{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "Setting up your drive",
  "slug": "setting-up-your-drive",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/setting-up-your-drive.md",
  "category": "External drives",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/external-drives/",
  "tags": [
    "external drive",
    "data parking",
    "free up space"
  ],
  "summary": "Choose your external drive in the Setup Wizard or in Choose External Drive. Storage Studio checks the drive, optionally tests its speed, then creates one folder on it for this Mac. Verify Setup confirms everything is in place.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T06:19:12.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:34:24.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Step by step",
      "id": "step-by-step"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What Storage Studio creates on the drive",
      "id": "what-storage-studio-creates-on-the-drive"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Check that everything is in place",
      "id": "check-that-everything-is-in-place"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Switching to a different drive",
      "id": "switching-to-a-different-drive"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "the-setup-wizard",
      "label": "Setup Wizard",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-setup-wizard"
    },
    {
      "slug": "drive-formats",
      "label": "Drive formats",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/drive-formats"
    },
    {
      "slug": "choosing-an-external-drive",
      "label": "Choosing an external drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-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": "transfer-drive-and-backup-drive",
      "label": "Switching to a new drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfer-drive-and-backup-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "drive-says-not-set-up",
      "label": "The drive says \"not set up\"",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/drive-says-not-set-up"
    },
    {
      "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": "glossary-external-drive",
      "label": "External drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-external-drive"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "checking-your-drive",
      "title": "Checking your drive's health and setup",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/checking-your-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "choosing-an-external-drive",
      "title": "Choosing an external drive",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-external-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": "moving-an-app",
      "title": "Moving an app to your external drive",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/moving-an-app"
    },
    {
      "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": "recycle-vault",
      "title": "The Recycle Vault",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/recycle-vault"
    },
    {
      "slug": "the-setup-wizard",
      "title": "The Setup Wizard",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-setup-wizard"
    },
    {
      "slug": "drive-says-not-set-up",
      "title": "The drive isn't recognised as set up",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/drive-says-not-set-up"
    },
    {
      "slug": "exfat-drives",
      "title": "What to know about exFAT drives",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/exfat-drives"
    },
    {
      "slug": "where-to-start",
      "title": "Where to start: pick your goal",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-to-start"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "Setting up your external drive",
      "outline": "- Plug in the drive\n  - leads to Open Set Up or Choose External Drive\n- Open Set Up or Choose External Drive\n  - leads to Select the drive\n- Select the drive\n  - leads to Compatibility\n- Compatibility\n  - Not suitable: leads to Pick another drive\n  - Looks good or warnings: leads to Optional speed test\n- Optional speed test\n  - leads to Use This Drive\n- Use This Drive\n  - leads to A folder for this Mac is created on the drive\n- A folder for this Mac is created on the drive\n  - leads to Check with Verify Setup\n",
      "source": "%% caption: Setting up your external drive\nflowchart TD\n  A[Plug in the drive] --> B[Open Set Up or Choose External Drive]\n  B --> C[Select the drive]\n  C --> D{Compatibility}\n  D -->|Not suitable| X[Pick another drive]\n  D -->|Looks good or warnings| E[Optional speed test]\n  E --> F[Use This Drive]\n  F --> G[A folder for this Mac is created on the drive]\n  G --> H[Check with Verify Setup]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [
    {
      "alt": "The Choose External Drive window with one external drive selected, showing its details, the Compatibility looks good result and the Speed test section with Run benchmark",
      "caption": "Choosing your external drive"
    }
  ],
  "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 needs to know which external drive to use. You pick it once — during the Setup Wizard , or later from the More menu with Set Up / Choose External Drive… — and Storage Studio prepares it straight away. On the Home screen, the Connect an external drive to do more banner has a Set Up… button that opens the same place. Step by step Plug the drive in. It appears under Available drives . If nothing shows, click the rescan button. macOS's hidden Time Machine volumes aren't listed, and your Mac's own disk can't be chosen. Select the drive. Storage Studio shows its details — where it's mounted, its Filesystem , its Protocol (connection) and Location — and a compatibility result: Compatibility: looks good , usable with warnings or not suitable , with the reasons. See Drive formats . Optionally, test its speed. Click Run benchmark . It writes a 128 MB test file to the drive, reads it back and deletes it, in about 5–10 seconds. See Choosing an external drive for what the results mean. Click Use This Drive. Confirm when asked — the button reads Use Anyway if the drive had warnings. Storage Studio prepares the drive. When it's done you see that the