# How to format backup drive?
**URL:** https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501
**Category:** Discussion
**Tags:** hardware
**Created:** [May 25, 2024, 11:28am UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501 "2024-05-25T11:28:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SJW](https://community.start9.com/u/SJW)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 11:28am UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501/1 "2024-05-25T11:28:04Z")
I am setting up a backup drive (4TB ADATA) for my Server Pure. The Start9 manual recommends formatting the drive to EXT4.
My PC’s Disk Management can format to NTFS, will that work? Or will I need to use a 3rd party tool to format to EXT4?
If so, can I trust a 3rd party tool, since I will have a Lightening node on the server?
SJW
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### Author:  [@StuPleb](https://community.start9.com/u/StuPleb)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 2:34pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501/2 "2024-05-25T14:34:39Z")
It can be problematic to format a disk to EXT4 in both Windows and Mac OS. Since we’re recommending this more often, I’d like to create a guide for each (the alternative is ExFat, but with a couple of services you might run into problems).
For Windows, you’d likely need 3rd party software such as…
- **MiniTool Partition Wizard**
- **EaseUS Partition Master**
- **AOMEI Partition Assistant**
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### Author:  [@SJW](https://community.start9.com/u/SJW)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501/3 "2024-05-25T18:52:40Z")
Thank you StuPleb.
I’m just wondering about the security of using a 3rd party free tool. What are your thoughts?
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://community.start9.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501/4 "2024-05-25T21:01:48Z")
If you want to stick to open source. You can flash Ubuntu on a USB stick that will be bootable. You can then boot from the USB stick and access ubuntu disk utilities to format drives to ext4
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### Author:  [@SJW](https://community.start9.com/u/SJW)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 11:48pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501/5 "2024-05-25T23:48:36Z")
Thank you Rick. Ironically I had Ubuntu on my server and needed help removing it. Wish I had known then before getting rid of it…
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://community.start9.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501/6 "2024-05-25T23:53:33Z")
It’s pretty easy to flash it onto a thumb drive. I always have a couple of drives laying around with ubuntu on them. It comes in handy
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### Author:  [@SJW](https://community.start9.com/u/SJW)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2024, 12:11am UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501/7 "2024-05-26T00:11:39Z")
Thanks Rick
I’m inexperienced and really couldn’t figure out how to use Ubuntu.
I guess I’ll try the minitool
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### Author:  [@freedom](https://community.start9.com/u/freedom)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501/8 "2024-12-29T20:53:56Z")
You guys never specifically answered regarding NTFS.
I’ll assume it’s absolutely NOT acceptable as the backup drive format type.
But it would be nice to be specifically listed in step #1 of the DIY guide too, alongside FAT32 and exFAT:
[https://docs.start9.com/0.3.5.x/user-manual/backups/backup-create#create-the-backup](https://docs.start9.com/0.3.5.x/user-manual/backups/backup-create#create-the-backup)
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://community.start9.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.start9.com/t/how-to-format-backup-drive/1501/9 "2024-12-29T21:41:04Z")
That is a fair point. I will make a note to the team to see if that can be clarified. But for now ext4 is going to be the most compatible file system.