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

When using this method, the device you select to start up from remains the active choice, even after restarting or shutting down. You can use the System Preferences to select which device to start up from.

#SET UP EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC MAC#

There are two ways to select the device your Mac will start up from. Turn on the external before powering up your Mac. Shut down the Mac and make sure the external is powered off when making the initial connections. Keep the setup neat not just for visual aesthetics, but to ensure cables are secure and not prone to becoming disconnected if something should be moved or pushed around.

Use good quality cabling and make sure thereвЂ™s no strain on the cable or the plugs.Дo not use excessively long cables keep the cable length appropriate for the setup. Directly powering the external helps ensure a stable drive that is ready to go to work as soon as your Mac powers on. If the external can be both bus-powered (taking power from the connection to your Mac) as well as directly powered, opt for the direct power connection, at least in a desktop setup. Never the less, a couple of tips to note: Use high-quality cabling for a more reliable connection.ДЄside from the connection type, thereвЂ™s nothing really mysterious about hooking up an external to your Mac. For now, letвЂ™s look at a few examples that would be good candidates for use as external startup drives: WeвЂ™ll explore the type of configurations and interfaces later, in Part Two of this Rocket Yard guide. There are also various types of interfaces to connect the drive to your Mac: USB 3, USB 3.1, USB 3.2, USB-C, Thunderbolt 2, and Thunderbolt 3. What to do with the internal drive now that youвЂ™re booting from an externalД®xternal storage solutions come in a multitude of configurations single, dual, and multi-bay, as well as non-RAID, RAID, and even RAID arrays that can be used in non-RAID configurations.

#SET UP EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC HOW TO#

How to enable booting from an external device if your Mac is equipped with a T2 security chip.

What to do if the original internal startup drive is non-functional.

How to configure an external with a copy of the macOS.

Connecting an external drive to your Mac.

Examples of external devices you can use.

You may find the need to do this because of a failure of your MacвЂ™s current internal drive, because you have a need for additional storage space on the startup drive, a need for better performance from the startup drive, to save money on configuring a new Mac, or any combination of the above. This will be a two-part Rocket Yard guide that explores how to use an external storage device as your primary startup device. Rocket Yard Guide to External Startup Devices Depending on the configuration, you could find yourself with nice savings. Instead of purchasing a custom configured Mac with a large startup drive at AppleвЂ™s premium prices, you can pick a stock configuration and use a larger external startup device while using the stock internal for other storage needs. It can also reduce the cost when you purchase a new Mac. It can prevent or delay the need to replace a Mac that, aside from issues with the internal startup drive, works well for you. Using an external storage device as your startup may not only increase performance and storage space, but also benefit your wallet. External Drives as Startup DevicesД«ecause of the difficulty in replacing or upgrading an internal drive, using an external device may be a good choice.

#SET UP EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR MAC PRO#

Even the new 16-inch MacBook Pro has its SSD soldered directly to the motherboard, making replacing or upgrading the drive a no-go for most of us. And when it comes to recent MacBook models, you can pretty much forget about repairing or replacing a drive. There are other models, such as the iMac and Mac mini, where upgrading a drive is possible, but not recommended for the end user by Apple. Of course, there are Mac models, such as the new Mac Pro, where adding or replacing a drive is designed to be easy. The reason for this is a simple one: Apple has continued to make replacing an internal drive a difficult, if not impossible, task for most users. They provide a cost-effective means to increase storage for media libraries and documents, as well as backup space.Д®xternal storage devices are seeing more and more use as primary startup drives, when thereвЂ™s a need to expand space on the startup, or increase its relative performance over the internal drive that originally came with a Mac. External drives have long been used for adding more storage space to Macs.

Set up external hard drive for mac