{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "Choosing an external drive",
  "slug": "choosing-an-external-drive",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-external-drive",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-external-drive.md",
  "category": "External drives",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/external-drives/",
  "tags": [
    "external drive",
    "free up space",
    "data parking"
  ],
  "summary": "Storage Studio works best with a fast external SSD connected directly to your Mac and formatted as APFS. It checks any drive you pick — its format, its connection and, if you run the speed test, its read and write speed.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T05:53:41.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:34:19.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What Storage Studio checks",
      "id": "what-storage-studio-checks"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Speed",
      "id": "speed"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Connection",
      "id": "connection"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Capacity",
      "id": "capacity"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "setting-up-your-drive",
      "label": "Setting up your drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "drive-formats",
      "label": "Drive formats",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/drive-formats"
    },
    {
      "slug": "when-your-drive-is-disconnected",
      "label": "When your drive is disconnected",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-your-drive-is-disconnected"
    },
    {
      "slug": "transfer-drive-and-backup-drive",
      "label": "Switching to a new drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfer-drive-and-backup-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-external-drive",
      "label": "External drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-external-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "checking-your-drive",
      "label": "Checking your drive's health and setup",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/checking-your-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "exfat-drives",
      "label": "What to know about exFAT drives",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/exfat-drives"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "glossary-apfs",
      "title": "APFS",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-apfs"
    },
    {
      "slug": "checking-your-drive",
      "title": "Checking your drive's health and setup",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/checking-your-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "drive-formats",
      "title": "Drive formats: APFS, Mac OS Extended and exFAT",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/drive-formats"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-external-drive",
      "title": "External drive",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-external-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "setting-up-your-drive",
      "title": "Setting up your drive",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "transfer-drive-and-backup-drive",
      "title": "Switching to a new drive: Transfer Drive and Backup Drive",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfer-drive-and-backup-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "the-setup-wizard",
      "title": "The Setup Wizard",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-setup-wizard"
    },
    {
      "slug": "backup-destinations",
      "title": "Where a backup can go",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-destinations"
    },
    {
      "slug": "where-to-start",
      "title": "Where to start: pick your goal",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-to-start"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "How Storage Studio judges a drive you pick",
      "outline": "- Pick a drive\n  - leads to External and local?\n- External and local?\n  - No: leads to Not suitable\n  - Yes: leads to Format\n- Format\n  - APFS or Mac OS Extended: leads to Compatibility looks good\n  - exFAT: leads to Usable with warnings\n  - FAT32: leads to Not suitable\n- Compatibility looks good\n  - leads to Optional speed test\n- Usable with warnings\n  - leads to Optional speed test\n- Optional speed test\n  - leads to Fast enough?\n- Fast enough?\n  - Yes: leads to Use This Drive\n  - Slow: leads to Usable, but expect slower apps and copies\n",
      "source": "%% caption: How Storage Studio judges a drive you pick\nflowchart TD\n  A[Pick a drive] --> B{External and local?}\n  B -->|No| X[Not suitable]\n  B -->|Yes| C{Format}\n  C -->|APFS or Mac OS Extended| D[Compatibility looks good]\n  C -->|exFAT| E[Usable with warnings]\n  C -->|FAT32| X\n  D --> F[Optional speed test]\n  E --> F\n  F --> G{Fast enough?}\n  G -->|Yes| H[Use This Drive]\n  G -->|Slow| I[Usable, but expect slower apps and copies]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "How do I move apps to an external drive on a Mac and still launch them?",
      "answer": "Dragging an app to another drive can break it, because macOS expects it in /Applications. Storage Studio relocates the app to your external drive and leaves a shortcut in place, so it still launches normally from Launchpad, Spotlight, and the Dock — and you can move it back in one click.",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    },
