Q&A for How to Format USB on Mac

Yes, if you choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" in step 7, the USB drive will then only work with Mac computers.

First, open Disk Utility as shown in the article. Then select your USB from the list of disks on the left, and then click on "Info" on the top right. A new window will appear. Note down the "BSD device node" shown. After that, open Terminal (in the same Utilities folder). Then type the following commands into the window (without the quotes): "diskutil unmount /dev/[BSD device node]" "sudo newfs_msdos -F 32 -c 64 -v VOLUMEID /dev/[BSD device node]" (-F 32 means FAT32, while -c is "the number of sectors per cluster". FAT32 has a sector size of 512 bytes, so you need 64 of them to have 32KB per cluster; 512B×64=32768B=32KB) Then enter your password if required, and wait.

To make your USB drive compatible with both Mac and Windows, reformat it on your Mac: Connect the USB drive. Open Disk Utility in "Applications" > "Utilities." Select the USB drive. Click "Erase" and choose "ExFAT" or "FAT32" as the format. Name the drive. Click "Erase" (all data will be lost). Now your USB drive can be used on both Mac and Windows computers!

You can format the USB drive to FAT32 or NTFS, as both file systems are compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux.

If you choose the MS format, such as NTFS or exFAT, the drive may have limited compatibility with macOS. NTFS is read-only on Macs, so you can access files but cannot write to them without additional software. However, exFAT is fully supported on both Windows and Mac, allowing read and write access. If you need full compatibility with both systems, exFAT is a better choice. NTFS is ideal for drives primarily used with Windows if you don't need to write data on a Mac.

You can use data recovery tools such as Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery, or Disk Drill to scan the drive and restore files.

For optimal compatibility, you should format your drive as exFAT. macOS can read and write exFAT without additional software, and most modern TVs recognize it. Avoid formats like APFS or HFS+, as TVs typically cannot read them, and exFAT also supports large files, making it suitable for media playback.

You cannot change the format of the drive without erasing its contents. To ensure cross-compatibility, first access your files on a Mac (or use an HFS+ reader on Windows) and copy them, then reformat the drive as exFAT.

This error indicates your Mac cannot unmount the drive because it is actively in use. A primary solution is to restart your Mac in Recovery Mode (Command + R at startup), then open Disk Utility to erase or repair the disk. For external drives, try unplugging and reconnecting it, or using an alternate port or cable. If attempting to format your startup disk, Recovery Mode is essential as macOS cannot unmount the disk it is running from.