section and choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled) in the "Format:" section
• When done naming, click "Apply", then "OK"
• Sit back for a short time and when complete enjoy the drive!

Do you know if this process will delete previously saved files on the drive? Or simply create a new Mac formatted partition?

Thanks. Wondering if this drive is screwed and I have to get a new one to transfer larger files.

[old-wiz]

this wipes the drive.

[mishamazor]

That worked great, thanks!

Misha