The Setup Wizard

The Setup Wizard is the short setup that runs the first time you install Storage Studio. In four steps it introduces the app, prepares your external drive (or lets you skip that), and installs the small background service that runs Storage Studio's automatic work. You can run it again later if something needs repairing.

%% caption: The four steps of the Setup Wizard
flowchart LR
  A[1 Welcome] --> B[2 External Drive]
  B -->|Pick a drive| C[Drive is prepared]
  B -->|Skip for now| D[3 Install]
  C --> D
  D --> E[Install service]
  E --> F[4 All Set]

The window is titled Storage Studio Setup and shows your progress, for example 2 of 4 — External Drive. Continue moves on and Back goes back a step.

Step 1: Welcome

A short introduction to what Storage Studio does: managing an external drive, tidying app caches without touching your settings or conversations, and syncing with the cloud. It reminds you that you can change everything later.

Step 2: External Drive

Pick your external drive lists the external drives that are plugged in, each with its format, connection type and size. Storage Studio leaves out your Mac's own disk and the hidden volumes macOS uses for Time Machine, so you only see drives you could really use.

• Click a drive to choose it. Storage Studio prepares it straight away and shows Drive ready. Preparing creates a small folder for this Mac on the drive and marks it, so Storage Studio can always tell your drive apart from any other disk, even one with the same name. Nothing already on the drive is erased.
• No drive yet? Tick Skip this for now — I'll set up the drive later. Everything that doesn't need a drive, such as clearing caches, still works.
• Plugged one in after the step opened? It appears on its own, or click Rescan.

Which drive to use, and which format, is covered in Choosing an external drive and Setting up your drive.

Step 3: Install

Install the background service explains that Storage Studio runs a small helper in the background to watch your drive and post notifications. From then on, Storage Studio starts this helper whenever the app opens and stops it when you quit. Click Install service and a progress bar shows each step until Service installed. If something goes wrong, the reason appears with a Try again button.

Step 4: All Set

You're all set! points you to the Storage Studio icon in the menu bar, next to the clock. Click Finish.

Running it again

The wizard only runs on its own the first time. To run it again — for example after changing drives or if the background service needs reinstalling:

• In the Intelligence window: More → Set Up / Reinstall…
• In the Advanced popover: More → Setup & maintenance → Re-run Setup Wizard…
• On the Home screen, the Connect an external drive to do more banner has a Reinstall… button.

On the very first run, closing the wizard quits Storage Studio, because the app can't do its work without the background service.

See also: Your first launch, step by step, The Services pane, The drive says "not set up".