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Most Macintosh computers can read either IBM PC or Macintosh disks. If you are using a disk for both Macintosh and IBM-compatible platforms, you should format your disks as PC disks. However, if you are only using your disks on a Macintosh, it is best to format them in a Macintosh format.
When you insert a floppy disk into a Macintosh computer, 3 possible things will happen:
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Note that for newer versions of the Macintosh OS, the icon for a "PC disk" is the same as for a "Macintosh disk." You can tell if it is formatted for a PC by clicking once on the disk icon and selecting Get Info from the File menu. This will give you information about the disk, including its format. Next to the word "Format" it will say "PC DOS" for a PC Disk or Macintosh OS for a Macintosh disk.
If the computer tells you that the disk is unreadable and you know that it is a new disk with nothing on it that you want to save, then type a new name for your disk (replacing the word "untitled"), choose a format by holding down the mouse on the currently selected format (choose Macintosh 1.4 MB for a Macintosh disk or DOS 1.4 MB for a PC disk). Then click on the Initialize button.
Next you will be asked if you are sure you want to do this (newer versions of the Macintosh OS might not ask for confirmation, so be sure you really want to erase the disk when you say you want to initialize). This is your last chance to back out before erasing everything that was on the disk.
Click the Continue button. After a couple of minutes of whizzing and whirring, the you will have a formatted disk.
If the disk is of the wrong type (it is a PC disk and you wanted a Macintosh disk or vice versa), Click once on the image of the disk so that it is highlighted and select Erase... from the Special menu. Follow the steps above. Some of the words will be slightly different, but the steps will be the same.
If the disk of the right type, all you will need to do is name the disk. You can also do this if you forgot to name the disk in the earlier steps. The disk is probably named "untitled." You want to change it to something that makes sense for you (probably including your own name if you are going to hand it in). To do this, click once on the current name of the disk. You should see a box form around the name, and the name should remain highlighted. Type a new name and hit the RETURN key. The name should now be changed.
This page was prepared by Dr. David M. Marcovitz.
Last Updated: January 26, 2001