

- #Mac os remove hfs file system and its devices how to#
- #Mac os remove hfs file system and its devices mac#
If you see any errors listed, jump to the troubleshooting section below. You can also click on the chevron next to the “Show Details” text to display a log of the repair process. When it’s complete, click the Done button. The sheet will change to show the status of the repair process. Click the Run button to start the First Aid process. In Disk Utility’s sidebar, select the volume, container, or physical drive you wish to use the First Aid tool on.Ĭlick the First Aid button in the Disk Utility toolbar, or select Run First Aid from the File menu.Ī sheet will drop down, asking if you wish to run First Aid on the selected device. (Use the chevron next to Show Details to see a log detailing each step of the First Aid process.) While a problem that is causing an issue with a volume can be caused by a problem at any of the levels, starting at the volume level ensures the least risk. And repairing a Physical drive can affect all partitions, containers, and volumes housed on the drive. Repairing a Container can affect all volumes within the container. Repairing a volume will normally only affect the selected volume. As you move from the lowest level, the Volume, you add additional items that can be affected by a repair failure. My reasoning for this order is to limit potential data loss when repairing. You can actually repair the devices in any order, but I’ve been using the following order successfully for a while: Volume, Container (if applicable), Physical drive. If this is an HFS-formatted drive, there won’t be any containers under the drive level, just volumes.Įach item can be selected and repaired using the First Aid tool. At the next level under the physical drive is the Container (APFS file system), followed by the volumes. The organization of the devices is hierarchical, with the physical drive listed first, using the manufacturer’s name, or the model name or number, or both. The sidebar will now display all devices, including the physical drive and any APFS containers it may have, as well as any APFS or HFS volumes associated with the physical drive. (The View button in Disk Utility’s toolbar will expand the sidebar to show all devices.)Ĭlick the View button in the Disk Utility toolbar and select Show All Devices from the popup menu, or select Show All Devices from the View menu. Since you may need to use the First Aid tool on volumes as well as partitions, catalogs, and physical devices, it’s a good idea to change the sidebar settings to display all devices. Launch Disk Utility, located at /Applications/Utilities.ĭisk Utility’s default settings use a sidebar that only displays storage volumes.
#Mac os remove hfs file system and its devices how to#
If you’re working with OS X El Capitan through macOS Sierra, you may find the instructions in How to Use macOS Sierra Disk Utility to Verify or Repair Disks a better fit.ĭisk Utility’s Sidebar in macOS High Sierra and Later The Disk Utility app underwent a few updates with the release of macOS High Sierra to support the APFS file system. If you’re using First Aid as part of a routine maintenance program, you should still have a working backup of any volume that you’ll be checking. We’ll start by going through the actual process of using First Aid, and then take a more in-depth look at the process we’ll also provide a few troubleshooting tips.īefore you use First Aid, make sure you have a current backup of the drive or volume you’re having issues with. Related article: How to Revert a drive from APFS back to HFS+

First Aid can actually be used on any file system that macOS supports, but APFS and HFS+ are the most popular, and the ones you’re most likely to encounter. In this guide, we’re going to take a look at using Disk Utility’s First Aid tool in macOS High Sierra to repair APFS and HFS+ file systems. Drives unmounting or ejecting on their own.
#Mac os remove hfs file system and its devices mac#
Included as a standalone app with the original Mac OS, it was later folded into Disk Utility when OS X was released.ĭisk Utility, and its First Aid system remains the first line of defense for drives that are experiencing a number of issues, including: Disk First Aid, currently part of Disk Utility, has long been the go-to utility for verifying and repairing a Mac’s storage system.
