(Optional) Check the 'Enable file and folder compression' option.As a result, this process can take a long time, depending on the drive size.

If you do not check the setting, a full format operation will be performed, and it will scan for bad sectors and write zeros in all sectors deleting the data.

Quick note: The 'Quick format' option only deletes the file system table and the root folder, but the data may still be recoverable.

Under the 'Format options' section, select the Quick format option.

In the 'Volume label' field, confirm a drive name that will appear in File Explorer.

Use the default selection in the 'Allocation unit size' drop-down menu.

However, if you think you might use the device on a Linux machine, 'FAT32' is the best option, even though you will be limited to 4GB file sizes.

Quick tip: If you plan to use the removable storage on Windows 10 and macOS systems, you may want to select the 'exFAT' option for compatibility.

Use the 'File system' drop-down menu and select the NTFS option.

Windows formatted disk on mac