{"id":"data-transfers.copy-everything-to-a-new-external-drive","url":"/faq/data-transfers/copy-everything-to-a-new-external-drive","category":{"id":"data-transfers","title":"Data Transfers"},"subcategory":{"id":"basics","title":"Data Transfers basics"},"question":"Should I use Data Transfers to copy everything to a new external drive?","alt_questions":["switch to a new external drive","migrate Storage Studio drive to bigger SSD","copy working folder to new drive","replace my external drive with a new one","upgrade external SSD storage studio"],"short_answer":"Not for your Storage Studio drive. Use Transfer Drive (More → Drive), which copies, checks, and re-points every relocated app and folder to the new drive. A plain copy wouldn't update those shortcuts.","answer_markdown":"Not for your Storage Studio drive itself. Use **Transfer Drive** (in the popover's **More → Drive** section) instead: it copies everything to the new drive, checks the copy, and then re-points every app and folder you've relocated so they keep opening from the new drive. A plain copy with Data Transfers wouldn't update those shortcuts, and your relocated items would still point at the old drive.\n\n**Backup Drive** in the same place makes a verified spare copy while keeping your current drive active.\n\nData Transfers is the right tool for ordinary folders that aren't relocated by Storage Studio.\n\nRelated: [External drives](/faq/external-drives/)","answer_html":"

Not for your Storage Studio drive itself. Use Transfer Drive (in the popover's More → Drive section) instead: it copies everything to the new drive, checks the copy, and then re-points every app and folder you've relocated so they keep opening from the new drive. A plain copy with Data Transfers wouldn't update those shortcuts, and your relocated items would still point at the old drive.

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Backup Drive in the same place makes a verified spare copy while keeping your current drive active.

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Data Transfers is the right tool for ordinary folders that aren't relocated by Storage Studio.

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Related: External drives

","answer_text":"Not for your Storage Studio drive itself. Use Transfer Drive (in the popover's More → Drive section) instead: it copies everything to the new drive, checks the copy, and then re-points every app and folder you've relocated so they keep opening from the new drive. A plain copy with Data Transfers wouldn't update those shortcuts, and your relocated items would still point at the old drive.\n\nBackup Drive in the same place makes a verified spare copy while keeping your current drive active.\n\nData Transfers is the right tool for ordinary folders that aren't relocated by Storage Studio.\n\nRelated: External drives","tags":["new drive","transfer drive","external drive"],"related":[{"id":"data-transfers.transfer-between-folders-on-my-mac","question":"Can I use Data Transfers to copy between two folders or drives on my Mac?","url":"/faq/data-transfers/transfer-between-folders-on-my-mac"},{"id":"data-transfers.data-transfers-vs-data-parking","question":"Should I use Data Transfers or Data Parking?","url":"/faq/data-transfers/data-transfers-vs-data-parking"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Should I use Data Transfers to copy everything to a new external drive? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Not for your Storage Studio drive. Use Transfer Drive (More → Drive), which copies, checks, and re-points every relocated app and folder to the new drive. A plain copy wouldn't update those shortcuts.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Data Transfers","path":"/faq/data-transfers/"},{"name":"Should I use Data Transfers to copy everything to a new external drive?","path":"/faq/data-transfers/copy-everything-to-a-new-external-drive"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/data-transfers/copy-everything-to-a-new-external-drive","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Should I use Data Transfers to copy everything to a new external drive?","alternateName":["switch to a new external drive","migrate Storage Studio drive to bigger SSD","copy working folder to new drive","replace my external drive with a new one","upgrade external SSD storage studio"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Not for your Storage Studio drive itself. Use Transfer Drive (in the popover's More → Drive section) instead: it copies everything to the new drive, checks the copy, and then re-points every app and folder you've relocated so they keep opening from the new drive. A plain copy with Data Transfers wouldn't update those shortcuts, and your relocated items would still point at the old drive.\n\nBackup Drive in the same place makes a verified spare copy while keeping your current drive active.\n\nData Transfers is the right tool for ordinary folders that aren't relocated by Storage Studio.\n\nRelated: External drives","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/data-transfers/copy-everything-to-a-new-external-drive"}}]},"fragment":"
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Data Transfers · Data Transfers basics

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Should I use Data Transfers to copy everything to a new external drive?

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Short answer: Not for your Storage Studio drive. Use Transfer Drive (More → Drive), which copies, checks, and re-points every relocated app and folder to the new drive. A plain copy wouldn't update those shortcuts.

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Not for your Storage Studio drive itself. Use Transfer Drive (in the popover's More → Drive section) instead: it copies everything to the new drive, checks the copy, and then re-points every app and folder you've relocated so they keep opening from the new drive. A plain copy with Data Transfers wouldn't update those shortcuts, and your relocated items would still point at the old drive.

\n

Backup Drive in the same place makes a verified spare copy while keeping your current drive active.

\n

Data Transfers is the right tool for ordinary folders that aren't relocated by Storage Studio.

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Related: External drives

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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Also available as Markdown and JSON.

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"}