How do I transfer files from Macbook Air to external hard drive?

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.

Why can’t I copy and paste on my 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. Change the permissions to either Read & Write or “Read only.”

How do you copy and paste files to an external hard drive on a Mac?

Copy and Paste instructions:

1. Open the location where the file/folder is stored and the location where you want the file/folder to be copied to.
2. Select the item you want to Copy.
3. Right click (control-click) on it.
4. Select Copy from the menu.
5. Right click inside the location where you want to save the file.

How do I transfer files from Mac to external hard drive Mac?

Use Migration Assistant

1. Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Then click Continue.
2. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk. Then click Continue.

How do I make my external hard drive compatible with Mac?

How to format an external drive in OS X

1. Connect the drive to the Mac.
2. Open Disk Utility.
3. Select the drive you want to format.
4. Click Erase.
5. Give the drive a descriptive name and leave the default settings: OS X Extended format and GUID partition map.
6. Click Erase and OS X will format the drive.

Can you use an external hard drive with a Macbook Air?

Adding an external hard drive to your Mac is a cost-effective and easy way to expand your storage capacity. Not only is it simply a matter of plugging the drive into a free USB port on the computer, but it’s almost always a lot cheaper than upgrading your storage when you buy the Mac.

How do you access an external hard drive on a Mac?

Plug in the connector of your device slowly into the port of your Mac — this ensures proper initiation. Go to Applications → Utilities → Disk Utility. You should be able to see the external hard drive under the External heading in the sidebar on the left. Click on it to open the drive’s information.

How do I move photos from Mac to external hard drive?

Move your Photos library to an external storage device

1. Quit Photos.
2. In the Finder, go to the external drive where you want to store your library.
3. In another Finder window, find your Photos Library.
4. Drag Photos Library to its new location on the external drive.

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

How to make external hard drive compatible with mac and pc without formatting:

1. Fortunately there’s a viable neutral ground that is exFat file system.
2. By changing the disk consents and permission to read only option.
3. By splitting a portion of your external drive for windows and mac.

What format should I use for external hard drive Mac?

The Best Format for External Hard Drives If you want to format your external hard drive to work with Mac and Windows computers, you should use exFAT. With exFAT, you can store files of any size, and use it with any computer made in the last 20 years.

Do all 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.

How can I copy files from my MacBook to an external drive?

To copy from the internal drive to an external drive you can open two finder windows, one for the internal drive and one for the external drive, then drag & drop the content that you wish copied. This will copy the content and not have effect on the original. I can’t copy ANY files from my Macbook to my External Drive.

Can a Mac read an external hard drive?

My guess is the external HD is formatted as NTFS which is a PC format. OS X can read a NTFS drive and copy data on it to your iMac but it cannot write to NTFS. If the drive is going to be only used with a Mac then it needs to be reformatted in Mac OS Extended )Journaled). This is simple to do and is explained in:

How do I transfer files from my computer to an external hard drive?

The cable used will vary depending on the make and model of the hard drive. Most mainstream hard drives use USB cables. Click the “Finder” icon on the Dock to open the Finder application. Select the files or folders you want to copy. Select the folders or files you want to transfer onto your external hard drive.

Can You Copy and paste to an external hard drive?

Im Using OS X Lion and i can not Paste copied items to my External Hard Drive. PAste Option doesnt appear when i tried to paste it. I Tried Pasting it into my System but its ok. Help Please!