---
id: external-drives.can-i-stop-an-external-hard-drive-spinning-down
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/can-i-stop-an-external-hard-drive-spinning-down
category: "External drives"
subcategory: "Speed, cables and hardware"
question: "Can I stop my external hard drive from going to sleep?"
alt_questions:
  - "Prevent external hard drive sleep Mac"
  - "Put hard disks to sleep when possible setting"
  - "External HDD spins down too often"
  - "keep external drive awake"
short_answer: "Partly. On Macs that offer it, turn off \"Put hard disks to sleep when possible\" in Energy (or Battery → Options) settings. Many drives also sleep by themselves, which only the maker's software can change. An SSD avoids spin-up delays altogether."
tags: ["hard drive", "sleep", "energy settings"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/does-a-hard-disk-spin-down-delay-opening-files", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/stop-disk-not-ejected-properly-after-sleep", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/why-does-my-hard-drive-spin-up-when-idle"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Can I stop my external hard drive from going to sleep?

Partly. On Macs that offer it, **System Settings → Energy** (or Battery → Options on laptops) has **Put hard disks to sleep when possible** — turning it off asks macOS not to spin drives down. Many drives also have their own power-saving built in, which only the maker's tools can change.

A sleeping disk just takes a few seconds to spin up when you open something. If those delays bother you, an SSD avoids them entirely — see [delays when opening files from a hard disk](https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/does-a-hard-disk-spin-down-delay-opening-files).