Cisdem Data Recovery helps you recover data from Mac external hard drives under different data loss situations like mistaken deletion, improper operation, formation, hard drive crashes, virus attack and more. 5 Best External Hard Drives for Mac Seagate Backup Plus Desktop External Hard Drive for Mac with USB 3.0 Seagate Backup Plus for Mac ensures easy customized backup for your digital life on your computer. It offers capacities up to 8TB and comes with a USB 3.0 hub option. The drive boasts a spindle speed of a 7200-RPM, write speeds of 95.5 MBps and 127.0 MBps read speeds. The drive is formatted for Mac out of box. If you want to use it interchangeably between Mac and PC computers, install the HFS+ driver on your PC. Overall, the Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive is a great all-around and affordable external hard drive for Mac.
Many external hard drives come pre-formatted as FAT 32. This is a native Windows file format that can be read by Mac OS devices but is not ideal for Format hard drive for Mac and Windows Format internal hard drive Mac Best format for external hard drive Mac How to use external hard drive on. Here are some of the best SSDs to upgrade your Mac. Whereas a 1TB external hard drive costs around £50. Although you can reformat it using Disk Utility if you need it to.
AirPort Time Capsule AirPort Time Capsule is a network-attached storage hard drive that works with Time Machine seamlessly and can backup all your Macs wirelessly without hassle. This hard drive uses Airport Utility to create a wireless network and supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi. It is more expensive than many other Mac external hard drives, costing $299 with 2TB of storage and a rather hefty $399 with 3TB. LaCie Rugged Mini USB 3.0 External Hard Drive With capacities up to 4TB, the LaCie Rugged Mini is a perfect external hard drive for Mac or PC when you want to store tons of files and access them from USB 3.0 computers. The pocket-sized design makes it smaller and tougher than before.
It uses a USB 3.0 interface and a conventional hard drive mechanism, so it won't be as fast as the latest solid-state drives with a Thunderbolt interface. But it is much cheaper than SSD and will keep your data safe during moving. WD 4TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive for Mac WD 4TB My Book for Mac is built for Mac and compatible with Apple Time Machine. It is ready to use when out of box and can store large amounts of photos, videos, documents and music you love.
Its built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption with WD security software keeps your data private and safe. This external hard drive for Mac is equipped with a USB 3.0 port and delivers ultra-fast file transfers and greater bandwidth.
G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for Mac G Technology's G-DRIVE USB 3.0 External Hard Drive is Mac OS-compatible and works with Time Machine to backup all files quickly. It features an all-aluminum enclosure and an impressively fast USB 3.0 interface as well as 7200-rpm performance. So it is just the right Mac external hard drive for storage-intensive multimedia files like videos, photos, audios and music libraries. It is available in capacities up to 6TB and can be easily reformatted for Windows.
You can choose the suitable external hard drive for Mac depending on its storage capacity, durability, transfer time, etc. How to Solve Mac External Hard Drive Data Loss Issues Although Mac External hard drives provide a very good way of storing important files and data, but you might lose your important data from them in some cases like hard drive formatted, corrupted or damaged.
As long as the lost files have not been written by new ones, you still get some possibilities to recover them by using a piece of software like Cisdem Data Recovery. Cisdem Data Recovery can help you recover data from Mac external hard drives under different data loss situations like mistaken deletion, improper operation, formation, hard drive crashes, virus attack and more. Main features:. Offers five scan modes and built-in file filters to quickly find what you want.
Recovers photos, videos, documents, audios, archives, emails, etc. Supports HFS+, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, ext2, ext3, ext4 and NTFS file systems. Supports other storage devices like internal hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, iPod, MP3 player, CF card, digital cameras etc. Lets you preview files before recovering and selectively recover them. It also offers free trial and free lifetime upgrade. Download it below and follow this guide to solve your Mac external hard drive data loss issues. More Related Articles You May Like.
On the business trip, store important files in laptop is not the first choice, instead with storing them on memory card or flash drive are very convenient. With more files stored on the SD memory card or flash drive. If we deleted the necessary files by mistaken will be so troublesome. Here, we will introduce three ways about how to recover files on the SanDisk card with best data recovery software. This guide outlines the instructions to restore from Time Machine backup and perform data recovery on Mac if you get Time Machine backup error.
Here, we will introduce the ways about word document recovery what includes how to recover unsaved word documents and recover deleted word documents on mac.
There is nothing like adequate storage, as far as digital data is concerned. No matter how much hard drive space you start up with, you will be left wanting for more, soon enough. Moreover, Apple has never known to be generous as far as hard drive space is concerned. Even the high-end MacBook Pro models have 768 GB of flash memory ( which is undoubtedly fast, but not adequate). A companion external hard drive is an inevitable choice for any user. It saves you from the tyranny of moving around loads of optical disks. With the amount of digital data that we create today in the form of photos, videos, movies and other personal data, you can be damn sure that some day you are going to wish for more hard drive space.
