External drives · Upgrading, transferring and backing up the drive
What's the difference between Transfer Drive and Backup Drive?
Short answer: Both copy and verify everything onto another drive. Transfer Drive then switches over to the new drive (for upgrades); Backup Drive stops and keeps your current drive active (a spare copy). Your current drive is never changed.
Both make a full, verified copy of everything on your fast drive — every moved app and folder plus Storage Studio's own records — onto another external drive. The difference is what happens next:
- Transfer Drive then switches over: shortcuts are re-pointed and the new drive becomes the active one. Use it to upgrade to a bigger or faster drive.
- Backup Drive then stops: your current drive stays active, and you get a point-in-time spare copy, with a Reveal Backup in Finder button at the end.
In both cases your current drive is never modified.