- Recover Deleted Files from USB Drive Using CMD. We've decided to start with this method not.
- Erase Files from Flash Drive on Mac in Disk Utility. Step 1: So, connect the flash drive to the Mac. Then, run ‘Finder' from the Dock. Step 2:Then, navigate to the ‘Applications' folder and click on ‘Applications' on the left side of the dock. Now, click on ‘Disk Utilities' under.
/File Shredder /How to Format A Flash Drive on Mac
I just bought a flash drive, and it seems to be working really slowly on my Mac. What should I do?
You need to format your flash drive on Mac to make it compatible with your Mac. We'll teach you how in this article. Read away!
Your flash drive should be listed in the left menu. Select the drive, and then click 'Erase.' When you see the volume format types listed, choose 'MS-DOS (FAT).' Some older flash drives may only.
Here are the tactics you'll learn about in this post.
Article GuidePart 1. Why Format Your Flash Drive?Part 2. How to Format a Flash Drive on MacPart 3. Use PowerMyMac File Shredder to Delete Files on Your Flash DrivePart 4. Conclusion
Part 1. Why Format Your Flash Drive?
There are various reasons why you have to format your flash drive on Mac. Here are the three common ones:
Ensure the flash drive's full compatibility with Mac. Most flash drives are pre-formatted for use with Windows.
The difference between macOS and Windows is that they make use of different file systems. Mac uses either Mac OS Extended or AFPS as the file system, while Windows usually uses FAT32.
Drives that are formatted as FAT32 can still be used with macOS, but there is a bigger chance that you'll encounter issues along the way.
Aside from that, Time Machine doesn't work with drives that are not fully compatible with Mac. Time Machine is a built-in feature of Mac that backs up your files to an external storage device such as your flash drive.
Free up space in your flash drive. USB drives have limited memory space. Sometimes, deleting unnecessary files or transferring a few of them to your PC is enough.
Sometimes, it isn't. That is when formatting your USB drive becomes the best solution.
Get rid of viruses and other issues. Flash drives are popular for their portability, but they can also carry viruses that can spread to other computers.
Formatting a flash drive on Mac is an easy yet effective way to remove them. Although macOS is generally much safer and more secure than Windows, this doesn't mean that your Mac can't be affected by viruses.
Part 2. How to Format a Flash Drive on Mac
Before you proceed with formatting your flash drive, you should first consider which format you are going to use. Selecting the correct format is crucial as it will have an impact on its compatibility with your Mac.
Certain formats work better on specific versions of macOS. The format that you set is something you'll have to stick with for a long time, so it's best if you make the right decision from the very start.
Below are the available formats and when best to use them.
APFS. Short for Apple File System, APFS only works with Mac running on High Sierra or later.
It is optimized for solid state drives (SSD) like flash drives, and this guarantees a faster performance than Mac OS Extended.
If you intend to use your USB drive only with a new Mac, APFS is highly recommended. The downside to it is that it isn't Time Machine-compatible.
This means you cannot set the flash drive as the destination of your backup.
Mac OS Extended. If your Mac is running on macOS Sierra or below, this format is the way to go. Nevertheless, Mac OS Extended works with High Sierra and up as well.
This would work well if you think you would need to use your drive in an old Mac. It has some catching up to do in terms of speed, though.
On the bright side, you can use your flash drive to create backups via Time Machine.
FAT32. The most versatile in the list, FAT32 will allow you to use your USB drive on Windows as well as a Mac. In fact, it is the most widely compatible file system.
It works on most video game consoles, media players, and other devices. However, it can only support individual files up to 4GB in size.
We don't suggest using this format if you plan to store large files like videos.
exFAT. This is closely similar to FAT32 in terms of compatibility. It works on both Windows and macOS too.
However, it is not supported by as many consoles and devices as FAT32. The great thing here is that it doesn't have a file size limit.
If you want full compatibility with Mac, choose between APFS and Mac OS Extended. If you expect to transfer files between a Windows computer and a Mac, you should decide on either FAT32 or exFAT.
Before you proceed with formatting your flash drive, you should first consider which format you are going to use. Selecting the correct format is crucial as it will have an impact on its compatibility with your Mac.
Certain formats work better on specific versions of macOS. The format that you set is something you'll have to stick with for a long time, so it's best if you make the right decision from the very start.
Below are the available formats and when best to use them.
APFS. Short for Apple File System, APFS only works with Mac running on High Sierra or later.
It is optimized for solid state drives (SSD) like flash drives, and this guarantees a faster performance than Mac OS Extended.
If you intend to use your USB drive only with a new Mac, APFS is highly recommended. The downside to it is that it isn't Time Machine-compatible.
This means you cannot set the flash drive as the destination of your backup.
Mac OS Extended. If your Mac is running on macOS Sierra or below, this format is the way to go. Nevertheless, Mac OS Extended works with High Sierra and up as well.
This would work well if you think you would need to use your drive in an old Mac. It has some catching up to do in terms of speed, though.
On the bright side, you can use your flash drive to create backups via Time Machine.
FAT32. The most versatile in the list, FAT32 will allow you to use your USB drive on Windows as well as a Mac. In fact, it is the most widely compatible file system.
It works on most video game consoles, media players, and other devices. However, it can only support individual files up to 4GB in size.
We don't suggest using this format if you plan to store large files like videos.
exFAT. This is closely similar to FAT32 in terms of compatibility. It works on both Windows and macOS too.
However, it is not supported by as many consoles and devices as FAT32. The great thing here is that it doesn't have a file size limit.
If you want full compatibility with Mac, choose between APFS and Mac OS Extended. If you expect to transfer files between a Windows computer and a Mac, you should decide on either FAT32 or exFAT.
If you are merely freeing up space or getting rid of viruses in your flash drive, simply select the previous format.
Now, have you decided which format would best suit you and your Mac? If you have, refer to our step-by-step guide on how to format a flash drive on Mac.
Step 1: Plug the flash drive into the USB port.
Newer models of MacBook and MacBook Pro only come with USB-C ports. You will need to connect a USB-C adaptor on the port before you can connect your flash drive.
Step 2: Launch a Finder window.
Open a Finder window. You should see your flash drive listed below the Devices section.
Click on it. If you have files in your drive, make sure to transfer them to your Mac or another external storage device. Formatting your flash drive will wipe off all files in it.
Step 3: Run Disk Utility.
Now, go to Applications and select Utilities. Click Disk Utility to open it and press on your flash drive's name from the sidebar. Click on the Erase tab at the top of the window.
Step 4. Choose a format for your flash drive.
From the drop-down list next to Format, select the format that you want to use for the flash drive. You may also set a name for your drive. Simply enter it in the field beside Name.
Step 5. Format your flash drive.
Click Erase. A dialog box will appear. Hit Erase to confirm and wait for your Mac to complete the formatting.
Part 3. Use PowerMyMac File Shredder to Delete Files on Your Flash Drive
Every time you want to permanently delete files on your USB drive, you don't have to format it again. You can just use a reliable file shredder to conveniently erase files in a secure way.
PowerMyMac File Shredder does just that. You can use it to delete confidential files on your Mac, external hard drives, and SD cards as well. It comes with a 30-day free trial, so grab the opportunity while it lasts!
Step 1. Download, Launch iMyMac PowerMyMac and Choose File Shredder Option
Download and install the software on your Mac. Launch it once installation is complete. Connect your flash drive to the USB port.
From the left tab of the software, click Toolkit module and select Shredder. Hit Select Files.
Step 2. Choose File to Destroy
A Finder window will appear. On the sidebar, you will see a list of folders and your connected USB drive. Look for your flash drive below the Devices section and click on it.
Select the files that you want to delete and press Open. If you want to add more files for deletion, simply click on the Add Files button on the upper-left corner of the window.
Step 3. Permanently Shred Private Files
Before you continue, make sure that you're certain that you wish to delete your files.
Once you have selected all files that you wish to delete, hit Clean.
People Also Read:How to Securely Delete Files on MacThe Best Mac File Shredder in 2020
Part 4. Conclusion
Formatting is useful for making the most out of your flash drive. Choosing the format that matches the Mac you're using as well as your data storage needs are very important.
