Common questions

How do I make my external hard drive accessible on a Mac?

How do I make my external hard drive accessible on a Mac?

To connect the hard drive to the network, go to Sharing in System Preferences. Turn File Sharing on, and click the “+” under Shared Folders. Browse to your external hard drive under Devices and click Add. You can then personalize user access to your liking.

Can I use an external hard drive as a flash drive?

You asked if you could you use one of your memory sticks as “a normal day-to-day drive.” The answer is yes, but it’s not particularly simple, and I don’t recommend it. USB flash drives are marked as being removable, which means the operating system treats them differently from local hard drives.

How do I make my hard drive compatible with Mac without formatting?

Mac

  1. Make sure the storage device is connected to and mounted on the computer.
  2. Select Go > Utilities in the Finder menu bar.
  3. In the Utilities folder, double-click Disk Utility.
  4. Select the Seagate drive in the left column.
  5. Click the Erase tab.
  6. Choose a format from the drop-down window.
  7. Enter a name for the volume.

How do I drag and drop files to an external hard drive on a Mac?

Click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window, then do one of the following to move your files. Move files to the storage device: Select one or more files on the desktop or in a folder, then drag them to the storage device, listed below Locations in the Finder sidebar.

Can see all files on external hard drive Mac?

Press Command (⌘) + Shift + . to alternately reveal or hide hidden folders in the Finder. Once you turn the “reveal” mode on, the Finder will show Mac folders that were hidden before. To hide hidden folders, press Command + Shift + . again.

Can 2 Macs share a hard drive?

Apple’s built-in Time Machine app makes it simple to back up data on your Mac. You can use the same external hard drive to back up multiple Macs if you wish.

What is the difference between a memory stick and an external hard drive?

A USB flash drive is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface, and it’s also called a pen drive and thumb drive. An external hard drive is a hard disk storage product that emphasizes portability and realizes large-capacity data exchange between computers.

What is the difference between a thumb drive and an external hard drive?

A flash drive, also called thumb drive and pen drive, is a miniature high-capacity mobile storage product that does not require a physical drive and uses flash memory as its storage medium, while an external hard drive, also called mobile hard disk, is a hard disk storage product that emphasizes portability and …

Do any external hard drives work with Mac?

Will hard drives formatted for PC work on a Mac? Generally, yes—for the most part, a hard drive is a hard drive, and any hard drive you buy for a Windows PC should work fine on a Mac as well. Otherwise, any hard drive with a USB connection should have no trouble working on a Mac.

Why can’t I copy from Mac to external hard drive?

If you can’t move or copy a file or folder, you might need to change its permissions settings. You might also need to change permissions settings for the disk, server, or folder where you want to move the item. On your Mac, select the item, then choose File > Get Info, or press Command-I.

Why can’t I save files from my Mac to my external hard drive?

The simplest reason why you may not be able to write to a hard drive is if it is full. Single-click on the disk in the Finder, then choose “Get Info” from the “File” menu. Check to make sure there is space listed after the label “Available:” in the General section of Get Info.

What kind of external storage can I use on a Mac?

Use external storage devices with Mac. External hard drives, thumb drives, USB drives, Flash memory cards, and devices like iPod are examples of storage devices that you can connect to your Mac using Thunderbolt, USB, or FireWire cables, or connect wirelessly using Bluetooth.

How can I connect external storage to my MacBook Air?

If your Mac has a USB-C port, see About USB-C. Connect the device to your Mac using the cable that came with it, then use the Finder to view the connected device. If the cable doesn’t have a connector that fits in your Mac, you may be able to use an adapter. See the documentation that came with the device.

Do you need a USB cable to connect a Mac to an external hard drive?

Your USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable connects your Mac and its external hard drive. This cable allows your Mac to transfer files to and from your external drive. Your USB cable can also provide the power to your drive. Assuming your drive is USB powered as many of the portable external hard drives are now. Your USB cable is a standard cable, yes.

How does a Seagate external hard drive connect to a MacBook?

Your Seagate external hard drive connects to your Mac by its USB cable. The Seagate portable drives receive their power from your Mac by the USB cable. And that means you’ll have to have enough battery power in your MacBook. Enough to power your Seagate external hard drive.

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