Erasing An SD Card and Formatting a USB Drive on a Macbook

Formatting a USB Drive

Most people need reliable storage for their documents, whether they work or attend school. You may choose traditional storage, such as a backup drive, or modern cloud storage. SD cards and USB drives, however, work great for portable storage. You can easily use them on different computers, making it convenient to work from home when necessary. You may need to erase your storage card or format a new one, at times. With a few simple steps, you can easily manage your external storage devices. 

Reasons to Erase the SD Card

You may need to erase an SD card in several different scenarios. If you no longer need the files on the SD card, you can clear it to make room for new ones. If you plan to use a different storage method, you may feel more secure erasing the data before getting rid of the SD card, as well. Learn more about the proper steps to erase your SD card on your Macbook by visiting  https://setapp.com/how-to/erase-sd-card-and-format-usb-drive-on-mac.

Getting Started 

You only need to complete a few steps to erase your SD card with a Macbook. 

  • Use the card reader to get your SD card connected to your computer. 
  • Go to the disk utility app and open it. 
  • Click on “erase”. 
  • You can choose whether or not to enter the name of the SD card at this time. 
  • The next step involves selecting filesystem format. If you have an SD card with 64GB or more, click on exFAT. For SD cards 32GB or less, click on FAT32. 
  • Choose “Erase” to complete the process. 

If you need the data on the card, but simply want to remove it from the SD card, be sure to save it in a secure location before wiping the card clean. Formatting an SD card erases everything on it. 

Setting Up New Storage on your USB Drive

After you clear your SD drive, you may also want to format your USB drive. Formatting a USB drive requires another simple routine. 

  • Place your USB drive into the USB port. 
  • The icon for “USB Disk” should immediately show on your screen. 
  • Use your search window to search for “Disk Utility” and click on it. 
  • Choose your USB drive from the left hand list. 
  • Choose “Erase” from the list of options. 
  • A prompt to enter the name of the drive and your chosen format should show up next. Enter this information and click on the “Erase” option. 
  • You can watch the progress of this action on the upcoming bar. 
  • When the process completes, simply click on “Done”. 
  • Go to the menu at the top of your screen and choose “Disk Utility”. Click on “Quit Disk Utility” to exit. 

As you try out different storage methods, you should find the one that works best for you. You may need different storage options depending on the scenario, as well. Take your time learning the steps of formatting your USB drive so you can easily complete the process when necessary. 

External storage can help you keep files safe and enables you to easily share items. You may have files on an SD card or USB drive you no longer need,  however. You can easily erase the entire card or drive by learning to format them. With a few simple steps, you can clear your storage and start fresh. 

Read Previous

4 Ways to Make Money With Software Consultancy Services

Read Next

Grooming And Health of an American Akita Dog