---
id: external-drives.why-does-my-drive-have-a-different-name-in-disk-utility
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/why-does-my-drive-have-a-different-name-in-disk-utility
category: "External drives"
subcategory: "Drive formats"
question: "Why does my drive have one name in Finder and another in Disk Utility?"
alt_questions:
  - "Disk Utility shows model name instead of drive name"
  - "Drive name different in Disk Utility"
  - "Volume name vs device name Mac"
  - "which name is my drive"
short_answer: "Disk Utility lists both the physical device (named after its model) and the volume on it (the name you see in Finder). You can rename the volume, but not the device. Avoid renaming your Storage Studio drive's volume after moving things to it."
tags: ["disk utility", "volume name", "device"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/do-not-rename-the-fast-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/disk-utility-only-shows-volumes", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/why-does-one-drive-show-two-icons"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Why does my drive have one name in Finder and another in Disk Utility?

Disk Utility shows two things: the **device** (the physical drive, named after its model, like a brand and capacity) and the **volume** on it (the name you see in Finder). With **View → Show All Devices** turned on, the device sits at the top with its container and volumes underneath.

Rename the volume in Finder or Disk Utility as you like; the device name comes from the hardware and can't be changed. For a drive Storage Studio uses, avoid renaming the volume after moving things to it — see [why not to rename the fast drive](https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/do-not-rename-the-fast-drive).