how to format a mac ssd through a windows machine

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lynnerj

Commendable
Sep 4, 2016
2
0
1,510
friends mac: me - doing the work. she'd put elcapitan on there and doesn't like it. wanted to go back but the mac refused. I tried a clean install of Yosemite but again mac didn't want to go retrograde. it's a 120 ssd on a macbook air, so I hooked it up to my windows machine and want to know how to wipe it through windows so that I can install Yosemite on it for her. All help, with idiot proof instructions :) would be appreciated. thanks guys
 
Solution
Boogieman_WD
This is a bit weird, are you 100% sure that the SSD is in good health? Perhaps you might try downloading a diagnostic tool, to see if it recognizes it and if you can test it for errors: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/tophddiag.htm (you can select a 3rd party tool if the SSD manufacturer doesn't offer one).
Is the SSD recognized by the BIOS of the PC? If "yes", you can try its manufacturer's tool (most SSD manufacturers offer tools for their devices with which to manage them) and see if you have the option for a Secure Erase.
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Boogieman_WD

Boogieman_WD

Judicious
Jul 31, 2014
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Hey there, lynnerj.

How did you try to rollback from El Capitan? If you've been using Time Machine, this tutorial should be able to help: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21950?locale=en_US.

You could also check this tutorial on how to create a bootable installer for OS X and try installing it again: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

Other than that, you can simply reformat the drive with your Windows computer by opening Disk Management (How to access Disk Management in Windows to manage hard drives), right click on the partition and select "format", or "delete volume" so that you can create a new volume and format it.

However, this won't do you any good unless you format the drive with the exFAT File System, because this is the only one compatible with both Mac OS X and Windows.

Hope that helps.
Boogieman_WD
 
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L

lynnerj

Commendable
Sep 4, 2016
2
0
1,510


thanks boogieman. not having any luck at the moment. when the ssd is in the mac it does run el capitan, but very slowly so thought going backward would help. didn't use time machine. used a bootable usb with yosemite, but the mac says 'no do, because bootable osx is earlier than current one.' was hoping to wipe it through windows, then put yosemite on. when i connect the ssd via a usb to my win 10 machine the drive doesn't show up in disk management? was figuring because the ssd works in the mac, albeit slowly, the ssd is okay, but stumped now the disk doesn't show up in disk management. I'm a really basic mac user/knowledge, experienced windows. thanks again for the reply.
 
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Boogieman_WD

Boogieman_WD

Judicious
Jul 31, 2014
6,050
2
35,960
This is a bit weird, are you 100% sure that the SSD is in good health? Perhaps you might try downloading a diagnostic tool, to see if it recognizes it and if you can test it for errors: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/tophddiag.htm (you can select a 3rd party tool if the SSD manufacturer doesn't offer one).
Is the SSD recognized by the BIOS of the PC? If "yes", you can try its manufacturer's tool (most SSD manufacturers offer tools for their devices with which to manage them) and see if you have the option for a Secure Erase.
 
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