
WARNING: The next step will erase all files from the external hard drive. Locate “File System” and select exFAT from the drop down menu. Your external hard drive may be labeled differently.Ĥ. Right-Click on the external hard drive and select FORMAT.ĥ. Format options will open.

If not already done, the drivers should automatically install and allow your drive to be read by the laptop.Ģ. Click on the START menu and select COMPUTER.ģ. Locate and select the external hard drive. Formatting using Windows 7 Laptopġ. Connect the external hard drive to your computer. This procedure should be similar for most non-Toshiba external hard drives and non-Toshiba laptops equipped with Windows 7 / Windows 8. The second procedure uses the same models with Windows 8 Release Preview installed on the laptop. The first procedure we will be using a Toshiba THRiVE tablet equipped with Android 4.0, Toshiba Canvio 750GB external hard drive and a Toshiba Satellite P775D laptop with Windows 7. After formatting to exFAT, you can then place the files back onto the external hard drive from the computer. PRIOR TO FORMATTING be sure to connect your external hard drive to your computer and save the files you want to keep to a secure location on your computer. WARNING: Formatting your external hard drive will erase all files, images, videos, etc… from the device. NOTE: FAT32 formatted external hard drives can be recognized by the tablet when connected.

The following procedure will guide you through formatting an external hard drive to exFAT to allow connection to your tablet. Many external hard drives by default are formatted NTFS and won’t be recognized by the tablet when connected. Toshiba tablets require any external hard drive connected through USB to be formatted using exFAT. When connecting your portable (external) USB hard drive to your Toshiba tablet using a USB connection, it may not show up under file manager.
