What to do if the MacBook does not “see” the flash drive? Opening a flash drive on a MacBook How to open a flash drive on a mac.

Twitter

If you have to work on both Mac and Windows, then you have probably encountered a situation where files written to a flash drive on one of the computers cannot be read on the other. What's the matter and how to solve this problem - read below.

If the files on a flash drive are not readable, do not rush to blame the flash drive itself. The thing is that Mac and Windows use different default file systems by default. If the flash drive is recorded on a Windows computer, then it is formatted in NTFS or FAT32, on a Mac - in NFS+. It is because of this difference in formats that problems arise.

Let's look at a common case when on a Mac you need to work with a flash drive recorded on a Windows computer.

Most likely, the flash drive is formatted in NTFS (FAT32 is found mainly on older computers). By default, a Mac can only work with this file system in read mode, which means you won’t be able to write data to a flash drive. This is where special software can help out—namely, a program from the famous company Paragon. The program is not free, it costs $19.95, but it has a trial period during which you can decide whether to buy the application or not. After installing the program, the Mac will fully work with flash drives formatted in NTFS.

If the flash drive is formatted in FAT32, then everything is much simpler here, since Mac supports this file system. True, there is still one limitation, but it is not associated with Mac or Windows, but with the FAT32 standard. The fact is that this file system was developed quite a long time ago and did not involve the exchange of large amounts of data. Therefore, it will not be possible to write a file larger than 4 GB onto a flash drive formatted in FAT32.

To eliminate this drawback and maintain compatibility with Mac, a new format was developed - ExFAT, which can be considered ideal for removable drives, often used interchangeably on Mac and Windows. Both operating systems work with it without problems, the only point is that this file system is not recognized by very old computers - with OS X 10.6.5 and lower and Windows with versions lower than XP with SP2. To format a flash drive in ExFAT on a Mac, just open Disk Utility, select the desired flash drive, then select erase and specify the ExFAT file system in the Format section. In the same way, you can format a flash drive in any other format.

For Windows users faced with the need to work with flash drives created on a Mac in the NFS+ (Mac OS Extended) format, you will need the program. It is also not free, and even quite expensive - $49.99, but there is also a trial period, although only for 5 days.

Flash cards are now the most popular type of removable media. This is not surprising since they are small in size and large enough to load the necessary files into them. But in Mac OS, working with them works a little differently than in Windows. New users may get confused, so today we will tell you how to format a flash drive on a MacBook, as well as about other operations.

How to open a flash drive on a MacBook

First, you should figure out how to connect a flash drive. It will need to be inserted into a special connector.
After the removable drive is in the USB port, the user needs to go to the finder window, which is where they can view it.

Sometimes situations happen that after connecting, the device does not appear in the finder tab. In this case, you will need to go into Disk Utility. This can be done through the menu of all utilities.

If the flash drive is not displayed even there, then the problem may be a failure of the drive itself, or there is a problem in its format. The fact is that Mac OS cannot read the NTFS format. At the same time, most manufacturers use this format for their devices.

Unfortunately, in this case, you cannot change the format through a device with an Apple operating system. To do this, you will need to find a computer that runs Windows.

How to remove a flash drive from a MacBook

Most Windows users are accustomed to simply unplugging the flash drive from the connector. But it is not advisable to do this, since such a disconnection may result in data loss. This is due to the fact that the system creates an image of the drive in order to work with it. If you remove the drive, but do not close the image, unpleasant situations may occur, including the flash drive being completely erased.

In order to safely disable it, there are a large number of ways, but there is the simplest one, which we will tell you about. To do this, just press the key combination command + E. When you press this, you can safely remove the flash card.

How to format

Formatting removable media is a fairly common phenomenon. Thanks to this, you can quickly erase all files, as well as clean it of residual program debris. IN Mac OS formatting a flash drive It's done a little differently than on Windows, but not much more complicated.

First, you will need to open Disk Utility. This can be done in several ways, but the easiest is to search through spotlight. To do this, simply press CTRL + Spacebar, then enter the name of the disk utility.
In this utility you need to find your flash drive. There will be an “erase” button on the right. This tab is the formatting window. Here you can select the desired format.
When you have selected all the desired options, simply click on the “erase” button again.
A confirmation window will appear asking you to agree to the action.

It is important that formatting erases all files. If there is something on the flash drive that you need to save, it is better to copy it to your laptop so as not to lose this data.

Disks and floppy disks have long been replaced by flash media that allow you to store and transfer information. We will tell you how to open a flash drive on a computer on various operating systems and devices.

Step-by-step instruction

Insert the flash drive into the USB port. It is usually located next to the microphone and headphone jacks. After that, click the “Start” button and go to “My Computer”. This can also be done from the desktop. Among all the other disks, you will see that a new one has appeared, for example, “KINGSTON (F)”. It may be called differently depending on how the flash drive is renamed. Left-click on the image of the removable disk, after which its contents will open in front of you. This is how you open a flash drive on the Windows operating system.

How to open a flash drive on Linux OS?

Removable media opens the same way on almost all operating systems. However, if you are using a Linux system, certain difficulties may arise.

The Flash disk can be opened from autorun, or go to computer://, where you need to select the device to open. If the removable media is not detected, download and install drivers that will support the operation of such devices. After installation, you need to restart the computer and open the flash drive in some file manager.

How to open a flash drive on Android and MacBook?

The instructions are relevant for those who use a tablet or Android phone. The first step is to install a file manager. This can be the X-plore File Manager application or the ES File Explorer program. With their help you can log into the flash drive.

Are you a MacBook owner? Then you will open the removable disk as follows: connect the flash drive to any USB port, after a few seconds it will appear on the desktop screen as an icon. Click on it twice, and the contents of the files recorded on this disc will be displayed in front of you.

If you are wondering how to open a hidden flash drive, then remember the sequence of actions: open the removable drive, select the “Tools” section on the toolbar, then “Folder Options”, “View”, “Advanced Options”. Find the line “Hide protected system files” and uncheck the box, and in the line “Show hidden files and folders”, on the contrary, you need to check it. Save your changes.

Nowadays, almost every person has a computer and uses it both at work and at home. For ease of use and data transfer, there is such a wonderful device as a flash drive. Modern man practically cannot do without this device in everyday life. However, there is a nuance - depending on the operating system, it is necessary to change the format of the flash drive. How to make using removable media convenient for both a Macbook and a regular computer?

In case you are the proud owner of a MacBook or MacBook Air you will definitely need to configure the flash drive for use with this particular type of device. In fact, it all depends on the operating system of your computer. Same as for macbook If there is its own operating system, it requires a different flash drive format than computers whose OS is Win.

In order to format a USB flash drive for Macbook or MacBook Air you need to do a number of the following steps:

Setting up a flash drive for MacOS and Windows

To conveniently use a flash drive on both operating systems, you need to configure the flash drive. First, you should decide which computer you use most often and where you will most likely need formatting.

In order to reformat a flash drive to a new format, you need to open the same path as in the previous option: “Programs” - “Utilities” - “Disk Utilities” - “Erase”. Open the “Erase” menu; there are several types of formatting the media and changing the file system:

Mac OS Extended (journaled);
Mac OS Extended (registration of keyboard, journal);
MS-DOS(FAT);
ExFAT.

Which format is best to use?

Mac OS Extended

This is not the best way for Win compatibility of media designed for Mac. This system was developed by Apple primarily for Macs. Therefore, if you are going to use the drive exclusively for Apple computers, then this is your option. However, it is worth remembering that this flash drive format simply will not open on Windows.

ExFAT

Just like the previous one, it is not the most convenient option. This format is designed to open in operating systems such as Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and 8. But often an error occurs when starting the equipment, since you are missing one or another operating system update or some drivers and settings. Therefore, as you saw, we will consider this option not particularly reliable in operation.

