How to Format Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive?

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The Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive is a reliable storage solution designed for portability and security. It offers compatibility with both Windows and macOS, making it ideal for users who frequently switch between operating systems.

However, you may need to format your Seagate Ultra Touch drive for several reasons:

• To switch to a different file system for better compatibility.
• To erase data before selling or repurposing the drive.
• To fix corruptions or errors that make the drive unreadable.

In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about formatting the Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive on both Windows and macOS, including choosing the right file system, troubleshooting common errors, and ensuring a successful format.

Understand File Systems: Which One Should You Choose?

Before formatting your Seagate Ultra Touch, you must decide on the file system. Data access and storage on the device are controlled by a file system. Different file systems are optimized for specific operating systems and use cases.

File System	PROS	CONS
NTFS (New Technology File System) Best for: Windows users who do not need Mac compatibility.	Supports large files and partitions. Efficient and reliable with built-in security features.	Read-only on macOS without third-party software.
exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) Best for: Users who need cross-platform compatibility.	Works seamlessly with both Windows and macOS. Supports large file sizes (better than FAT32).	Lacks the security and journaling features of NTFS.
FAT32 (File Allocation Table 32-bit) Best for: Maximum compatibility with older devices.	Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, game consoles, and older systems.	File size limit of 4GB (not ideal for large files).
APFS (Apple File System) / Mac OS Extended (HFS+) Best for: Mac users who do not need Windows compatibility.	Optimized for macOS with faster performance.	Not compatible with Windows without third-party tools.

Before Formatting Your Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive

Step 1: Backup Important Data

• Formatting erases all data so back them up to another drive or cloud storage before proceeding.

Step 2: Connect the Drive to Your Computer

• Plug your Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive into a USB port on your PC.
• Verify that the drive is recognized by the computer.

Step 3: Install Necessary Drivers or Software (Optional)

• Windows and macOS should automatically detect your Seagate drive.
• You can download Donemax Data Eraser, Donemax Data Recovery or Seagate Toolkit for additional features, but it is not required for formatting.

How to Format Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive on Windows?

Windows provides multiple ways to format a drive:

• File Explorer (simpler method)
• Disk Management (for advanced options)

Method 1: Format the Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive via File Explorer

Step 1: Open File Explorer

• Open File Explorer by pressing Windows + E.
• Click on This PC (or "My Computer").
• Locate your Seagate Ultra Touch drive under Devices and drives.

Step 2: Start the Formatting Process

• Select the external drive with a right-click.
• Choose the Format option from the menu.

Step 3: Choose File System and Settings

• In the Format window, select a File System:
  • Choose NTFS (Windows only).
  • Choose exFAT (Windows & macOS compatibility).
  • Choose FAT32 (for older devices).
• Check the Quick Format box for faster formatting.

Step 4: Confirm and Start Formatting

• Click Start to begin formatting.
• Once completed, you will see a confirmation message.
• Click OK, and your drive is ready for use!

Method 2: Format Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive via Disk Management

If File Explorer doesn't work, use Disk Management:

Step 1: Open Disk Management

• Choose Disk Management by pressing Windows + X.

• Find your Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive in the list.

Step 2: Delete Existing Partitions (If Necessary)

• If the drive is unallocated, right-click and choose New Simple Volume.

• If the drive has an existing partition, right-click and select Delete Volume, then create a new partition.

Step 3: Format the Drive

• Choose Format from the menu when you right-click on the drive.

• Select your file system and make sure the formatting is correct.

How to Format Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive on macOS?

Mac users should use Disk Utility to format their drive.

Step 1: Open Disk Utility

• Click Finder > Applications > Utilities.
• Open Disk Utility.

Step 2: Select the Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive

• Locate the drive in the left sidebar.
• Click on the Erase tab.

Step 3: Choose a File System

• Select APFS (for macOS only).
• Select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) (for older Macs).
• Select ExFAT (for Windows & macOS compatibility).

Step 4: Start Formatting

• Enter a name for your drive.
• Click Erase to begin formatting.
• Once completed, your drive is ready to use!

How to Recover Lost Data from a Formatted Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive?

The formatted data is not lost for good and can be recovered by data recovery software - such as Donemax Data Recovery. Follow the steps below to recover lost data from a formatted Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive on Windows or macOS.

Step 1. Download and install Donemax Data Recovery on your computer and connect the Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive to the computer.

Step 2. Open Donemax Data Recovery, select the Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive to start data recovery.

Step 3. Click on Scan button to deeply scan the formatted Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive and find all deleted/erased files.

Step 4. Once the scan is completed, you can preview all recoverable files. Then select the wanted files, click on Recover button to save them.

How to Wipe a Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive on Windows or macOS?

If you will sell or donate your Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive, you'd better to permanently erase all data from the drive, ensure your private data can't be recovered by any data recovery method.

Disk wipe software - such as Donemax Data Eraser can help in wiping a Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive and permanently erasing all data from it.

