Formatting SSDs in PC as Mac

[dellsam34]

I need to be able to format a SSD disk to use with a media recorder that only works in the Mac format, But since I don't have a Mac computer I want to do it on a PC, The manufacturer of the device suggests using MacDrive software from MediaFour for PC to create and read HFS+ formatted disks and use the option initialize as GPT during formating, I don't want to pay for the software for just using a disc, Is there any alternatives out there that can accomplish this and free from spyware, malware and money? Lol.

[october262]

I need to be able to format a SSD disk to use with a media recorder that only works in the Mac format, But since I don't have a Mac computer I want to do it on a PC, The manufacturer of the device suggests using MacDrive software from MediaFour for PC to create and read HFS+ formatted disks and use the option initialize as GPT during formating, I don't want to pay for the software for just using a disc, Is there any alternatives out there that can accomplish this and free from spyware, malware and money? Lol.

try this -
Format SSD for Mac in Windows
To format an SSD for Mac compatibility using Windows, you have several options. Since Windows doesn’t natively support Mac file systems like HFS+ or APFS, you’ll need to choose a compatible file system and formatting method. Here are the recommended approaches:

exFAT or FAT32: These file systems are widely compatible with both Windows and macOS. You can format your SSD with exFAT or FAT32 using Windows File Explorer:
Connect your SSD to your Windows PC.
Open File Explorer and navigate to the SSD.
Right-click the SSD and select “Format.”
Choose either exFAT or FAT32 as the file system.
Follow the formatting wizard to complete the process.
Third-party SSD format tools: Utilize specialized software like EaseUS Partition Master or AOMEI Partition Assistant to format your SSD for Mac compatibility. These tools offer more advanced features and flexibility:
Download and install the chosen software.
Follow the software’s instructions to create a bootable USB drive or CD/DVD.
Boot from the created media and format your SSD with the desired file system (exFAT or FAT32).
Use a Mac installer: If you have a macOS installer, you can partition the SSD as GPT and format it as HFS+ (for macOS Sierra or older) or APFS (for macOS High Sierra or newer) using the installer’s Utilities menu.
Important Notes:

Formatting your SSD will erase all data on the drive. Make sure to back up any important files before proceeding.
exFAT and FAT32 have limitations, such as file size restrictions (4GB for FAT32) and slower performance compared to HFS+ or APFS.
If you plan to use your SSD for professional purposes or require advanced features, consider using a third-party SSD format tool or formatting the SSD on a Mac.

[dellsam34]

It has to be HFS+, exFAT and FAT32 will not work.

[ProWo]

It has to be HFS+, exFAT and FAT32 will not work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_IkUSHK1AU

[krykmoon]

You can use any Linux LiveCD distribution: flash it on a USB drive, boot from it : gparted is included everywhere.
Linux Mint LiveCD is very easy to use (interface is windows like - click on the menu, launch gparted, format the drive.. Reboot) but any other "modern" Linux distro is extremely easy to use, anyway.

That's the easiest and cleanest way, for me: no shitty "freemium" software to install on Windows and job easily done.

(using linux distro LiveCD is quite ALWAYS the safest and cleanest way to solve problems of any kind with drives, data, partitions.. Linux is incredibly reliable, safe and flexible with any filesystem)

[dellsam34]

ProWo, I'm not converting partitions, I just need to create a new clean partition.
Krykoom, I don't use Linux nor I have the time or desire to learn how to use it regardless how easy it is, I just need a program to format the SSD in HFS+.

[PunchDrunkL0ve]

https://macdrive.com/trial/

[dellsam34]

Thanks but that's a 5 day trial.

[PunchDrunkL0ve]

OK, do you want to record programmes on the SSD and play them back on your PC? In that case, first use the MacDrive trial to format the SSD and then install the Apple bootcamp HFS+ driver for Win10 to be able to read only HFS+ drives https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apple-hfs-windows-driver-download.1368010/

[ProWo]

ProWo, I'm not converting partitions, I just need to create a new clean partition.

Create a new clean NTSC partition and convert it to HSF+
As result you have a new clean HSF+ partition.

[krykmoon]

Krykoom, I don't use Linux nor I have the time or desire to learn how to use it regardless how easy it is, I just need a program to format the SSD in HFS+.

If that's the case.. there aren't free solution for you: you have to pay for some kind of software to do that directly from Windows.

[lordsmurf]

Paragon HFS+ = only $20, with 10-day trial.

[dellsam34]

It has to be HFS+, exFAT and FAT32 will not work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_IkUSHK1AU

The link to this product is gone.

[dellsam34]

Paragon HFS+ is not detecting the SSD drive, it only sees the system HDD, So far I've tried EaseUS and DiskCopy but none of them converts to HFS, Any idea?

[dellsam34]

My bad, Figured it out, Forgot to create a new volume that's why it is not seen:
The format summary:

./utils/mkhfs -f --nopercents -v:"HyperdeckShuttle" \\.\Harddisk1Partition1

WARNING, ALL DATA ON DEVICE "\\.\Harddisk1Partition1"(953.87 GB) WILL BE LOST!
Proceed with Format (y/n)?y
Formatting Volume \\.\Harddisk1Partition1...
Creating file system structures.
Creating bitmap (30524 kBytes)
HFS+  format complete.
Serial number            01CB1AE1-511C1EA6.
Bytes per sector         512.
Block allocation size    4K.
Extents B-tree node size 4K (11264 KB).
Catalog B-tree node size 8K (262144 KB).
Attribs B-tree node size 8K (262144 KB).
953.87 GB total disk space.
953.33 GB available.

Partition is formatted but its fdisk type is not changed

[dellsam34]

Now that the SSD is formatted in Mac and the device is recording files to it, How do I transfer files from the SSD to a PC computer, When I dock the SSD, Paragon HFS+ mounts it but the Windows system asks me to format it, Is there a Mac file explorer for Windows besides MacDrive?

Edit:
I found this 3rd party free app called HFSexplorer but it doesn't detect the drive, When I type in its path it says "no file system loaded".

[PunchDrunkL0ve]

If you're still on Win10 then see: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/416151-Formatting-SSDs-in-PC-as-Mac#post2753250

[dellsam34]

No, I'm on Win 11 unfortunately. I read that thread and there are some horror stories about not being able to reboot even on Win 10.

[dellsam34]

This entire thread was really unnecessary, All what I needed to do is format the drive in exFAT, recognized by the device and Windows PC, That's what happened when you read a 12 years old manual.

[lordsmurf]

Don't be too hard on yourself. exFAT still doesn't always work as it should.

[dellsam34]

So far so good, even hot swapping and pressing record works like a charm, Let's keep our fingers crossed.