Format on Mac

• 1). Connect the external drive to the Mac.
  
  
• 2). Open the "Disk Utility" program in the "Utilities" folder.
  
  
• 3). Click the hard drive in the left column of the window and then click the "Erase" tab.
  
  
• 4). Click "MS-DOS (FAT)" in the "Format" drop-down list, and then enter a name for the drive in the "Name" box.
  
  
• 5). Click "Erase."
  
  

Format on Windows

• 1). Connect the external drive to the computer.
  
  
• 2). Click the "Start" button in the lower-left corner of the screen.
  
  
• 3). Type "diskpart" without quotes and then press "Enter." Click "Yes."
  
  
• 4). Type "list disk" without quotes and then press "Enter." Make a note of the disk number of the external hard drive.
  
  
• 5). Type "select disk 1" without quotes, and then press "Enter." Replace "1" with the actual number of the external drive, noted previously.
  
  
• 6). Type "clean" without quotes, and then press "Enter."
  
  
• 7). Type "create partition primary" without quotes and then press "Enter."
  
  
• 8). Type "select partition 1" without quotes, and then press "Enter."
  
  
• 9). Type "format fs=fat32 quick" without quotes and then press "Enter."
  
  
• 10
  
  Type "assign" without quotes, and then press "Enter." This assigns a drive letter to the newly created partition.