Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) Practice Exam 2026 - Free ACSP Practice Questions and Study Guide

The process of formatting a disk is specifically designed to prepare that disk for use with a particular file system. When you format a disk, you are essentially writing a new file system onto that disk, which organizes how data will be stored and retrieved. This step is crucial because it defines the structure of the disk, such as how files are named, how they are indexed, and how space is allocated for new files.

While partitioning involves dividing a disk into separate sections that can each act like an independent disk, it does not inherently prepare a disk for a specific file system; rather, it sets up the layout before any formatting occurs. Mounting refers to making a file system accessible to the operating system, enabling the user to access files on the disk after it has been formatted. Encrypting is a security measure that protects data on a disk but is unrelated to the process of preparing a disk for a file system. Thus, formatting is the correct choice for this task.