Seagate Toolkit vs. Time Machine?

Question

Level 1

8 points

Seagate Toolkit vs. Time Machine?

Hi there,

I recently purchased a 2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim in order to backup my Mac (2013 Macbook Pro with Retina Display). When I first plugged it in to set it up with Time Machine, it prompted me to install Seagate Toolkit. My understanding is that Time Machine should be used when the external hard drive is to be used to backup the computer, so I therefore do not need to install Seagate Toolkit. Could anyone confirm that this is the case? I have scoured Seagate's website and my Backup Plus manual to no avail.

Thank you so much!

MacBook Pro with Retina display, iOS 10.3.1

Posted on May 1, 2018 7:48 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

babowa

Level 9

78,568 points

May 1, 2018 8:51 PM in response to rebecca_mw

No external hard drive needs any software whatsoever in order to function. You do need to format it properly for Mac OS Extended (Journaled) which you can do with Disk Utility, so plug it in, erase and format it, and then do with it whatever you like: set it up with TM, make a bootable clone, partition it, and/or drag 'n drop files on to it.

Reply

Answer 2

y_p_w

Level 6

17,762 points

May 1, 2018 8:22 PM in response to babowa

babowa wrote:

No external hard drive needs any software whatsoever in order to function. You do need to format it properly for Mac OS Extended (Journaled) which you can do with Disk Utility, so plug it in, erase and format it, and then do with it whatever you like: set it up with TM, make a bootable clone, partition it, and/or drag 'n drop files on to it.

If it’s prompting the OP to enable their backup tools, it might be the Mac version that comes with preinstalled backup software.

https://www.seagate.com/consumer/backup/backup-plus-mac/

Reply

Answer 3

y_p_w

Level 6

17,762 points

May 1, 2018 8:48 PM in response to babowa

babowa wrote:

That may be; however, it really doesn't matter what that drive contains - it is superfluous. No external hard drive needs any of the mfr's software to function.

I agree. However, the Mac specific version would be HFS+ formatted.

The first thing I do with any pre-formatted external drive is reformat, or at least remove any preloaded utilities.

Reply

Answer 4

babowa

Level 9

78,568 points

May 1, 2018 8:30 PM in response to y_p_w

That may be; however, it really doesn't matter what that drive contains - it is superfluous. No external hard drive needs any of the mfr's software to function.

Reply

Answer 5

y_p_w

Level 6

17,762 points

May 1, 2018 8:49 PM in response to rebecca_mw

Correct. You only need an HFS+ formatted external drive. I’d ignore it. Did the drive come Mac formatted? I’ve got one and it was in a Windows format Before I reformatted.

Reply

Answer 6

y_p_w

Level 6

17,762 points

May 1, 2018 10:59 PM in response to babowa

babowa wrote:

However, the Mac specific version would be HFS+ formatted.

Yes. I'm not sure I understand your point. I suggested that the OP format it Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

Sure. I was just thinking that it might be formatted that way out of the box.

Reply