Use an external disk on Windows and Linux

30 September 10, 2024

Here are the step-by-step instructions for formatting an external in case a Western Digital Black (WD) disk as a Windows-compatible file system using Linux:

Note: These instructions assume you have a WD Black disk with a compatible interface (e.g., USB 3.0, SATA).

Step 1: Connect the WD Black disk to your Linux machine

  • Plug the WD Black disk into a free USB port or connect it via SATA cable if your system supports it.
  • Make sure the disk is detected by your Linux system.

Step 2: Identify the device name of the WD Black disk

  • Open a terminal and use the fdisk -l command to list all connected storage devices. Look for the WD Black disk’s device name, which will be something like /dev/sdb1.
  • Note down the device name (e.g., /dev/sdb1).

Step 3: Unmount the WD Black disk

  • Use the umount command to unmount the WD Black disk. If it’s already mounted, you’ll see an error message.
sudo umount /dev/sdb1

Replace /dev/sdb1 with your actual device name.

Step 4: Format the WD Black disk as NTFS

  • Use the mkfs.ntfs command to format the WD Black disk as a Windows-compatible NTFS file system.
sudo mkfs.ntfs -L "WD_Black" /dev/sdb1

Replace /dev/sdb1 with your actual device name. The -L option sets the label for the new NTFS volume.

Step 5: Create a partition table (optional)

  • If you want to create multiple partitions on the WD Black disk, you can use fdisk or parted.
sudo fdisk /dev/sdb1

Follow the prompts to create a single primary partition or multiple partitions. Be careful when creating multiple partitions, as it may lead to data loss.

Step 6: Mount the NTFS volume

  • Once you’ve created a partition table (if necessary), mount the WD Black disk using the mount command.
sudo mount -t ntfs /dev/sdb1 /mnt/WD_Black

Replace /dev/sdb1 with your actual device name and /mnt/WD_Black with the desired mount point.

Step 7: Verify the file system

  • Use the df command to verify that the WD Black disk is now mounted as NTFS.
df -hT /mnt/WD_Black

This should show the WD Black disk’s NTFS volume, labeled “WD_Black”.

Your WD Black disk is now formatted and ready for use with Windows. Remember to unmount it before disconnecting it from your Linux machine.

Step 8: Safely eject and remove the WD Black disk

  • Unmount the WD Black disk using umount.
sudo umount /mnt/WD_Black

Then, safely eject or disconnect the WD Black disk.