{"id":"external-drives.why-does-an-app-show-an-update-prompt-when-the-drive-is-away","url":"/faq/external-drives/why-does-an-app-show-an-update-prompt-when-the-drive-is-away","category":{"id":"external-drives","title":"External drives"},"subcategory":{"id":"when-the-drive-is-away","title":"When the drive is unplugged"},"question":"Why does a moved app show an update prompt when my drive is disconnected?","alt_questions":["App asks to update when external drive unplugged","Updater error on relocated app","Strange update dialog after moving app","app update prompt fast drive disconnected","Is the update popup from Storage Studio?","Moved app keeps asking to install update"],"short_answer":"It's the app's own updater, not Storage Studio: it can't reach the app's files while the drive is disconnected. Cancel it, then reconnect the drive — or keep frequently updating apps on internal storage.","answer_markdown":"That prompt comes from the app's own updater, not from Storage Studio — many apps such as browsers, code editors and chat apps update themselves. It usually appears when an app you moved is open while the drive is disconnected, so the updater can't reach the app's files.\n\nIt's safe to cancel. To stop it for good, reconnect the drive so the app can update normally, or move the app back to internal storage. Apps that update very often are usually best kept on your Mac.","answer_html":"

That prompt comes from the app's own updater, not from Storage Studio — many apps such as browsers, code editors and chat apps update themselves. It usually appears when an app you moved is open while the drive is disconnected, so the updater can't reach the app's files.

\n

It's safe to cancel. To stop it for good, reconnect the drive so the app can update normally, or move the app back to internal storage. Apps that update very often are usually best kept on your Mac.

","answer_text":"That prompt comes from the app's own updater, not from Storage Studio — many apps such as browsers, code editors and chat apps update themselves. It usually appears when an app you moved is open while the drive is disconnected, so the updater can't reach the app's files.\n\nIt's safe to cancel. To stop it for good, reconnect the drive so the app can update normally, or move the app back to internal storage. Apps that update very often are usually best kept on your Mac.","tags":["updates","apps","unplugged"],"related":[{"id":"external-drives.what-happens-to-moved-folders-when-the-drive-is-unplugged","question":"What happens to folders I moved to the external drive when it's unplugged?","url":"/faq/external-drives/what-happens-to-moved-folders-when-the-drive-is-unplugged"},{"id":"external-drives.does-storage-studio-keep-working-without-the-drive","question":"Does Storage Studio keep working while the fast drive is disconnected?","url":"/faq/external-drives/does-storage-studio-keep-working-without-the-drive"},{"id":"external-drives.where-do-removed-files-go-when-the-drive-is-away","question":"Where does the Recycle Vault keep removed files when my drive isn't connected?","url":"/faq/external-drives/where-do-removed-files-go-when-the-drive-is-away"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Why does a moved app show an update prompt when my drive is disconnected? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"It's the app's own updater, not Storage Studio: it can't reach the app's files while the drive is disconnected. Cancel it, then reconnect the drive — or keep frequently updating apps on internal storage.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"External drives","path":"/faq/external-drives/"},{"name":"Why does a moved app show an update prompt when my drive is disconnected?","path":"/faq/external-drives/why-does-an-app-show-an-update-prompt-when-the-drive-is-away"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/why-does-an-app-show-an-update-prompt-when-the-drive-is-away","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Why does a moved app show an update prompt when my drive is disconnected?","alternateName":["App asks to update when external drive unplugged","Updater error on relocated app","Strange update dialog after moving app","app update prompt fast drive disconnected","Is the update popup from Storage Studio?","Moved app keeps asking to install update"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"That prompt comes from the app's own updater, not from Storage Studio — many apps such as browsers, code editors and chat apps update themselves. It usually appears when an app you moved is open while the drive is disconnected, so the updater can't reach the app's files.\n\nIt's safe to cancel. To stop it for good, reconnect the drive so the app can update normally, or move the app back to internal storage. Apps that update very often are usually best kept on your Mac.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/why-does-an-app-show-an-update-prompt-when-the-drive-is-away"}}]},"fragment":"
\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

External drives · When the drive is unplugged

\n

Why does a moved app show an update prompt when my drive is disconnected?

\n

Short answer: It's the app's own updater, not Storage Studio: it can't reach the app's files while the drive is disconnected. Cancel it, then reconnect the drive — or keep frequently updating apps on internal storage.

\n

That prompt comes from the app's own updater, not from Storage Studio — many apps such as browsers, code editors and chat apps update themselves. It usually appears when an app you moved is open while the drive is disconnected, so the updater can't reach the app's files.

\n

It's safe to cancel. To stop it for good, reconnect the drive so the app can update normally, or move the app back to internal storage. Apps that update very often are usually best kept on your Mac.

\n\n

Last reviewed

\n\n

Related questions

\n

Also available as Markdown and JSON.

\n
"}