Formatting and Partitioning
When you format the drive, you’re instructing your computer’s operating system to erase data on the disks, check the disks for errors, and prepare the disks to receive new data. You might decide to format the drive in order to change file system formats (see below) and make the drive compatible with your PC or Mac operating system.
Note to Mac users: Your LaCie device is shipped factory formatted as HFS+ for Mac. The dual disks are configured for optimal performance using RAID 0.
Note to Windows users: When first connecting the device, the disks must be configured and formatted since Windows does not support HFS+. You must use LaCie RAID Manager to delete the current RAID array and create a new one. To learn more about using LaCie RAID Manager with your 2big Dock, see
Manage RAID. Once you’ve created the new array, you will need to partition and format it.
Caution: Formatting erases everything on the storage device. LaCie strongly recommends that you back up all data on your storage device before initiating the formatting process. LaCie is not responsible for any data lost due to formatting, partitioning, or using a LaCie storage device.
NTFS: Since it is the native file system for Windows, volumes created in NTFS are read and write enabled for computers running Windows. Mac OS can read NTFS volumes but cannot natively write to them.
Mac OS Extended (HFS+): The native hard drive file system for Mac. Windows cannot natively read or write to HFS+ (journaled) hard drives.
exFAT: Generally compatible with Mac and Windows. exFAT is not a journaled file system which means it can be more susceptible to data corruption when errors occur or the drive is not disconnected properly from the computer.
FAT32: Compatible with Mac and Windows. However, FAT32 is a legacy file system designed for low capacity hard drives and it is not recommended for modern hard drives or operating systems. A FAT32 partition can reach up to 32GB when formatted on a Windows PC.
How to choose the file system format
Use NTFS if:
…the storage device is connected to Windows PCs.
Use HFS+ if:
…the storage device is connected to Macs.
You can use exFAT if:
…the storage device is shared between Mac and Windows computers.
Use FAT32 if:
…the storage device is connected to older Windows and Mac computers. FAT32 is not recommended for modern operating systems and computers.
The steps below help you format and partition a storage device.
Note: Refer to your operating system's documentation for more information on formatting and partitioning storage devices.
Mac
OS X version 10.11 or later
- Open the Finder and go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
- In the sidebar to the left, select your LaCie 2big Dock drive.
- Select Erase.
- A dialog box opens. Enter a name for the drive. This will be the name displayed when the drive mounts.
- For Format, select OS X Extended (Journaled).
- For Scheme, select GUID Partition Map.
- Click Erase.
- Disk Utility will format the drive. When it’s finished, click Done.
OS X version 10.9 to 10.10
- Open the Finder and go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
- In the sidebar to the left, select the LaCie 2big Dock drive that shows the capacity.
- In the Disk Utility window, select the Partition tab.
- Under Partition Layout, select 1 partition.
- Enter a name for the drive. This will be the name displayed when the drive mounts.
- For Format, select OS X Extended (Journaled).
- Click on Options. Select GUID Partition Map, and then click OK.
- Click Apply.
- A dialog appears advising you that this is a data destructive process and any data currently on the drive will be deleted.
- Select Partition to complete the formatting process.
Windows
- Make sure the storage device is connected to and mounted on the computer.
- Go to Search and then type diskmgmt.msc. In the search results, double click Disk Management.
- From the list of storage devices in the middle of the Disk Management window, locate your LaCie device.
- The partition must be available to format. If it is currently formatted, right click on the partion and then choose Delete.
- To create a new partition, right click on the volume and select New Simple Volume. Follow the on-screen instructions when the New Simple Volume Wizard appears.