Should I Store my files on the main hard drive or an external drive

Hello Ziatron,

Storing your files on the main boot drive of your Mac Studio is best practice, and can be advantageous for several reasons:

1. Speed and Performance: The internal drive, especially on newer Mac models, typically offers faster data access and transfer rates compared to external drives. This can lead to smoother and more efficient operation, especially for applications that frequently access these files.

2. Simplicity and Convenience: Keeping files on the main drive simplifies file management and backup processes. Time Machine, for instance, can seamlessly back up your entire system, including all personal files, without needing additional configurations for external drives.

3. Reliability: Internal drives are generally more reliable as they are less prone to physical damage or connection issues that might occur with external drives.

However, the idea of backing up to an external drive does have merit. It's a valid strategy and provides an extra layer of redundancy should your Mac Studio ever breakdown or otherwise require servicing. Regular backups are crucial. Time Machine is a great tool for this, but you might also consider cloud-based backups or cloning your drive using software like Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper for additional redundancy.

Concerns about servicing and data privacy are valid. When a computer goes in for service, indeed, your data may be accessible to technicians. To mitigate this, consider the following strategies:

1. External Drive for Sensitive Data: Store sensitive files on an external drive, which you can easily detach before servicing.

2. Data Encryption: Use FileVault to encrypt your Mac's hard drive. This will protect your data even if someone else has access to your device.

3. Backup and Wipe: Before servicing, back up your data and then wipe your Mac's hard drive. You can restore the data from the backup afterward.

Remember, it's about balancing convenience with security. Assess the sensitivity of your data and choose the method that best suits your needs.

Ziatron wrote:

Thanks for your help. What do you think about the problem that if the computer needs servicing all of my data is available to the technicians?

If you use FileVault on the Mac Studio, not one, not even Apple Techie will be able to access your data

Please read through the entire article for the full details

Excerpt from above link

" If you have a Mac with Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Security Chip, your data is encrypted automatically.

Turning on FileVault provides an extra layer of security by keeping someone from decrypting or getting access to your data without entering your login password. "

Yes, FileVault, which is Apple's disk encryption feature, does help protect your personal files and information from unauthorized access, including from people servicing your computer. When FileVault is enabled, the contents of your startup disk are encrypted. This means that without the password, the data is inaccessible and unreadable to anyone. So, if you send your Mac for service or repair, technicians would not be able to access your personal files unless they have your FileVault password.

How does FileVault work on a Mac? - Apple Support

If you set up the new Mac to use iCloud your data will be stored in iCloud and will be available to any other Apple devices you have. Have an external drive as your Time Machine. If you have any important data files you should copy those to another external drive and if possible store it in a different location

The thing is for Apple Silicon Computers would to do as per instruction from below Link

Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings

This would remove your User Account and ALL that is contained in that Folder ( Home Folder )

It will not touch the Operating System that is currently installed on the Mac Studio

Would suggest before attempting the above to at least update or UpGrade the machine.

Often times, the version installed on new machines may contain a special version of macOS which has Specific Apple Drivers for this computer that are not yet available to standard version of macOS

Does file vault protect you from people who are servicing your computer from having access to your personal files/info?