Though tech giants like Apple and Google would rather have all our data on clouds, most of us would rather have larger external drives to store it all. Though solid state drives are rapidly cutting into the market share of external magnetic hard drives, they still maintain their dominance on the basis of the large price advantage they offer. Before diving into reviews of the top external hard drives, best suited for a Mac, here's a short buying guide, that will point out the essentials. Choosing an External Hard Drive for a Mac Here's what you need to check out in the specification sheet. Storage Capacity: The most important feature, don't settle for anything less than 1 Terabyte of storage.
That is the minimum you would require. When you buy memory in bulk, it costs you lesser per gigabyte, than buying an entirely new drive later. Depending on your budget, you can choose any device in the 1 TB to 4 TB range. If the drive is supposed to be used as backup with Time Machine, massive capacity is essential. Type: Portable (2.5' to 1.8') drives are compact and designed for users on the go, with no need for an external power connection as they draw power from the computer bus. Desktop drives (3.5') are cheaper but bulkier and require a power plug-in for operation.
Ergo these drives can only facilitate tethered usage. Then there are wireless network storage drives that can be used as data hubs. Choose one that best fits your budget and requirements. Portable drives are expensive, but certainly worth the extra bucks. Interface: The type of connectivity offered will decide the rate at which the drive can transfer data. For a Mac, the best interface is Thunderbolt, which offers the best overall dual channel data transfer speeds (10 Gbps) currently.
Next best is USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) followed by eSATA ( which does not have native connectivity on a Mac) and Firewire 800. If you have a new MacBook Pro with Retina Display or an iMac, external hard drives with Thunderbolt can provide you with lightning fast data transfers, making them default choices. Check what kind of ports are installed in your Mac and buy a drive with fastest compatible data transfer interface, from among Thunderbolt, Firewire 800 and USB 3.0.
Thunderbolts connectivity is expensive but worth every penny. Spindle Speed (RPM) & Cache Size: The reading and writing speed for a hard drive is partially determined by the spindle speed, specified in rotations per minute. Higher the speed, faster are the overall operations of the drive. Another factor that can improve drive performance is a larger cache size. Drives with a large cache will definitely be faster. Encryption: With private data being stored on the drive, encryption is a necessary feature. In the era of corporate espionage, data encryption can be a life saver.
Ergo, in cases where sensitive data may be stored on the drive, it's best to opt for a secure encrypted drive. Advanced Format: Hard drive manufacturers are moving over to Advanced Format, that will change the minimum sector size of drives from the current 512-520 byte range to 4k (4096 byte) size sectors. Ergo, going for drives which would be compatible with this new emerging format would be a prudent thing to do. Wireless Network Connectivity: If you use a Wi-Fi network at home or office, a hard drive with wireless connectivity makes for a highly convenient choice. Through apps made available by certain manufacturers, all your iOS devices, including iPod touch, iPhone and iPad can access the network storage drive to directly access all stored data.
Price: A simple way of determining whether the price of a drive is reasonable, is a cost-per-gigabyte calculation. That, along with an analysis of overall performance should enable you to compare and choose the best drives. Best External Hard Drives For Macs: Reviews Reviews. Desktop Drives. Portable Drives. Network Storage Drives Finally, here are the contenders.
They are primarily chosen with the requirements of a Mac user in mind. Quality has taken precedence over price when choosing drives that may be used with iMacs, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro devices. The devices have been classified into desktop, portable and network storage solutions for Mac users, which should make it easier for you to make a choice.
![Best External Hard Disk For Mac Best External Hard Disk For Mac](/uploads/1/2/5/4/125462584/489288933.jpg)
Desktop Drives Seagate Backup Plus Desk Drive For Mac With Thunderbolt One of the most complete storage solutions for any Mac user, the Backup Plus series from Seagate, with Time Machine compatibility, is your own little personal cloud that can accommodate the totality of all your digital data. At 10 Gbps, the Thunderbolt interface provides the fastest data transmission speeds in the world.
Moreover, the Thunderbolt port lets you daisy-chain as many as six compatible devices at a time. See high-definition movies getting copied in a few seconds. An interesting feature is its ability to automatically backup your personal data from various social networks. With a 3 year warranty and the range of features, this would be the default purchase for most. Specification Value/Type Storage Capacity 3 TB Data Transfer Interface Thunderbolt Data Transfer Speed Up to 10 Gbps System Compatibility Mac + PC Warranty 3 Years Price $399.99 LaCie 3 TB USB 3.0 Porsche Design P'9233 Desktop Hard Drive Aesthetically designed LaCie 3 is a product ideally suited for Mac users. With solid aluminum casing and Porsche design, this product perfectly compliments the design sensibilities apparent in Apple devices. With blazing fast USB 3.0 speed, massive 3 TB storage capacity, automatic backup and password protection, this drive deserves a place beside your iMac, as its trusted storage companion.
Specification Value/Type Storage Capacity 3 TB Data Transfer Interface USB 3.0 Data Transfer Speed Up to 5 Gbps Spindle Speed 5400 RPM System Compatibility Mac + PC Warranty 2 Years Price $189.95 WD 4TB My Book Studio External Hard Drive All metal and USB 3.0 enabled, this password protected drive from Western Digital is a solid performer. Built to be compatible with Time Machine, it boasts a healthy 7200 RPM spindle speed, that works to deliver phenomenal speed, coupled with USB 3.0. It is an ideal investment for any home Mac user, looking for a basic storage solution at a reasonable price. Specification Value/Type Storage Capacity 4 TB Data Transfer Interface USB 3.0 Data Transfer Speed Up to 5 Gbps System Compatibility Mac + PC Warranty 3 Years Price $299.95 WD My Book for Mac Desktop Hard Drive Built to plug and play with your Mac, this Time Machine compatible desktop hard drive delivers quite a punch with its USB 3.0 interface. A full length high-definition movie can be transmitted from the drive in about 3 minutes, compared to more than 13 minutes of labored transfers on USB 2.0. With hardware encryption and password protection, it's built to provide a secure storage experience. Though the speeds are not comparable to the pricey Thunderbolt, it is an adequate storage solution for any home user.
Specification Value/Type Storage Capacity 3 TB Data Transfer Interface USB 3.0 Data Transfer Speed Up to 5 Gbps Spindle Speed 7200 RPM Encryption 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption System Compatibility Mac + PC Warranty 2 Years Price $199.48 Portable Drives LaCie 1TB Rugged USB 3.0 Thunderbolt Series Hard Drive One of the top sellers on Apple store, this LaCie product offers the dual advantage of USB and Thunderbolt interfaces to provide a blazing fast usage experience. Competitive price and solid performance has helped it gain a bestseller spot in the US market. LaCie has managed to provide one of the first bus-powered Thunderbolt devices which would delight any user with its rugged design and speedy performance. Mac users with native Thunderbolt connectivity are poised to benefit the most from this drive. Specification Value/Type Storage Capacity 1 TB Data Transfer Interface Thunderbolt/USB 3.0 Data Transfer Speed Up to 10 Gbps Spindle Speed 5400 RPM Cache Size 8 MB+ System Compatibility Mac + PC Warranty 2 Years Price $219.00 Buffalo 1TB MiniStation Thunderbolt/USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive Another powerhouse performer, the Buffalo MiniStation has been topping bestseller charts on most e-commerce sites with its dual interface design, portability and speed. Encased in aluminum, it comes bundled with all the requisite interface connection cables which makes it a versatile player on Mac and Windows platforms.
It's reasonable cost and the promise of 10 Gbps data transmission, makes it one of the best players in the game. Specification Value/Type Storage Capacity 1 TB Data Transfer Interface Thunderbolt/USB 3.0 Data Transfer Speed Up to 10 Gbps System Compatibility Mac + PC Warranty 3 Years Price $249.95 Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive for Mac With Thunderbolt We are really spoiled for choice, as far as portable external hard drives are concerned. From Seagate's armada of storage solutions, the Backup Plus for Mac, with Thunderbolt has all features that you are looking for.
Pressing on the advantage offered by a Thunderbolt port with 10 Gbps transmission speed, with USB 3.0 to complement and a solid 3 year warranty, this is a potential purchase you will never regret. Specification Value/Type Storage Capacity 1 TB Data Transfer Interface Thunderbolt/USB 3.0 Data Transfer Speed Up to 10 Gbps System Compatibility Mac + PC Warranty 3 Years Price $229.99 G-Tech 1TB G-DRIVE USB 3.0 Mobile Hard Drive Compared to its Thunderbolt-powered brethren, this USB 3.0 powered G-Tech drive may be lacking in the speed department, but it more than makes up for it with a low price tag.
That's how it earned a spot on the list. It's a good choice for folks who are looking for a speedy and dependable drive, with no intention of spending too much. Specification Value/Type Storage Capacity 1 TB Data Transfer Interface USB 3.0 Data Transfer Speed Up to 5 Gbps System Compatibility Mac + PC Warranty 3 Years Price $149.95 Network Storage Seagate Central A revolutionary product, recently launched by Seagate, this external drive is your complete network storage solution, acting as your data hub. Built to be compatible with Apple AirPlay and Internet television sets, it comes with a complete set of free apps on Android and iOS, to access and store data. Built to manage your digital life, Seagate Central is superbly designed to handle all your data storage needs. It is your family media library, with automatic backup facility, accessible to all your mobile devices through a router based Wi-Fi connection. At $260 for 4 TB, it's a steal!