{"id":95477,"date":"2022-03-09T11:37:26","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T11:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/?p=95477"},"modified":"2025-08-29T09:31:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T09:31:50","slug":"fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"[Fixed] &#8220;This Volume is Not Formatted as APFS&#8221; Error on Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><p><strong>The article will cover the following sections:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reasons behind the error message &ldquo;This Volume is not formatted as APFS&rdquo;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ways to fix &ldquo;This Volume is not formatted as APFS&rdquo;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ways to restore lost data from the formatted APFS drive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>FAQ&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-do-you-get-the-error-message-&ldquo;this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs&rdquo;?\">Why Do You Get the Error Message &ldquo;This Volume is Not Formatted as APFS&rdquo;?<\/h2><p>Over the last few years, many users have reported getting the &ldquo;This volume is not formatted as APFS&rdquo; error message on Mac. When Apple introduced a new way to optimize SSD and flash memory on Macs, this became an issue.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Apple File System is used on systems starting from macOS High Sierra (10.13) and later, and it can&rsquo;t be installed on previous macOS versions. This means that when you try to upgrade to macOS 10.13 or later on a Mac OS Extended drive, you will see &ldquo;This volume is not formatted as APFS&rdquo; on Mac. You will also get the same message when you try to install macOS Sierra (10.12) on an APFS drive or when you try to transfer files from older versions of the file systems to an APFS formatted disk.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-fix-&ldquo;this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs&rdquo;\">How to Fix &ldquo;This Volume is Not Formatted as APFS&rdquo;<\/h2><p>Once we have covered why you are getting the message &ldquo;This Volume is Not Formatted as APFS&rdquo; it is time to find out the best ways on how to format Macintosh HD to APFS.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><div class=\"note-alert\">\n        <div class=\"tips_container\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/tips-con.png\" class=\"img-fluid apply-gradient-on-post-images\" alt=\"tips\">\n            <div class=\"tips_content ml-3 pt-3\">\n                <span class=\"f700 fmont\">Tip &ndash;   <\/span>\n                The guide includes instructions on how to format the hard drive. This may result in data loss. To keep all your files safe, make sure to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/article\/how-to-backup-mac.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">backup your data<\/a> before following the steps or use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/data-recovery-mac.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Data Recovery Software for Mac<\/a> to recover your files once you fix the issue successfully.\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-erase-and-format-the-drive-in-disk-utility\">Erase and Format the Drive in Disk Utility<\/h3><p>Disk Utility is a system utility on Mac that allows you to manage volumes, and external storage, erase, repair, and restore internal and external disks. That&rsquo;s the first place you should check when you have any disk-related issues.&nbsp;<\/p><p>The steps differ depending on whether you want to format the startup disk or non-startup drive.&nbsp;<\/p><p>You can not erase and unmount the volume your home folder is on, so to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/format-mac-hard-drive-without-data-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">format Macintosh HD<\/a> to APFS you have to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/macos-recovery-mode-and-how-to-use-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">boot into Recovery Mode<\/a> (or Internet recovery mode), use another Mac, or use a bootable backup drive. Non-startup drives can be formatted in Disk Utility by following the steps below.&nbsp;<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-to-format-a-drive-as-apfs-in-disk-utility\">To format a drive as APFS in Disk Utility:<\/h3><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open Disk Utility (From Launchpad, Spotlight, or by opening <strong>Applications<\/strong>&gt; <strong>Utilities<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Disk Utility<\/strong>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>Click on your hard drive on the left side and choose the <strong>Erase<\/strong> option at the top.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rename the drive (if needed), change the <strong>Format<\/strong> to APFS, make sure the scheme is GUID Partition Map.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on <strong>Erase<\/strong> in the window.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"632\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image2-1-1024x632.png\" alt=\"Disk Utility &gt; format a drive as APFS\" class=\"wp-image-95488 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:668px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image2-1-1024x632.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image2-1-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image2-1-768x474.png 768w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image2-1-1536x947.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image2-1-1568x967.png 1568w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image2-1.png 1842w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><div class=\"note-alert\">\n        <div class=\"tips_container\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/tips-con.png\" class=\"img-fluid apply-gradient-on-post-images\" alt=\"tips\">\n            <div class=\"tips_content ml-3 pt-3\">\n                <span class=\"f700 fmont\">Tip &ndash;   <\/span>\n                If you don&rsquo;t see the disk you want to format in Disk Utility click on <strong>View<\/strong> and choose &ldquo;<strong>Show all devices\n        <\/strong><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div><p>To check the current format of the drive click on its name on the left side in the Disk Utility to view detailed information. In the <strong>Type<\/strong> section, it should say &ldquo;<strong>APFS Volume<\/strong>&rdquo;. After these actions, you should be able to transfer files between APFS disks without any problems. Otherwise, you can also format the drive via Terminal or Internet Recovery mode.