drive is ready and Storage Studio is set up on it. A drive marked not suitable can't be chosen. Setting up your external drive Flowchart outline: Setting up your external drive Plug in the drive leads to Open Set Up or Choose External Drive Open Set Up or Choose External Drive leads to Select the drive Select the drive leads to Compatibility Compatibility Not suitable: leads to Pick another drive Looks good or warnings: leads to Optional speed test Optional speed test leads to Use This Drive Use This Drive leads to A folder for this Mac is created on the drive A folder for this Mac is created on the drive leads to Check with Verify Setup What Storage Studio creates on the drive Storage Studio makes one folder on the drive, named after your Mac. Everything Storage Studio keeps on the drive lives inside it, and the rest of the drive is left as it is. Because the folder is named after the Mac, several Macs can share one drive without mixing their files. To see it, open the drive in Finder; Show in Finder in the Inspect window takes you there — see Checking your drive's health and setup . Check that everything is in place Choose Verify Setup… from the More menu. The Verify configuration window checks each part of the setup in turn. For the drive, the row Storage Studio folder on NVMe should say Storage Studio folder is in place and marked. If it says the folder is missing or unmarked, click Re-create . Switching to a different drive You can choose another drive the same way at any time. Choosing a new drive doesn't move what's already on the old one — folders and apps you moved stay there. To carry everything across first, use Transfer to a New Drive… — see Switching to a new drive . Unpair External Drive… in the More menu also opens Choose External Drive . See also: The drive says \"not set up\" , When your drive is disconnected , External drive . 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 needs to know which external drive to use. You pick it once — during the [Setup Wizard](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-setup-wizard), or later from the **More** menu with **Set Up / Choose External Drive…** — and Storage Studio prepares it straight away. On the Home screen, the **Connect an external drive to do more** banner has a **Set Up…** button that opens the same place.\n\n## Step by step\n\n1. **Plug the drive in.** It appears under **Available drives**. If nothing shows, click the rescan button. macOS's hidden Time Machine volumes aren't listed, and your Mac's own disk can't be chosen.\n2. **Select the drive.** Storage Studio shows its details — where it's mounted, its **Filesystem**, its **Protocol** (connection) and **Location** — and a compatibility result: **Compatibility: looks good**, **usable with warnings** or **not suitable**, with the reasons. See [Drive formats](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/drive-formats).\n3. **Optionally, test its speed.** Click **Run benchmark**. It writes a 128 MB test file to the drive, reads it back and deletes it, in about 5–10 seconds. See [Choosing an external drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/choosing-an-external-drive) for what the results mean.\n4. **Click Use This Drive.** Confirm when asked — the button reads **Use Anyway** if the drive had warnings.\n5. **Storage Studio prepares the drive.** When it's done you see that the drive is ready and Storage Studio is set up on it.\n\nA drive marked **not suitable** can't be chosen.\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: Setting up your external drive\nflowchart TD\n  A[Plug in the drive] --> B[Open Set Up or Choose External Drive]\n  B --> C[Select the drive]\n  C --> D{Compatibility}\n  D -->|Not suitable| X[Pick another drive]\n  D -->|Looks good or warnings| E[Optional speed test]\n  E --> F[Use This Drive]\n  F --> G[A folder for this Mac is created on the drive]\n  G --> H[Check with Verify Setup]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — Setting up your external drive. Outline:*\n\n- Plug in the drive\n  - leads to Open Set Up or Choose External Drive\n- Open Set Up or Choose External Drive\n  - leads to Select the drive\n- Select the drive\n  - leads to Compatibility\n- Compatibility\n  - Not suitable: leads to Pick another drive\n  - Looks good or warnings: leads to Optional speed test\n- Optional speed test\n  - leads to Use This Drive\n- Use This Drive\n  - leads to A folder for this Mac is created on the drive\n- A folder for this Mac is created on the drive\n  - leads to Check with Verify Setup\n\n## What Storage Studio creates on the drive\n\nStorage Studio makes **one folder** on the drive, named after your Mac. Everything Storage Studio keeps on the drive lives inside it, and the rest of the drive is left as it is. Because the folder is named after the Mac, several Macs can share one drive without mixing their files.\n\nTo see it, open the drive in Finder; **Show in Finder** in the Inspect window takes you there — see [Checking your drive's health and setup](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/checking-your-drive).\n\n## Check that everything is in place\n\nChoose **Verify Setup…** from the **More** menu. The **Verify configuration** window checks each part of the setup in turn. For the drive, the row **Storage Studio folder on NVMe** should say **Storage Studio folder is in place and marked.** If it says the folder is missing or unmarked, click **Re-create**.\n\n## Switching to a different drive\n\nYou can choose another drive the same way at any time. Choosing a new drive doesn't move what's already on the old one — folders and apps you moved stay there. To carry everything across first, use **Transfer to a New Drive…** — see [Switching to a new drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfer-drive-and-backup-drive). **Unpair External Drive…** in the **More** menu also opens **Choose External Drive**.\n\nSee also: [The drive says \"not set up\"](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/drive-says-not-set-up), [When your drive is disconnected](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/when-your-drive-is-disconnected), [External drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-external-drive).\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"
}