Getting started · The setup wizard
What does Storage Studio do to my external drive during setup?
Short answer: It doesn't erase or reformat anything. It adds a small, tidy folder on the drive and marks the drive as yours, so Storage Studio only ever manages the disk you chose. Existing files stay put.
Setup doesn't erase or reformat your drive. Storage Studio creates a small folder layout on it — to keep relocated apps, folders, backups and its own settings tidy and separate — and marks the drive as yours.
That mark matters: Storage Studio can always tell your prepared drive apart from any other external disk, even one with the same name, and it only ever manages the disk you set up. A drive that hasn't been prepared is never touched; the app offers to set it up first.
Files already on the drive stay where they are. For choosing a good drive, see External drives.