MS-DOS(FAT)

This format option will be very suitable for users of Apple computers. All basic actions: formatting, changing properties, etc. that you perform with your media will only be available in the Mac OS operating system, however, unlike Mac OS Extended , the flash drive will be opened and read on other devices and PCs without any problems. However, access to the parameters will be blocked for them. An excellent option for those whose personal computer is a MacBook.

NTFS

NTFS is N ew T echnology F ile S system. Its difference from the previous format is the completely reverse principle of operation. If you are a user whose personal computer runs the Windows operating system, but sometimes you still have to use Macs, but they are not your main computers, this format suits you like no other. using it Mac OS will only have access to files on the flash drive and will not be able to reformat it to any other one.

Using additional formatting programs

If none of the formats is convenient and universal for you, and you constantly need access to the settings of a removable drive from any device, there is a paid program “Paragon NTFS for Mac OS X” . Quite intuitive in its own way. To use it you need to install it on your computer. When you do this, a new formatting option will appear in your Disk Utility settings:

Windos NT Filesystem (compressed);
Windos NT Filesystem.

Option "compressed" " denotes data compression. Any of these options is suitable for use on both Win and MacOS. It becomes possible to format an NTFS drive for Mac OS. When you finish working with the flash drive, be sure to safely remove it. A formatted flash drive can be written to absolutely any format.

How to determine the format of a flash drive?

In order to determine which file system your memory card operates in, you need to go to the The type of a file system tab and check the file system type. Inside the brackets there will be a name, which you could see above. For example (MS-DOS (FAT32)).

Why doesn't my MacBook see the flash drive?

When your computer does not see the media, the only solution is in the “Disk Utility” section, go to the “First Aid” item and work with the “Check disk” and “Fix disk” solutions. Also, when you do not use the safe removal of the drive, data may be erased or “crumple”.

When you finish working with the flash drive, be sure to safely remove it.

MEGA FLASH DRIVE for the NEW MacBook Pro 2016? ➔ Understanding A-DATA SE730

Apple laptops support work with removable USB media such as flash drives, so they can and should be used to transfer information between a MacBook and another computer. Today we want to tell you how such a drive can be opened on an Apple laptop.

The procedure for opening a USB drive on a MacBook is almost no different from that on any other laptop.

The procedure is simple, and even an inexperienced macOS user can handle it.

Solutions to possible problems

Even macOS is not immune from failures, including when connecting flash drives. Let's look at the most common problems.

MacBook doesn't recognize flash drive

The most common problem is the system not responding to connecting the drive. There can be many reasons for this, both software and hardware. Let's consider the optimal sequence of actions in such a situation.

First, reconnect the flash drive to another USB socket on the device or hub.
Check if the drive works on another computer, running Windows or Linux. At the same time, check what file system format the flash drive is formatted in - macOS does not work with drives formatted in Linux-based systems (ext*).
Check the USB connectors on your MacBook by connecting other gadgets to them.

If the drive works on other systems, the problem is most likely with your device or hub. The latter can be replaced without much difficulty, while you won’t be able to troubleshoot an Apple laptop yourself, and you will have to contact a service center.

The flash drive opens, but files are not copied to it

Sometimes a MacBook user encounters a problem when a USB drive opens without problems, files on it can be launched or copied, but data from macOS cannot be placed there. This means that the connected flash drive is formatted in the NTFS file system, from which the Apple operating system can extract files, but cannot write to it.

There are two ways out of this situation. The first is to use a Windows computer, on which the drive should be formatted to FAT32 or exFAT, which macOS can work with without problems.

The second method is to download a special utility that allows you to fully manipulate media in NTFS. The most famous of them is Paragon NTFS for Mac.

The utility allows you to mount and unmount drives in NTFS format, as well as check disks for errors.

Conclusion

Opening a flash drive on a MacBook is no more difficult than on any other computer, although it may be difficult to identify some file systems.