hadas790

Q: how do i use my external hard drive on my computer(my passport WD)

i recently bought an external hard drive, and when i connected it to the computer, i wasnt able to transfer my files . it shows that i can only " read ".

 

 

 

information about the hard drive :

-capacity : 3TB

-name: My passport

-format: windows NT file system ( don't know how to change that)

 

information about my computer:

- version 10.8.5

- from 2009

- the internal storage disk is full  ( i also have a 1TB external drive that is almost full )

 

 

 

thanks

 

 

hadas

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Nov 12, 2015 7:06 AM

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Q: how do i use my external hard drive on my computer(my passport WD)

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  • by Niel,

    Niel Niel Nov 12, 2015 7:10 AM in response to hadas790
    Level 10 (312,936 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 12, 2015 7:10 AM in response to hadas790

    Install software such as Paragon NTFS on the computer, or choose Utilities from the Finder's Go menu and use the Disk Utility to erase the drive, specifying Mac OS Extended (Journaled), MS-DOS, or exFAT as desired.

     

    (136095)

  • by rkaufmann87,

    rkaufmann87 rkaufmann87 Nov 12, 2015 7:17 AM in response to hadas790
    Level 9 (58,598 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Nov 12, 2015 7:17 AM in response to hadas790

    If you are only going to use the EHD with the Mac then it needs to be re-formatted for OS X. To do so, please use Disk Utility (Applications - Utilities - Disk Utility) to re-format the drive as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). NTFS is a MS Windows format, if you want to share the drive with a PC you can use a tool such as the Paragon app however please remember NTFS is not a native format for OS X and eventually you will likely have problems.

     

    Also, please do not install any of the WD software that may have come with the drive, it serves no purpose and can tend to create problems.

     

    Finally, if you are not backing up  your computer using Time Machine or some other method you should purchase another EHD for backup. Working with any computer without a backup plan is foolish, eventually you will lose important data (photos, music, movies, financial info etc.) without a backup. Having a sound backup plan protects you when this happens.

  • by hadas790,

    hadas790 hadas790 Nov 12, 2015 7:20 AM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 12, 2015 7:20 AM in response to Niel

    if i have all three option?

     

    and it looks like i have two different hard drives ( the last two) but they are the same. does it matter which one i pick?

    also- will it work on other computres afterwards ? i mean , will it be permanent ?

    what to choose?

    Screen Shot 2015-11-12 at 5.16.54 PM.png

  • by hadas790,

    hadas790 hadas790 Nov 12, 2015 7:26 AM in response to rkaufmann87
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 12, 2015 7:26 AM in response to rkaufmann87

    hey! thanks for the heads up!

     

    i do have another external hard drive for back up bit its almost full , so i bought that one for that propose .

  • by rkaufmann87,

    rkaufmann87 rkaufmann87 Nov 12, 2015 7:35 AM in response to hadas790
    Level 9 (58,598 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Nov 12, 2015 7:35 AM in response to hadas790

    hadas790 wrote:

     

    hey! thanks for the heads up!

     

    i do have another external hard drive for back up bit its almost full , so i bought that one for that propose .

    If you are using Time Machine to backup your computer, you can continue to use it. When a TM backup HD is reaching capacity it will begin removing old versions of files. However if you are simply getting a larger HD and want to use it to replace the old TM backup HD you may find Time Machine: How to transfer backups from a current backup drive to a new backup drive - Apple Support very useful.