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May 18, 2024 · When choosing an external hard disk for your MacBook Air M3, you'll want to consider a few factors such as storage capacity, portability, and compatibility. Most external hard disks will work with macOS, but it's always a good idea to check for compatibility before making a purchase.
- Overview
- Connect a storage device
- Move files to or from an external storage device
- Get permission to view or work with files on a storage device
- Eject a storage device
External hard drives, thumb drives, USB drives, and Flash memory cards are examples of storage devices that you can connect to your Mac. To make the connection, you can use Thunderbolt, USB, or USB-C cables, or connect wirelessly using Bluetooth® technology.
Storage devices (such as external hard drives) can also be available on your network. Additionally, you can insert flash memory cards from your camera or other device in the SDXC card slot in your Mac. If your Mac doesn’t have a card slot, you can access the data on the flash memory card using a connected card reader.
After you connect your storage device, you can move files from your Mac to the storage device or from your storage device to your Mac.
If your Mac has a USB-C port, see Use USB-C cables.
•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.
1.Make sure your Mac is connected to the external storage device (for example, using a USB cable or over a network).
2.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.
•Move files from the storage device: Select the storage device, listed below Locations in the Finder sidebar, then drag the files you want to a location on your Mac.
If you’re the administrator of the Mac, do one of the following:
•Authenticate as an administrator user: Depending on how you’re attempting to access the file, you may need to authenticate as an administrator user.
•Change Sharing & Permissions settings for the file: For instructions, see Set up file sharing.
If you’re not the administrator of the Mac, ask the administrator to give you access to the files you need.
On your Mac, do one of the following:
•Select the item to eject, then choose File > Eject.
•In the Finder sidebar, click the Eject button next to the item’s name.
Tip: You can quickly eject disks from connected optical drives using the Eject menu in the menu bar. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click CDs & DVDs in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down). Turn on “Show eject in menu bar.”
Note: If you don’t have an optical drive connected to your Mac, CDs & DVDs settings aren’t available.
•On the desktop, drag the item that you want to eject to the Trash.
- 4
- File-System Considerations. Before we get to Thunderbolt 3, we need to address a basic building block of hard drives that has always affected compatibility, and probably always will: the file system.
- External Drives: SSDs vs. Spinning Platters. Once you've settled on a file system, you then have to determine which storage medium you want: solid-state or spinning disk.
- Does Thunderbolt 3 Matter, or Will USB-C Do? So, to recap: Faster, smaller (both physically and in terms of gigabytes) solid-state drives come at a premium, while spinning drives offer a much better value while sacrificing speed.
- Other External-Drive Considerations. Drives intended for PCs sometimes come bundled with software that will automatically back up your files to the drive when it's connected, but such software isn't as much of a consideration for Mac users, who already have an excellent built-in backup option in the form of Time Machine.
Aug 20, 2024 · Best single-drive external drive enclosure - UGreen USB-C Hard Drive Enclosure. If you need to attach a single drive to your Mac, such as a high-capacity disk for Time Machine backups,...
- Seagate Ultra Touch 2023: Best overall drive. Competitive price. 2TB, 4TB or 5TB storage. Password protection and encryption. Cons. Average performance.
- LaCie Mobile Drive 2022: Best value. Competitive price. LaCie’s ToolKit app. Cons. Not the fastest hard drive available. Price When Reviewed: $79.99 (1TB); $109.99 (2TB); $149.99 (4TB); $169.99 (5TB)
- Seagate Firecuda Special Edition: Best for Star Wars fans. It's Baby Yoda! ToolKit app. Cons. USB-C adapter not included. Formatted for Windows PCs, so you'll need to reformat it using Disk Utility.
- G-Drive ArmorATD: Best rugged portable drive. Cheap for the capacity. Attractive design. USB Type-C. Cons. Formatted to exFAT so you'll need to reformat it in Disk Utility.
Mar 29, 2022 · Guide to selecting the best external hard drives for Mac. Portable SSD and traditional HDD buying options.
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Aug 19, 2024 · An external SSD can expand the storage available to your Mac or MacBook and add some serious speed. Here are the best SSD drives for your Mac.
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related to: does mac support external hard drive enclosure for macbook airGive Employees The Freedom to Work & Collaborate More Than Ever Before with Apple Devices. Learn How CDW Can Maximize Your Apple Device Investment & Integrate Mac Seamlessly.
MacBook Air, and the new MacBook Pro 14" and 16". Pre-order now. Trade in your device. Get credit toward a new Mac. Terms apply.
