{"id":"external-drives.how-do-i-set-up-my-external-drive","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-set-up-my-external-drive","category":{"id":"external-drives","title":"External drives"},"subcategory":{"id":"setting-up","title":"Setting up your drive"},"question":"How do I set up my external drive in Storage Studio?","alt_questions":["How to add a fast drive to Storage Studio","Set up external SSD Storage Studio","How do I choose my drive?","First time drive setup storage studio","Where do I pick the external drive?","How do I connect my SSD to Storage Studio?","storage studio choose drive"],"short_answer":"Plug the drive in and choose it in the setup wizard, or later with More → Drive → Choose Drive…. Check the compatibility verdict, run the speed test, then click Use This Drive. Nothing on the drive is erased.","answer_markdown":"Plug the drive in, then pick it either in the setup wizard on first launch or later with **Choose Drive…** (in the menu bar app's **More → Drive** section).\n\n1. Select the drive in the list on the left.\n2. Read the **compatibility verdict** on the right — *looks good*, *usable with warnings* or *not suitable*.\n3. Click **Run benchmark** for a short speed test.\n4. Click **Use This Drive** and confirm.\n\nStorage Studio then adds a small folder to the drive and tags it as yours. It doesn't erase anything already there. The change takes effect within about 30 seconds.","answer_html":"

Plug the drive in, then pick it either in the setup wizard on first launch or later with Choose Drive… (in the menu bar app's More → Drive section).

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  1. Select the drive in the list on the left.
  2. Read the compatibility verdict on the right — looks good, usable with warnings or not suitable.
  3. Click Run benchmark for a short speed test.
  4. Click Use This Drive and confirm.
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Storage Studio then adds a small folder to the drive and tags it as yours. It doesn't erase anything already there. The change takes effect within about 30 seconds.

","answer_text":"Plug the drive in, then pick it either in the setup wizard on first launch or later with Choose Drive… (in the menu bar app's More → Drive section).\n\n1. Select the drive in the list on the left.\n2. Read the compatibility verdict on the right — looks good, usable with warnings or not suitable.\n3. Click Run benchmark for a short speed test.\n4. Click Use This Drive and confirm.\n\nStorage Studio then adds a small folder to the drive and tags it as yours. It doesn't erase anything already there. The change takes effect within about 30 seconds.","tags":["setup","choose drive","external drive"],"related":[{"id":"external-drives.how-does-storage-studio-recognise-my-drive","question":"How does Storage Studio know which drive is mine?","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-does-storage-studio-recognise-my-drive"},{"id":"external-drives.what-do-looks-good-warnings-and-not-suitable-mean","question":"What do \"looks good\", \"usable with warnings\" and \"not suitable\" mean in Choose Drive?","url":"/faq/external-drives/what-do-looks-good-warnings-and-not-suitable-mean"},{"id":"external-drives.how-does-the-drive-speed-test-work","question":"How does the drive speed test in Storage Studio work?","url":"/faq/external-drives/how-does-the-drive-speed-test-work"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"How do I set up my external drive in Storage Studio? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Plug the drive in and choose it in the setup wizard, or later with More → Drive → Choose Drive…. Check the compatibility verdict, run the speed test, then click Use This Drive. Nothing on the drive is erased.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"External drives","path":"/faq/external-drives/"},{"name":"How do I set up my external drive in Storage Studio?","path":"/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-set-up-my-external-drive"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-set-up-my-external-drive","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I set up my external drive in Storage Studio?","alternateName":["How to add a fast drive to Storage Studio","Set up external SSD Storage Studio","How do I choose my drive?","First time drive setup storage studio","Where do I pick the external drive?","How do I connect my SSD to Storage Studio?","storage studio choose drive"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Plug the drive in, then pick it either in the setup wizard on first launch or later with Choose Drive… (in the menu bar app's More → Drive section).\n\n1. Select the drive in the list on the left.\n2. Read the compatibility verdict on the right — looks good, usable with warnings or not suitable.\n3. Click Run benchmark for a short speed test.\n4. Click Use This Drive and confirm.\n\nStorage Studio then adds a small folder to the drive and tags it as yours. It doesn't erase anything already there. The change takes effect within about 30 seconds.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-set-up-my-external-drive"}}]},"fragment":"
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External drives · Setting up your drive

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How do I set up my external drive in Storage Studio?

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Short answer: Plug the drive in and choose it in the setup wizard, or later with More → Drive → Choose Drive…. Check the compatibility verdict, run the speed test, then click Use This Drive. Nothing on the drive is erased.

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Plug the drive in, then pick it either in the setup wizard on first launch or later with Choose Drive… (in the menu bar app's More → Drive section).

\n
  1. Select the drive in the list on the left.
  2. Read the compatibility verdict on the right — looks good, usable with warnings or not suitable.
  3. Click Run benchmark for a short speed test.
  4. Click Use This Drive and confirm.
\n

Storage Studio then adds a small folder to the drive and tags it as yours. It doesn't erase anything already there. The change takes effect within about 30 seconds.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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