External drives · Drive formats

Can I split one external drive into a Storage Studio part and a part for other things?

Short answer: Yes. Add a separate APFS volume in Disk Utility (volumes share free space), or partition the drive if you need, say, an exFAT part for Windows. Then pick the APFS volume in Choose Drive — Storage Studio only manages that one.

Yes. In Disk Utility you can give a drive more than one volume:

  • Add an APFS volume (select the drive's APFS container, click +) — volumes share free space, which is the most flexible option for Mac-only use.
  • Partition the drive (the Partition button) if you need a fixed-size part in another format, such as exFAT for a Windows PC. Partitioning can erase data, so back up first.

Then choose the APFS volume in Storage Studio's Choose Drive. Each volume appears separately in the list, and Storage Studio only manages the one you set up.

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