OWC Drive Setup Over Non-Apple Platforms
Support Article
As of November 1st, 2023 newly assembled OWC drive solutions that ship from an OWC facility to a user will be set up as either HFS+ for HDDs and APFS for SSDs. This will allow for a seamless plug-and-play experience between Mac and iPad systems. Windows, ChromeOS, and Android users will need to reformat the Mac formatted OWC device over that operating system to begin use.
NOTE: Select OWC drives were already configured before this change and will not arrive formatted as HFS+ / APFS. Mac users will need to format the drive using the pre-loaded formatting utility called OWC Drive Guide. Open "OWC SETUP", double-click the OWC Drive Guide utility, and follow the instructions to complete the formatting process.
Instructions
Windows Operating System
This section describes the process of formatting a Mac formatted OWC drive to work with Windows.
- Users can access the Mac HFS+ / APFS formatted drive by either reformatting the drive using OWC Drive Guide for Windows or by purchasing MacDrive Pro. Drive Guide is a free utility to format/reformat OWC hard drives in a Windows drive format (NTFS & ExFAT). MacDrive is a paid software that allows for Mac formatted (HFS & APFS) drive support on Windows.
- Both of these options are available by visiting: Use Your OWC Drive on Windows
- More information regarding MacDrive please visit go.owc.com/macdrive
- More information regarding Drive Guide please visit start.owc.com/driveguide
ChromeOS Operating System
This section describes the process of formatting a Mac formatted OWC drive to work with ChromeOS.
1. A notification will appear on the desktop once a Mac formatted OWC drive is connected to the system. Click on the notification to advance and format the drive solution. The device can also be accessed by clicking on the “Home Button” and selecting “File Explorer”.
2. Select the connected OWC drive from the list on the left-hand column. Click "Format device".
3. Select the desired Windows drive format from the drop-down menu. ‘FAT32’ is a commonly used format.
4. Enter a name for the OWC drive and click "Erase and Format".
5. The OWC drive has been formatted and is ready for use with ChromeOS.
Android Operating System
This section describes the process of formatting a Mac formatted OWC drive to work with Android operating system.
1. Swipe from the top of the screen downwards to access the notification menu. Click on the notification "This device doesn’t support this device. Tap to set up in a supported…" to advance and reformat the OWC drive.
2. A formatting notification will appear asking if the drive should be formatted. Click "Format USB Drive".
3. The OWC drive has been formatted and is ready for use with Android operating system.
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