So is deleting unwanted and confidential files as safely and securely as possible. This is made possible with iMyMac PowerMyMac File Shredder.
You should use it with caution, though. Once files are wiped off by iMyMac PowerMyMac File Shredder, you will no longer be able to recover them!
ExcellentThanks for your rating.
Rating: 4.6 / 5 (based on 66 ratings)
People Also Read:
PowerMyMac
A powerful all-in-one App for Mac
Free DownloadClean up and speed up your Mac with ease
Free DownloadNote: Modern versions of macOS will prompt you to use FileVault 2 to encrypt your entire drive. We highly recommend you take this step to protect your data. If you encrypt your entire drive, you don't have to worry much about doing secure deletion since the master encryption key is protected with a password that you control, and that you can change or erase to make data on the drive irretrievable. More information is available on encrypting with FileVault 2.
The instructions below should only be used for securely deleting data from spinning drives. These instructions apply only to traditional disk drives, and not to Solid State Drives (SSDs), which are standard in modern computers, USB keys/USB thumb drives, or SD cards/flash memory cards. Secure deletion on SSDs, USB flash drives, and SD cards is very hard! This is because these types of drives use a technique called wear leveling and do not provide low-level access to the bits as stored on the drive. (You can read more about why this causes problems for secure deletion here.) If you're using an SSD or a USB flash drive, you can jump to the section below.
Did you know that when you move a file on your computer into your computer's trash folder and empty the trash, the file is not completely erased? Computers normally don't 'delete' files; when you move a file to the trash, your computer just makes the file invisible and allows the space it took up to be overwritten by something else sometime in the future. Therefore, it may be weeks, months, or even years before that file is overwritten. Until this happens, that 'deleted' file is still on your disk; it's just invisible to normal operations. And with a little work and the right tools (such as 'undelete' software or forensic methods), that 'deleted' file can be retrieved.
So, what's the best way to delete a file forever? Ensure it gets overwritten immediately. This makes it difficult to retrieve what used to be written there. Your operating system probably already has software that can do this for you—software that can overwrite all of the 'empty' space on your disk with gibberish and thereby protect the confidentiality of deleted data.
Secure Deletion on macOS Anchor link
On OS X 10.4 to 10.10, you can securely delete files by moving them to the Trash and then selecting Finder > Secure Empty Trash.
The Secure Empty Trash feature was removed in OS X 10.11 because Apple felt that it could not guarantee secure deletion on the fast flash (SSD) drives that most of its modern models now use.
If you use a traditional hard drive with OS X 10.11, and are comfortable with the command line, you can use the Mac's srm command to overwrite the file. Fuller instructions (in English) are available here. Mac peach orange lipstick.
srm was removed in OS X 10.12, but it is still possible to install.
In the latest versions of macOS, you can use rm -P to overwrite the file. This command overwrites the file contents several times.
A Warning About the Limitations of Secure Deletion Tools Anchor link
Remember that the advice above only deletes files on the disk of the computer you're using. None of the tools above will delete backups that were made to somewhere else on your computer, another disk or USB drive, a 'Time Machine,' on an email server, in the cloud, or sent to your contacts. In order to securely delete a file, you must delete every copy of that file, everywhere it was stored or sent. Additionally, once a file is stored in the cloud (e.g. via Dropbox or some other file-sharing service) there's usually no way to guarantee that it will be deleted forever.
Unfortunately, there's also another limitation to secure deletion tools. Even if you follow the advice above and you've deleted all copies of a file, there is a chance that certain traces of deleted files may persist on your computer, not because the files themselves haven't been properly deleted, but because some part of the operating system or some other program keeps a deliberate record of them.
There are many ways in which this could occur, but two examples should suffice to convey the possibility. On Windows or macOS, Microsoft Office may retain a reference to the name of a file in the 'Recent Documents' menu, even if the file has been deleted (Office might sometimes even keep temporary files containing the contents of the file). LibreOffice may keep as many records as Microsoft Office, and a user's shell history file may contain commands that include the file's name, even though the file has been securely deleted. In practice, there may be dozens of programs that behave like this.
