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Asked: 2024-09-27T06:26:30+05:30 In:

What steps should I follow to successfully format a drive with the exFAT file system on Ubuntu?

I’ve been having this ongoing issue with formatting drives in Ubuntu, and I could really use some friendly advice. So, here’s the thing: I’ve got this external SSD that I want to format with the exFAT file system because I need it to be compatible with both Windows and macOS. I’ve tried some things already, but I just can’t seem to get it right, and I don’t want to lose any data in the process.

I know there are different file systems to choose from, but exFAT seems to be the best option for my needs. My problem is that I’ve seen a gazillion tutorials online that are either too technical for my brain to handle or miss crucial steps. I just want to make sure I do it correctly this time. Could anyone break down the steps for me in a way that I can actually follow? I’d appreciate it if you could avoid the super geeky jargon—just keep it simple!

Also, I guess I should mention that I’ve installed GParted and have a decent grasp of using my terminal, but I’m still not confident about the whole process. Should I be plugging in the drive first? Do I have to unmount it before formatting or can I do it while it’s still mounted? And what’s the actual command or process to use in the terminal if I end up going that route? I’m a bit worried about accidentally formatting the wrong drive, so tips for double-checking everything would be great too.

If anyone has gone through this ordeal and can share their experience or a step-by-step guide, I would be immensely grateful! It’s just that I really want to get this right, so I could use all the help you could give. Thanks a ton in advance!

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    2 Answers






    1. Formatting External SSD to exFAT in Ubuntu

      How to Format Your External SSD to exFAT in Ubuntu

      Formatting your drive can seem tricky, but I’ll break it down into easy steps. Let’s make this as simple as possible!

      1. Plug in Your External SSD

      First, go ahead and plug in your external SSD. Make sure it’s recognized by Ubuntu. You can check if it shows up by opening the file manager and looking for it in the sidebar.

      2. Open GParted

      Since you have GParted installed, launch it. You might need to run it with administrative privileges. You can do this by opening your terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and typing:

      sudo gparted

      Enter your password if prompted.

      3. Select Your Drive

      In GParted, make sure you select your external SSD from the top right dropdown menu. Be really careful here—double-check that you’re on the correct drive! It’s super easy to mess this up.

      4. Unmount the Drive

      If your drive is mounted (you can tell if it has a little arrow next to it), you need to unmount it before formatting. Right-click on the drive and select Unmount.

      5. Format to exFAT

      Now, right-click on your drive again and select Format to > exFAT. Then click Apply (the green checkmark icon) in the toolbar to execute the changes.

      6. Done!

      Once it’s done, you should see your drive formatted as exFAT. You can now safely eject it, and it should work with both Windows and macOS!

      If You Prefer the Terminal

      If you feel comfy with the terminal, here’s how to do it using commands:

      1. Find your drive by running:
        2. lsblk
      2. Look for your external SSD (it’ll usually be something like /dev/sdb).
      3. Unmount it (replace sdb1 with your actual drive partition):
        4. sudo umount /dev/sdb1
      4. Format it to exFAT:
        5. sudo mkfs.exfat /dev/sdb1

      This will also format your drive. Just remember to replace sdb1 with the correct identifier for your external SSD!

      Double-Check Everything!

      Before you format, always double-check that you have the right drive selected. If there’s any doubt, don’t hesitate to ask for help or look it up. Better safe than sorry!

      Hope this helps you get your SSD formatted without any hiccups!



    2. To format your external SSD with the exFAT file system in Ubuntu, you should first ensure the drive is plugged in. Open GParted, and in the top-right corner, you’ll find a dropdown to select your device; make sure to choose your external SSD. Now, before you do anything, it’s essential to unmount the drive if it’s mounted. You can do that by right-clicking on the partition and selecting ‘Unmount’. Once it’s unmounted, you can proceed to format it: right-click on the partition again, select ‘Format to’, and then choose ‘exFAT’. When everything is set, click the green checkmark button to apply all operations. This will format your drive while keeping you safe from data loss since you are not manipulating mounted partitions.

      If you prefer using the terminal, here’s a simple method. First, you can check the drive name by running the command `lsblk`, which lists all block devices. Identify your SSD (it might look like `/dev/sdb1` or similar). Unmount the drive using `sudo umount /dev/sdX1` (replace `sdX1` with your correct drive ID). To format it to exFAT, make sure you have the `exfat-fuse` and `exfat-utils` packages installed by running `sudo apt-get install exfat-fuse exfat-utils`. Then use the following command: `sudo mkexfat /dev/sdX1` (again, replace it with your drive ID). Always double-check the drive ID before formatting to avoid any accidental data loss. Once formatted, your SSD will be ready for both Windows and macOS use.


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