Xbox one external storage wont format for game/apps

When you connect a compatible external storage drive, Xbox One will prompt you to format the drive and walk you through setting it up to store games and apps.

The basic requirements for storing games and apps on an external drive are:

Has capacity of 256 GB or more and

Uses USB 3.0.

Devices that don’t meet these requirements will be treated as media storage, such as for music or video. If you have a storage device that does meet these requirements for game and app storage, you can cancel the format to use it as a media device.

If your console doesn’t recognise your external drive, see Troubleshoot external storage detection on Xbox One.

If you cancel the format when you connect the storage device, you can still set it up as a storage device later. Here's how:

Scroll left from the Home screen to open the guide.

Select Settings.

Select All Settings.

Select System, and then select Storage.

Select your storage device, and then select Format for games & apps.

For more info:
support.xbox.com/.../manage-storage

Hey there Captain!

Have you tried formatting the external HDD through System settings? Follow these steps below to try that:

• Verify that the external HDD is plugged into the side USB 3.0 port.
• Press the Menu button on your Xbox One controller and select 'Settings'.
• In the Settings menu, select 'System'.
• Select 'Manage storage'.
• Within this menu, you should see your external HDD pop up and format it to store Xbox One games and apps.
  

Try those steps and post back to let us know if that helps!

hi i'm having the same issue it will not format at all nothing happens just a green circle comes up on the screen i left it for hours for it to format and nothing i unplug it plug it back in again says music pictures and videos??

Hey there Captain!

Have you tried formatting the external HDD through System settings? Follow these steps below to try that:

• Verify that the external HDD is plugged into the side USB 3.0 port.
• Press the Menu button on your Xbox One controller and select 'Settings'.
• In the Settings menu, select 'System'.
• Select 'Manage storage'.
• Within this menu, you should see your external HDD pop up and format it to store Xbox One games and apps.
  

Try those steps and post back to let us know if that helps!

Hi Pascal,

Thanks for coming to the forums with your question. To have it as a media device, where it reads music and that. You would need to format it for that which is FAT32. Unfortunately, it will then not save games. It is also not advised to split the HD or create
dual partitions, on the same external HD. To best utilize both, you would need two external one formatted for media, the other formatted for games.

https://support.xbox.com/xbox-one/console/manage-storage#aa10f1153fc841d1bcfc21eb2497da49

Set up external storage

To use external storage with Xbox One games and apps, your hard drive must:

• Hold 128 GB or more
• Connect via USB 3.0

When you first connect, Xbox will prompt you to format your device. You can use it for Xbox games and apps, or for personal media such as pictures, music, and video. (Xbox will treat devices that don’t meet the above requirements as
media storage.)

If your Xbox doesn’t recognize your external drive, see Troubleshoot external storage detection on Xbox
One.

Note Xbox will recognize only two external drives at one time.

If you cancel formatting when you connect a storage device, you can set it up later:

1. Press the Xbox button
   to open the guide and select System > Settings >
   System > Storage.
2. Select your device, and then select Format for games & apps.

Thanks,

Brad

Hi ABYISZ,



It would really help if you could provide us the model number of that storage device. If format isn't an option there is likely something that's not compatible with it, also check to
make sure it's USB 3.0. See below to setup an external storage device.

When you connect a compatible external storage drive, Xbox One will prompt you to format the drive and walk you through setting it up to store games and apps.

The basic requirements for storing games and apps on an external drive are:

• Has capacity of 256 GB or more
• Uses USB 3.0.

Devices that don’t meet these requirements will be treated as media storage, such as for music or video. If you have a storage device that does meet these requirements for game and app storage, you can cancel the format to use it as a media device.

If your console doesn’t recognize your external drive, see Xbox One console doesn’t detect external storage.

If you cancel the format when you connect the storage device, you can still set it up as a storage device later. Here’s how:

1. Press the Menu button, select Settings, select System, then select Manage storage.
   
2. Select your storage device, then select Format for games & apps.

Link to setting up external storage

Hope this helps!