    {
      "question": "How do I use an external SSD as extra storage on a MacBook?",
      "answer": "Plug in a USB-C or Thunderbolt SSD and let Storage Studio pair it with your internal drive as one workspace. It moves big folders, libraries, and apps to the SSD with a shortcut left behind, so your MacBook behaves like it has a much bigger disk — fast enough to work directly off the external drive.",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    },
    {
      "question": "Can I move my Photos or Final Cut library to an external drive?",
      "answer": "Yes — large Photos, Final Cut, and iMovie libraries are common space hogs. Storage Studio relocates them to an external drive while keeping them usable, leaving a shortcut so your apps still find them. Moving a folder to your fast drive keeps its files' modified and created dates, permissions,…",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    },
    {
      "question": "Will moving files to another drive break my apps or Spotlight?",
      "answer": "Not the way Storage Studio does it. It leaves a shortcut (symlink) at the original location, so apps, Finder, and Spotlight resolve everything as if it never moved — and the move is fully reversible.",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    }
  ],
  "text": "Storage Studio moves folders and apps to an external drive and leaves shortcuts behind, so you'll be opening those files from the drive every day. The drive's speed and reliability become part of your Mac's. A fast solid-state drive (an SSD, including NVMe drives in an enclosure) connected directly to your Mac is the best fit. What Storage Studio checks When you pick a drive in Choose External Drive (see Setting up your drive ), Storage Studio checks: It's external. Your Mac's own disk can't be chosen — the whole point is to move things off it. It's local. Network drives are refused. Its format. APFS and Mac OS Extended pass; exFAT is allowed with a warning; FAT32 is refused. See Drive formats . Its speed, if you ask. Run benchmark writes a 128 MB test file to the drive, reads it back and deletes it, which takes about 5–10 seconds. Speed The speed test sorts drives into three groups: Result Read speed Write speed Speed: looks good 120 MB/s or more 80 MB/s or more Speed: usable with warnings below 120 MB/s below 80 MB/s Speed: not suitable below 40 MB/s below 25 MB/s If either speed falls into a lower row, the drive gets that result. A drive in the middle row works, but relocated folders and moved apps open more slowly, and long copies take longer. If you use a slower drive, such as a spinning hard disk, set Parallel transfers in Data Parking's settings to 1 or 2. Connection The drive's details show its connection type as Protocol , for example USB or Thunderbolt. Leave it connected while you work. Moved apps and relocated folders can't be opened while it's unplugged — see When your drive is disconnected . Capacity Choose a drive with plenty of room for what you plan to move, plus space to grow. If you later want to switch to a bigger drive, Transfer to a New Drive needs the new drive to have at least as much free space as everything Storage Studio keeps on the current one, with a small margin — see Switching to a new drive . Storage Studio uses one external drive at a time for moving folders and apps. How Storage Studio judges a drive you pick Flowchart outline: How Storage Studio judges a drive you pick Pick a drive leads to External and local? External and local? No: leads to Not suitable Yes: leads to Format Format APFS or Mac OS Extended: leads to Compatibility looks good exFAT: leads to Usable with warnings FAT32: leads to Not suitable Compatibility looks good leads to Optional speed test Usable with warnings leads to Optional speed test Optional speed test leads to Fast enough? Fast enough? Yes: leads to Use This Drive Slow: leads to Usable, but expect slower apps and copies See also: External drive , Checking your drive's health and setup , What to know about exFAT drives . Common questions How do I move apps to an external drive on a Mac and still launch them? Dragging an app to another drive can break it, because macOS expects it in /Applications. Storage Studio relocates the app to your external drive and leaves a shortcut in place, so it still launches normally from Launchpad, Spotlight, and the Dock — and you can move it back in one click. How do I use an external SSD as extra storage on a MacBook? Plug in a USB-C or Thunderbolt SSD and let Storage Studio pair it with your internal drive as one workspace. It moves big folders, libraries, and apps to the SSD with a shortcut left behind, so your MacBook behaves like it has a much bigger disk — fast enough to work directly off the external drive. Can I move my Photos or Final Cut library to an external drive? Yes — large Photos, Final Cut, and iMovie libraries are common space hogs. Storage Studio relocates them to an external drive while keeping them usable, leaving a shortcut so your apps still find them. Moving a folder to your fast drive keeps its files' modified and created dates, permissions,… Will moving files to another drive break my apps or Spotlight? Not the way Storage Studio does it. It leaves a shortcut (symlink) at the original location, so apps, Finder, and Spotlight resolve everything as if it never moved — and the move is fully reversible.",
