how to set up an external hard drive for mac

#HOW TO SET UP AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC HOW TO#
#HOW TO SET UP AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC FULL#
#HOW TO SET UP AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC PORTABLE#
#HOW TO SET UP AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC PROFESSIONAL#

You can have a look at the WD Elements review here. Say a drive like the WD Elements, that’s cost effective yet portable.

#HOW TO SET UP AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC PORTABLE#

Then a portable lightweight drive, rather than a desktop is for you. Or do you need a drive to take with you between your office and home? Then a high quality, more rugged drive would be what you need. And you need a drive that can come with you?

#HOW TO SET UP AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC PROFESSIONAL#

Pick An External Drive To Cope With Where You Want To Use ItĪre you a professional taking photos.

#HOW TO SET UP AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC FULL#

How fast your external hard drive works is linked to the speed of your Mac.Ī Mac with a USB 2.0 port isn’t going get the full speed out of an SSD drive.Ĥ. Looking for an external drive for backup on your Mac? Then you’ll find here a post that goes into the key points to consider there. You can check out a post on the Seagate Expansion here. Because you’ll get better price performance. Then a drive like the Seagate Expansion may do. Then drive space is key and speed isn’t as crucial. The links will take you to their reviews on this site.ĭo you want extra storage for your everyday files. A drive like the Samsung T5 or the SanDisk Extreme would be good drives to look at. Then you’re going to need an external drive with grunt.Ī Solid State Drive (SSD) is better for this kind of work. What Speed Do You Need From Your Mac’s External Drive?Īre you editing photos or HD movies on your external drive?

#HOW TO SET UP AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC HOW TO#

Want to know how to format an external drive? Look at this post here. You’ll find it’s always better to format any external drive on your Mac for what you want it to do.ĭon’t worry. Odd errors that you can’t quite put your finger on. Or to share between a Mac and a PC.īut the thing is Mac’s are pretty picky about their external drive formats.Īnd you can have trouble with a ‘For Mac’ formatted drive from the manufacturer. Other’ external drives you’ll need to format before you use on your Mac. These tend to come with a more expensive price tag for those versions. Some are already formatted by the manufacturer for Macs. When you buy an external drive it comes with a file format on it. Do You Opt For An External Drive That’s ‘Made For Mac’? The Satechi Multiport Adaptor is one to look at. Or look at a USB hub if you’re struggling with lack of spare ports. Or you buy an adaptor when you buy the drive. Once you know what ports you have then make sure the external drive you buy has the right cables. Or buy yourself the right cables for your new drive and your Mac.Ĭlick on the Apple symbol top left on your desktop. So pick a drive with the right USB ports for your Mac. Luckily the USB standard is backwards compatible. And that means read and write to there drives slower than a Mac with a USB 3.0 port. Macs with USB 2.0 ports talk to their external drives. Ports? This is where you plug in your external hard drive. Pick An External Hard Drive With The Right USB

In Conclusion On Choosing A Mac External Hard Driveīefore you get your money out to buy your Mac’s external drive.

Choose An External Hard Drive On Looks For Your Mac? Should You Pick An External Drive With Hardware Encryption? Select An External Drive By How Much Extra Space You Need On Your Mac? Pick An External Drive Based On It's Warranty? Should You Pick A Big Brand Name External Drive For Your Mac? Select An External Drive To Match What You Need It For Should You Choose An External Hard Drive or an External SSD For Your Mac? Pick An External Drive To Cope With Where You Want To Use It What Speed Do You Need From Your Mac's External Drive? Do You Opt For An External Drive That's 'Made For Mac'?

How To Choose Your Mac's External Drive.

How to set up an external hard drive for mac