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"636\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image3-1-1024x636.png\" alt=\"Disk Utility &gt; check format of the drive\" class=\"wp-image-95490 apply-gradient-on-post-images\" style=\"width:668px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image3-1-1024x636.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image3-1-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image3-1-768x477.png 768w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image3-1-1536x955.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image3-1-1568x974.png 1568w, https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/image3-1.png 1844w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-restore-lost-data-from-formatted-apfs-drive\">How to Restore Lost Data From Formatted APFS Drive<\/h2><p>It is always recommended to have a backup of your Mac, but it becomes especially important to perform a backup before doing any actions that could result in a possible data loss. When you format Macintosh HD to APFS you erase all the files that were stored on the drive. If you didn&rsquo;t make a backup before formatting we recommend using <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/free-mac-data-recovery.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mac Data Recovery Software<\/a><\/strong> to restore all lost files from the drive:&nbsp;<\/p><p>1. Download, install and launch Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac.<\/p><p>2. Make sure the <strong>Recover Everything<\/strong> toggle button is on to recover all files. Or customize your scan at the bottom.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"apply-gradient-on-post-images\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/public\/image\/catalog\/screenshot\/mac-data-recovery-pro\/stellar-data-recovery-professional-for-mac-home-screen-1.png\" alt=\"Stellar\"><\/figure>\n<\/div><p>3. Select the drive you want to recover.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"apply-gradient-on-post-images\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/public\/image\/catalog\/screenshot\/mac-data-recovery-pro\/stellar-data-recovery-professional-for-mac-select-location-2.png\" alt=\"Stellar Data Recovery &gt; Recover From\"><\/figure>\n<\/div><p>4. Turn on <strong>Deep Scan <\/strong>at the bottom left of the window and click on <strong>Scan.<\/strong><\/p><p>5. <strong>Preview <\/strong>the results of the scan.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"apply-gradient-on-post-images\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/public\/image\/catalog\/screenshot\/mac-data-recovery-pro\/stellar-data-recovery-professional-for-mac-preview-3.png\" alt=\"Stellar Data Recovery &gt; Preview\"><\/figure>\n<\/div><p>6. Select the files you want to recover and click on <strong>Recover.<\/strong><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"to-conclude\">To Conclude<\/h2><p>&ldquo;This Volume is Not Formatted as APFS&rdquo; is a complex issue that means your drive uses the old format. In this case, your system can&rsquo;t benefit from the updated drive optimization features and you are unable to upgrade macOS or share files with other APFS drives. Ways to format Macintosh HD to APFS may result in data loss. That&rsquo;s where trusted data recovery software comes to rescue your files.&nbsp;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq&nbsp;\"><strong>FAQ<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The article will cover the following sections:&nbsp; Why Do You Get the&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">[Fixed] &#8220;This Volume is Not Formatted as APFS&#8221; Error on Mac<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":95738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[244],"tags":[2618,2619,2620,2616,2617,2621],"class_list":["post-95477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mac-data-recovery","tag-catalina-apfs-format","tag-how-to-format-macintosh-hd-to-apfs","tag-no-apfs-option-in-disk-utility","tag-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs","tag-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-mac","tag-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-mojave-to-big-sur","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>[Fixed] \u201cThis Volume is Not Formatted as APFS\u201d Error on Mac<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you trying to upgrade your Mac to macOS Catalina or Big Sur but get the \u201cThis Volume is Not Formatted as APFS\u201d message? 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Read our guide!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Stellar Data Recovery Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-09T11:37:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-29T09:31:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Fixed-This-Volume-is-Not-Formatted-as-APFS-Error-on-Mac.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ruslana Lishchuk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ruslana Lishchuk\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ruslana Lishchuk\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2157bc3de59c4a4cd584bc9fb3d24026\"},\"headline\":\"[Fixed] &#8220;This Volume is Not Formatted as APFS&#8221; Error on Mac\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-09T11:37:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-29T09:31:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/\"},\"wordCount\":796,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Fixed-This-Volume-is-Not-Formatted-as-APFS-Error-on-Mac.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"catalina apfs format\",\"how to format macintosh hd to apfs\",\"no apfs option in disk utility\",\"this volume is not formatted as apfs\",\"this volume is not formatted as apfs mac\",\"this volume is not formatted as apfs mojave to big sur\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Mac Data Recovery\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/\",\"name\":\"[Fixed] \u201cThis Volume is Not Formatted as APFS\u201d Error on Mac\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/fixed-this-volume-is-not-formatted-as-apfs-error-on-mac\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Fixed-This-Volume-is-Not-Formatted-as-APFS-Error-on-Mac.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-09T11:37:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-29T09:31:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2157bc3de59c4a4cd584bc9fb3d24026\"},\"description\":\"Are you trying to upgrade your Mac to macOS Catalina or Big Sur but get the \u201cThis Volume is Not Formatted as APFS\u201d message? 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