  "markdown": "Storage Studio moves folders and apps to an **external drive** and leaves shortcuts behind, so you'll be opening those files from the drive every day. The drive's speed and reliability become part of your Mac's. A fast solid-state drive (an SSD, including NVMe drives in an enclosure) connected directly to your Mac is the best fit.\n\n## What Storage Studio checks\n\nWhen you pick a drive in **Choose External Drive** (see [Setting up your drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive)), Storage Studio checks:\n\n- **It's external.** Your Mac's own disk can't be chosen — the whole point is to move things off it.\n- **It's local.** Network drives are refused.\n- **Its format.** APFS and Mac OS Extended pass; exFAT is allowed with a warning; FAT32 is refused. See [Drive formats](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/drive-formats).\n- **Its speed, if you ask.** **Run benchmark** writes a 128 MB test file to the drive, reads it back and deletes it, which takes about 5–10 seconds.\n\n## Speed\n\nThe speed test sorts drives into three groups:\n\n| Result | Read speed | Write speed |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Speed: looks good | 120 MB/s or more | 80 MB/s or more |\n| Speed: usable with warnings | below 120 MB/s | below 80 MB/s |\n| Speed: not suitable | below 40 MB/s | below 25 MB/s |\n\nIf either speed falls into a lower row, the drive gets that result. A drive in the middle row works, but relocated folders and moved apps open more slowly, and long copies take longer. If you use a slower drive, such as a spinning hard disk, set **Parallel transfers** in Data Parking's settings to 1 or 2.\n\n## Connection\n\n- The drive's details show its connection type as **Protocol**, for example USB or Thunderbolt.\n- **Leave it connected while you work.** Moved apps and relocated folders can't be opened while it's unplugged — see [When your drive is disconnected](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-your-drive-is-disconnected).\n\n## Capacity\n\nChoose a drive with plenty of room for what you plan to move, plus space to grow. If you later want to switch to a bigger drive, **Transfer to a New Drive** needs the new drive to have at least as much free space as everything Storage Studio keeps on the current one, with a small margin — see [Switching to a new drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfer-drive-and-backup-drive).\n\nStorage Studio uses one external drive at a time for moving folders and apps.\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: How Storage Studio judges a drive you pick\nflowchart TD\n  A[Pick a drive] --> B{External and local?}\n  B -->|No| X[Not suitable]\n  B -->|Yes| C{Format}\n  C -->|APFS or Mac OS Extended| D[Compatibility looks good]\n  C -->|exFAT| E[Usable with warnings]\n  C -->|FAT32| X\n  D --> F[Optional speed test]\n  E --> F\n  F --> G{Fast enough?}\n  G -->|Yes| H[Use This Drive]\n  G -->|Slow| I[Usable, but expect slower apps and copies]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — How Storage Studio judges a drive you pick. Outline:*\n\n- Pick a drive\n  - leads to External and local?\n- External and local?\n  - No: leads to Not suitable\n  - Yes: leads to Format\n- Format\n  - APFS or Mac OS Extended: leads to Compatibility looks good\n  - exFAT: leads to Usable with warnings\n  - FAT32: leads to Not suitable\n- Compatibility looks good\n  - leads to Optional speed test\n- Usable with warnings\n  - leads to Optional speed test\n- Optional speed test\n  - leads to Fast enough?\n- Fast enough?\n  - Yes: leads to Use This Drive\n  - Slow: leads to Usable, but expect slower apps and copies\n\nSee also: [External drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-external-drive), [Checking your drive's health and setup](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/checking-your-drive), [What to know about exFAT drives](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/exfat-drives).\n\n- **How do I move apps to an external drive on a Mac and still launch them?** Dragging an app to another drive can break it, because macOS expects it in /Applications. Storage Studio relocates the app to your external drive and leaves a shortcut in place, so it still launches normally from Launchpad, Spotlight, and the Dock — and you can move it back in one click. (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n- **How do I use an external SSD as extra storage on a MacBook?** Plug in a USB-C or Thunderbolt SSD and let Storage Studio pair it with your internal drive as one workspace. It moves big folders, libraries, and apps to the SSD with a shortcut left behind, so your MacBook behaves like it has a much bigger disk — fast enough to work directly off the external drive. (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n- **Can I move my Photos or Final Cut library to an external drive?** Yes — large Photos, Final Cut, and iMovie libraries are common space hogs. Storage Studio relocates them to an external drive while keeping them usable, leaving a shortcut so your apps still find them. Moving a folder to your fast drive keeps its files' modified and created dates, permissions,… (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n- **Will moving files to another drive break my apps or Spotlight?** Not the way Storage Studio does it. It leaves a shortcut (symlink) at the original location, so apps, Finder, and Spotlight resolve everything as if it never moved — and the move is fully reversible. (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n"
}