How to Format Your SSD

Have you recently upgraded to a new SSD, or are you planning to sell or repurpose an old laptop? If so, it’s essential to know how to format a solid-state drive. This guide will walk you through the formatting process and explain its importance.

When Should You Format Your SSD?

If you’ve just acquired a new SSD, you’ll likely need to format it for compatibility with your operating system. During the OS installation, you’ll have the option to select and format your new drive.

For those reusing an existing SSD, remember to format the drive before reinstalling the operating system. Keep in mind that formatting will erase all data on the drive, so ensure you back up any important files beforehand.

If you intend to sell or donate your SSD, consider securely erasing the drive using Wallnut’s SSD Manager or third-party utilities that support secure erase or NVMe formatting. This step will permanently delete all data on the drive.

File System Options

Choosing the right file system is crucial for compatibility with your operating system. Here are the most commonly used file systems:

FAT32: Widely compatible with Mac®, Windows®, Linux®, gaming consoles, and other devices with USB ports. However, it lacks security features and limits file sizes to 4GB.

exFAT: A popular choice that removes the 4GB file size limitation and works with most Windows and Mac operating systems. Older OS versions may require updates to read and write to exFAT drives correctly.

NTFS: The default format during Microsoft Windows installations, offering a much larger maximum file size. Note that it is read-only on macOS® X unless you use a third-party NTFS read/write utility.

APFS: The native file system for Mac users starting with macOS 10.13. Use this option only if the drive is exclusively for macOS, as Windows won’t recognize this format without additional software.

Ext4: The default journaling file system for Linux, developed as the successor to ext3.

Preparing Your SSD for Formatting

Before you begin, back up your data! Whether on an external drive or in the cloud, ensure that all important files are safely stored, as formatting the drive will make data recovery nearly impossible.

Make sure TRIM is enabled on your operating system to maintain SSD performance. To completely wipe the drive, perform a secure erase or NVMe format.

How to Format in Windows

In Windows, you can format your SSD using the Disk Management tool or File Explorer. Access both by right-clicking the Windows Start button. Right-click the partition you wish to format and select ‘Format’. Choose your File System and Allocation Unit Size, then select ‘Quick Format’. For more details, refer to our guide on formatting USB flash drives, as the process is similar for SSDs.

How to Format on a Mac

To format an SSD on a Mac, the easiest method is to use Disk Utility, which you can find via Finder. Select your SSD from the list on the left and click ‘Erase’. Enter a name for the drive, choose a format (file system), and then click ‘Erase’. For more information, check our guide on formatting USB flash drives, as the steps are essentially the same for SSDs. You can also learn more about disk formats for Time Machine.