Step 1. Download and install Donemax Data Eraser on your computer, then open it.

Step 2. Open Donemax Data Eraser, choose Erase Hard Drive mode. Then select the Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive, click on Erase Now button.

Step 3. It will securely and permanently erase all data including existing data, deleted/formatted/lost data from the Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive.

Fix Seagate Ultra Touch External Hard Drive Formatting Issues

Even though formatting a Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive is usually straightforward, you may run into issues. Below are common problems and their solutions.

1. Seagate Ultra Touch Not Recognized by Computer

If your Seagate Ultra Touch does not appear in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), try the following fixes:

Solution 1: Check the Physical Connection

• Verify that the drive is inserted into the USB port correctly.
• Try connecting your computer to a different USB port.
• Instead of utilizing a USB hub, connect the drive straight to the PC.
• Try using a different USB cable (faulty cables can prevent detection).

Solution 2: Check if the Drive Appears in Disk Management (Windows)

• Choose Disk Management by pressing Windows + X.
• Check the list for your Seagate Ultra Touch drive.
• To assign a new drive letter, right-click on the drive and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths" if it is shown without one.
• If the drive appears as "Unallocated", right-click and select "New Simple Volume", then follow the steps to format it.

Solution 3: Check if the Drive Appears in Disk Utility (Mac)

1. Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
2. If the drive appears but is grayed out, click Mount to make it accessible.
3. If the drive is unformatted or corrupted, click Erase, choose a file system (exFAT, APFS, etc.), and format it.

2. Unable to Format the Drive (Windows or Mac)

If you get errors while formatting the Seagate Ultra Touch, follow these solutions:

Solution 1: Use a Different Formatting Tool (Windows)

Sometimes, Windows File Explorer cannot format a drive properly. Instead, use Disk Management:

• Press Windows + X > Disk Management to launch Disk Management.
• Locate your Seagate drive, select Delete Volume with a right-click.
• After deletion, choose New Simple Volume by right-clicking the unallocated space.
• Choose the preferred file system (NTFS, exFAT, or FAT32) by following the instructions.
• Click Finish to format the drive.

If this doesn't work, try Command Prompt (Advanced Users):

• Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
• In Command Prompt, type: diskpart
• This will force format the drive.

Solution 2: Format as a Different File System First (Mac)

If macOS fails to format the drive, try formatting it in a different file system first:

• Go to Disk Utility.
• Select your Seagate Ultra Touch drive and click Erase.
• Choose MS-DOS (FAT) and format it.
• Once complete, reformat it again to exFAT, APFS, or Mac OS Extended as needed.

3. Mac Cannot Format to NTFS

Mac computers do not support NTFS formatting natively, so you must use third-party software:

• Download and install Donemax NTFS for Mac.
• Open Donemax NTFS for Mac, select the Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive, click on Format button.
• Select NTFS as the file system.
• Click on Continue button to format the Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive to NTFS.

These allow full read/write access to NTFS drives on macOS.

4. File Size Limitations (FAT32 vs exFAT vs NTFS)

If you are getting an error saying "The file is too large for the destination file system", it is likely due to FAT32’s 4GB file size limit.

Solution: Switch to exFAT or NTFS

• Format the drive as exFAT (works with both Windows & macOS).
• If using Windows only, choose NTFS for better performance.

5. Drive Becomes Write-Protected (Cannot Delete or Format)

If Windows or macOS says the drive is write-protected, you cannot delete or modify files.

Solution 1: Remove Write Protection via Command Prompt (Windows)

• Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
• Type the following commands:

  diskpart
  list disk
  select disk X # (Replace X with your drive number)
  attributes disk clear readonly
  exit

• This removes write protection and allows formatting.

Solution 2: Change Permissions (Mac)

• Right-click the drive and choose Get Info.
• Expand the Sharing & Permissions section.
• If it says Read-Only, click the lock icon, enter your Mac password, and change the permissions to Read & Write.

6. Slow Formatting Process

If formatting takes too long (more than 10-15 minutes), try these fixes:

Solution 1: Use Quick Format

1. In Windows, select Quick Format when formatting.
2. In macOS, use Erase in Disk Utility without secure erase options.

Solution 2: Check for Bad Sectors

A failing hard drive with bad sectors can slow down formatting. To check:

On Windows:

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Run:

  chkdsk /f /r X:

  (Replace X: with your drive letter).

On Mac:

• Open Disk Utility and click First Aid to check the drive for errors.

Conclusion

Formatting your Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive is a simple yet crucial process, whether you want better compatibility, clean storage, or improved performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Choose the right file system based on your needs.
• Backup important data before formatting.
• Use File Explorer or Disk Management on Windows.
• Use Disk Utility on macOS.
• Troubleshoot common errors with simple fixes.

Now that your Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive is formatted, you can use it for storing files, backups, or transferring data efficiently. Happy formatting! If you are going to sell, donate or dispose of an old Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive, use Donemax Data Eraser to wipe the drive.