

- #Reformat external hard drive for mac os x portable#
- #Reformat external hard drive for mac os x software#
- #Reformat external hard drive for mac os x password#
You can set, change, remove the password for your device, as well as set a password for select users that is not required to use it.
#Reformat external hard drive for mac os x software#
This external hard drive in particular comes with backup software and password protection ensures the utmost protection of the data you choose to store. Western Digital has yet again released an incredible external hard drive, and this one is slightly more affordable at $140 for 5TB of storage. Read on for our picks for the best external hard drive for Mac users. So if you're a photographer or if you're really into music, chances are an external hard drive will come in handy to store your extra files. Although cloud storage is an easy way to back up information quickly, it is not the most reliable if you need to store a hefty amount of data. Some things to keep in mind when searching for the best external hard drive are affordability, amount of storage (can often range up to 10TB!), company warranties, and how durable the life of the hard drives are.
#Reformat external hard drive for mac os x portable#
Portable external hard drives are amazing pieces of technology, as they instantly increase the amount of storage you have, whether it is for your computer, gaming console, or the like. It is vital to be able to properly store our information with how much we rely on technology. We live in a digital age where it is common for people to capture important moments of their lives, stories they write, games they play, or working remotely due to recent economic events. Seagate STGX1000400 Portable 1TB External Hard Drive Seagate STGX2000400 Portable 2TB External Hard Drive Seagate STGX4000400 Portable 4TB External Hard Drive Western Digital 1TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive Western Digital 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB Portable External Hard Drive Toshiba Canvio 1TB Portable External Hard Drive WD 5Tb My Passport Ultra Blue Portable External Hard Drive If there are any, First Aid will fix them and macOS should then mount the disk without any further hassle.Seagate STGX5000400 Portable 5TB External Hard Drive Running First Aid on an external disk is a useful way to make sure the format or file structure doesn’t contain any faults or issues.

Select Run to perform disk diagnostics and fix any issues.If this doesn’t work, you may need to use the Verify Disk utility to make sure everything is working as it should. Open Finder and navigate to the drive in Devices.The volume should shift from gray to normal to signify it has been mounted. Highlight the volume and select Mount.If a volume is present but not mounted, it should be grayed out here. Check for a volume if the disk is present.

Make sure the disk is listed in the left window.Attach the drive if it isn’t already connected.This should be done automatically when macOS detects the drive, but it doesn’t always work. If you think the drive works fine, let us see if we can manually attach it to macOS. By default, it doesn’t display much and the setting to not show external disks may be enabled. Use a USB power cable if you suspect this to be the issue.ĭepending on what you find here, you can troubleshoot either the drive or your Mac.įirst, make sure Finder will display drive icons. A USB cable carries 5V and if this is the sole power source for the drive, it may not be enough. Check that the drive is receiving enough power.Make sure your drive doesn’t have or use a power-saving or sleep function.Try attaching the external drive to another computer to see if it works on that one to rule out damage to the drive itself.Some imported drives come completely empty, and while macOS should detect and offer to format them, it doesn’t always work. Make sure the drive has been formatted.Reboot your Mac to see if it was an open program or app stopping the drive from being detected.Try a different wall outlet if there is one nearby.Change the hard drive power cable if you have a spare.Check the condition of the cable and swap it if you have a spare.Check that the external hard drive has power if it needs it.Check that the cable from the hard drive to your Mac is connected properly.After all, no one wants to waste half a day because they didn’t realize something just wasn’t plugged in properly. Get into the habit of doing this with any computer issues, as it can save time, money, and hassle in the long run.
