How to Convert an External Hard Drive From Apple to PC

Reformat your external hard drive to convert it to PC format.

Convert your external hard drive to a format compatible with a Windows-based computer by reformatting the volume. The reformat process wipes the drive clear of any data and changes the format of the hard drive. Windows comes with a disk management utility to help you manage the hard drives in your computer system. Make sure you back-up any of the data on the hard drive that you want to save before you begin the reformat process.

Instructions

1. Connect the USB cable from the external hard drive to an open port on your computer.

2. Click "Start" then "Control Panel" then "System And Maintenance" then "Administrative Tools." Double-click the "Computer Management" icon.

3. Click the "Storage" option, then click "Disk Management." Right-click the "External Hard Drive" entry, and click "Format."

4. Click "OK" in the Format Dialog window, and click "OK" in the confirmation message to convert the external hard drive to a format compatible with your PC.

References

• Microsoft Windows: Create and Format Hard Disk Partition