---
id: external-drives.can-i-use-an-adapter-with-my-external-drive
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/can-i-use-an-adapter-with-my-external-drive
category: "External drives"
subcategory: "Speed, cables and hardware"
question: "Can I use a USB-A drive with an adapter on my Mac?"
alt_questions:
  - "USB-A to USB-C adapter external drive"
  - "Older USB drive on new MacBook"
  - "Dongle for external hard drive Storage Studio"
  - "adapter slows external drive?"
  - "Use my old USB 3 drive with a USB-C Mac"
  - "external drive through adapter mac"
short_answer: "Yes. Storage Studio treats it like any drive, but speed is limited by the slowest part — drive, adapter or cable. Run the benchmark in Choose Drive to see whether it's fast enough."
tags: ["adapter", "usb-a", "speed"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/does-the-cable-matter-for-an-external-ssd", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/does-it-matter-which-port-i-use", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/should-i-plug-the-drive-into-a-hub-or-directly"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Can I use a USB-A drive with an adapter on my Mac?

Yes. A simple USB-A to USB-C adapter works, and Storage Studio treats the drive like any other. Speed is limited by the slowest part of the chain — the drive, the adapter and the cable — so an older drive on an adapter may test slower than you expect.

Run **Run benchmark** in Choose Drive to see where it lands. If it's blocked or warned as slow, the drive itself is usually the limit rather than the adapter.