Moving folders · Drive disconnects and interrupted moves
What happens if my external drive disconnects during a move?
Short answer: The move pauses as Waiting for the drive and resumes when you reconnect it; your original stays on your Mac until a copy has been checked. Storage Studio also confirms it's the same drive before carrying on.
The move pauses and your original stays safe. Storage Studio marks it Waiting for the drive and resumes when the drive is reconnected — whether it dropped during the copy or during the check afterwards.
Nothing is removed from your Mac until a copy has been checked, so a disconnect can't cost you data. Before writing again, Storage Studio confirms it's the same drive, and refuses to carry on into a different one.
If the drive stops responding rather than disappearing, the move fails with a message to reconnect it and try again; your original is untouched either way.