This Volume Not Formatted as APFS on Mac: Causes & Fixes

Are you still getting the error text "This volume is not formatted as APFS"? In terms of traditional file systems, APFS is robust and reliable, minimizing the chances of data loss due to system crashes and HDD failures.

Many Mac users have reported the issue with the message This volume is not formatted as APFS popping up frequently.

This volume is not formatted as APFS.
Source: MacOS

Despite that, data loss can occur anytime due to scenarios like corruption, accidental deletion, or emptying the Trash. It is essential to know how to recover files from an APFS drive on Mac whenever an unexpected incident takes place. Before you format a volume to APFS using Disk Utility, consider performing APFS data recovery with a data recovery software.

Step 1: Recover Data from the Disk Before Formatting

With the help of the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool, you can recover deleted data from the disk and information stored on external storage devices formatted with the APFS file system.

Before formatting, you can rely on this powerful data retrieval software to restore files from an external hard drive, including videos, documents, images, audio files, and more.

Step 1: Finding the Lost File

On macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and the latest Sonoma, choose the disk location where you lost the file (it can be an internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device) and click on the “Search Lost Files” button.

Note: Before data recovery, it's better to click “Disk Backup” on the left sidebar and create a backup for your Mac to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can write new data again.

Step 2: Browse the scan results

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will scan the selected disk partition immediately and show you the scanning results.

Step 3: Select the files and recover them.

From the scan results, select the files you want to preview and then hit the “Recover” button to get them back.

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Step 2: Use the Mac Disk Utility to erase and format the drive

Transferring files from a HDD dependent on an earlier file system to a drive formatted with APFS is not allowed. Thus, you must convert your drive to the APFS format to eliminate the persistent text on your screen.

Enough with the APFS disk conversion dilemmas! In today's post, we'll delve into the reasons behind this issue and provide solutions to prevent it from occurring. Let's get started!

Disk Utility is one of the primary system tools on a Mac, allowing you to manage external storage, look for errors, erase, repair, and recover both internal and external disks. It should be your first port of call for any disk issues.

The steps to format your startup disk or a non-boot drive may vary. The default home directory can't be deleted or unmounted, so to format Macintosh HD to APFS, you'll need to use a bootable backup drive, another Mac, or Recovery Mode (also called Online Recovery). Follow these steps to format the startup drive in Disk Utility:

Step 1: Launch Disk Utility via Spotlight, Launchpad, or by navigating to it manually in Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.

Step 2: Click on the hard drive on the left, and then choose “Erase” from the top.

Step 3: If desired, give the disk a new name > Change "Format" to APFS > Make sure the "Scheme" is set to "GUID Partition Map." Click the "Erase" button.

Note: If you don't see the disk you want to format in Disk Utility, click "View" and then "Show All Devices."

To check the drive's recent formatting, click the drive name on the left in Disk Utility to view its details. Under "Type," it should read "APFS Volume." After doing this, you should be able to transfer files between APFS disks without issue. If you can't, you may need to format the drive using Online Recovery or Terminal mode.

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This volume is not formatted as APFS: Possible causes

Mac users often come across the error message “This volume is not formatted as APFS.” This became common when Apple introduced a new way of optimizing flash and SSD storage on MacBook.

MacBooks using MacOS Sierra and later use the Apple File System, which is not compatible with older versions of macOS. This means that when you try to upgrade an external drive formatted for macOS Extended to 10.13 or higher, you will get an error message.

You might also see this message if you try to download macOS Sierra (such as 10.12) to an APFS drive. This issue can also occur when moving files from an older file system to a disk formatted with APFS.

Conclusions

"The volume is not formatted as APFS" is perceived as a challenging issue, implying that your drive is using an outdated format. Hence, your MacBook cannot leverage the improved drive optimization features, and you might be unable to upgrade macOS or share files with other APFS drives. Formatting your Macintosh HD to APFS can lead to data loss. In such a scenario, reliable data recovery software like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac comes in handy.

This volume is not formatted as APFS FAQ

Read the following FAQ to get a better understanding of the topic:

1. What does it mean that the volume is not formatted as APFS? This indicates that your storage device or partition is currently not formatted with the Apple File System (APFS). APFS is a modern file system introduced by Apple for macOS and iOS devices, offering features like encryption, optimized backups, and space sharing. If you see this message, it might be because the disk or partition you're attempting to access is using a file system other than APFS, such as FAT, HFS+, or another format. It is generally recommended to format hard drives as APFS in macOS to take full advantage of Apple device functionality.

This error means that your disk is formatted with an older system. As a result, your system can't take advantage of advanced features of the upgraded drive, and you won't be able to upgrade to macOS or share folders with other APFS disks.

2. How can I format my Mac to APFS?

If Disk Utility doesn't open, click the Launchpad icon in your Dock, search for “Disk Utility,” and then click the Disk Utility app. You'll need to name your new APFS volume, so click the “Format” pop-up menu and choose an APFS format.

3. Can I recover files from an APFS volume on my Mac?

You can retrieve emptied trash on Mac or recover deleted files from an APFS partition after macOS corruption/upgrading and formatting. A tool like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, an APFS drive data recovery software, enables you to recover lost or deleted files from an external drive and password-protected APFS drives on Macintosh HD.