It's hard to know how to respond to this problem. It is safe to assume that even if a file has been securely deleted, its name will probably continue to exist for some time on your computer. Overwriting the entire disk is the only way to be 100% sure the name is gone. Some of you may be wondering, 'Could I search the raw data on the disk to see if there are any copies of the data anywhere?' The answer is yes and no. Searching the disk will tell you if the data is present in plaintext, but it won't tell you if some program has compressed or otherwise coded references to it. Also, be careful that the search itself does not leave a record! The probability that the file's contents may persist is lower, but not impossible. Overwriting the entire disk and installing a fresh operating system is the only way to be 100% certain that records of a file have been erased.
How To Delete Files From Flash Drive On Mac
Secure Deletion When Discarding Old Hardware Anchor link
If you want to throw a piece of hardware away or sell it on eBay, you'll want to make sure no one can retrieve your data from it. Studies have repeatedly found that computer owners usually fail to do this―hard drives are often resold chock-full of highly sensitive information. So, before selling or recycling a computer, be sure to overwrite its storage media with gibberish first. And even if you're not getting rid of it right away, if you have a computer that has reached the end of its life and is no longer in use, it's also safer to wipe the hard drive before stashing the machine in a corner or a closet. Darik's Boot and Nuke is a tool designed for this purpose, and there are a variety of tutorials on how to use it across the web (including here).
Some full-disk encryption software has the ability to destroy the master key, rendering a hard drive's encrypted contents permanently incomprehensible. Since the key is a tiny amount of data and can be destroyed almost instantaneously, this represents a much faster alternative to overwriting with software like Darik's Boot and Nuke, which can be quite time-consuming for larger drives. However, this option is only feasible if the hard drive was always encrypted. If you weren't using full-disk encryption ahead of time, you'll need to overwrite the whole drive before getting rid of it.
Discarding CD- or DVD-ROMs
Mac Shortcut To Delete File
When it comes to CD- or DVD-ROMs, you should do the same thing you do with paper―shred them. There are inexpensive shredders that will chew them up. Never just toss a CD- or DVD-ROM in the garbage unless you're absolutely sure there's nothing sensitive on it.
Secure Deletion on Solid-state Disks (SSDs), USB Flash Drives, and SD Cards
Unfortunately, due to the way SSDs, USB flash drives, and SD cards work, it is difficult, if not impossible, to securely delete both individual files and free space. As a result, your best bet in terms of protection is to use encryption. That way, even if the file is still on the disk, it will at least look like gibberish to anyone who gets ahold of it and can't force you to decrypt it. At this point in time, we cannot provide a good general procedure that will definitely remove your data from an SSD. If you want to know why it's so hard to delete data, read on.
As we mentioned above, SSDs and USB flash drives use a technique called wear leveling. At a high level, wear leveling works as follows. The space on every disk is divided into blocks, kind of like the pages in a book. When a file is written to disk, it's assigned to a certain block or set of blocks (pages). If you wanted to overwrite the file, then all you would have to do is tell the disk to overwrite those blocks. But in SSDs and USB drives, erasing and re-writing the same block can wear it out. Each block can only be erased and rewritten a limited number of times before that block just won't work anymore (the same way if you keep writing and erasing with a pencil and paper, eventually the paper might rip and be useless). To counteract this, SSDs and USB drives will try to make sure that the amount of times each block has been erased and rewritten is about the same, so that the drive will last as long as possible (thus the term wear leveling). As a side effect, sometimes instead of erasing and writing the block a file was originally stored on, the drive will instead leave that block alone, mark it as invalid, and just write the modified file to a different block. This is kind of like leaving the page in the book unchanged, writing the modified file on a different page, and then just updating the book's table of contents to point to the new page. All of this occurs at a very low level in the electronics of the disk, so the operating system doesn't even realize it's happened. This means, however, that even if you try to overwrite a file, there's no guarantee the drive will actually overwrite it, and that's why secure deletion with SSDs is so much harder.
