![best external hard drives for mac 120gb best external hard drives for mac 120gb](https://www.trustedreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2008/01/6630-IMG8841s-1.jpg)
- BEST EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES FOR MAC 120GB HOW TO
- BEST EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES FOR MAC 120GB MAC OS
- BEST EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES FOR MAC 120GB PC
Once you've settled on a file system, you then have to determine which storage medium you want: solid-state or spinning disk. Some highly specialized external drives might not work with Macs even if they're formatted correctly, but consumers looking for extra space simply to store backups or large video collections aren't likely to encounter them.Įxternal Drives: SSDs vs. If you really fancy a consumer-oriented drive formatted for Windows (which will usually come pre-formatted in the NTFS format), you can use the Disk Utility in macOS to reformat it after you bring it home from the store.
![best external hard drives for mac 120gb best external hard drives for mac 120gb](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/3125264YJZL._SX425_.jpg)
Of course, you can easily wipe and reformat most external drives, so you're not limited to buying only those intended for use with Macs. It's simply called the Apple File System (APFS), and it's the first format to be used across both Macs and iOS devices.
BEST EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES FOR MAC 120GB MAC OS
Starting with macOS "High Sierra," Cupertino ditched its venerable Mac OS Extended file system, commonly abbreviated as HFS+, and switched to an entirely new file system. Understanding File Systems: HFS+, APFS, exFAT, and Moreīefore we get to Thunderbolt, we need to address a basic building block of hard drives that has always affected compatibility, and probably always will: the file system.Īn external drive's file system is the most important factor that determines whether or not it's readable by Macs, PCs, or both. Read on as we solve this and all of your other Mac external-storage quandaries. In fact, in many cases it makes sense to choose an inexpensive non-Thunderbolt drive that isn't targeted toward Mac use. So what's a Mac user to do who just wants to back up his or her files using Time Machine, or stash a large video collection? Spoiler: A Thunderbolt drive isn't your only option far from it. As a result, they are typically external SSDs, or even multidrive RAID arrays, which means they also tend to be expensive. The main difference is that many drives made specifically for Macs use the upgraded Thunderbolt data transfer protocol, which promises super-fast data transfers for photographers and video editors who need to store mountains of footage and access it very quickly. Most laptops with either operating system now come with at least one oval-shaped USB-C port, and it's the one you'll want to use for connecting your external drive.
BEST EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES FOR MAC 120GB HOW TO
How to Set Up Two-Factor Authenticationīuying an external hard drive or SSD for your Mac is not all that different from buying one for your Windows PC.
BEST EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES FOR MAC 120GB PC
How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages.