#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 how to#
#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 mac os#
#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 manual#
#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 Pc#
#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 mac#

#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 mac#

Apple Partition Map: For older PowerPC-based Mac computers.

Drives cannot exceed 2TB and are limited to 4 partitions

Master Boot Record: For MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFAT.

GUID Partition Map: For all Intel-based Mac computers.

ExFAT: Windows compatible general storage.

MS-DOS (FAT): Windows compatible general storage individual files cannot exceed 4GB each individual partition cannot exceed 2TB 4 partitions maximum per drive does not work for Time Machine backups.

#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 mac os#

Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled, Encrypted): Mac format case sensitive to folder names password protected encrypted partition.

Example: Folders named “Audio” and “AUDIO” are two different folders.

Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled): Mac format case sensitive to folder names.

Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted): Mac format password protected encrypted partition.

Mac OS Extended (Journaled or HFS+): Mac format.

APFS (Apple File System): Latest Mac format for macOS High Sierra or later (10.13+).

Learn more about which format to use from Apple:

#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 Pc#

For PC and Mac compatibility, select ExFAT (format) and Master Boot Record (scheme).Enter a Name, select the Format and Scheme, and click Erase.(optional)Select a single volume to keep the drive format and only erase that volume’s data.Select the external hard drive (left sorted Internal, External, and Disk Images) and click the Erase button.In the window that appears, double-click the Disk Utility app. Click the Go menu and select Utilities.Bus powered hard drives: connect either directly to your computer to an active hub (has power supply).Connect the hard drive to your computer, power it on and launch Finder.If you have an extra drive, you can also use the Restore feature to erase it and then replace its contents with the files from the drive you want to backup. The simple way is to copy them by dragging the files from one drive to the other. Since formatting an external hard drive will erase all of its files if you wish to save them you must back them up (copy) to another drive. Learn more about erasing hard disks on Mac from Apple. If you’re not sure, eject and disconnect each drive, then only reconnect the drive you want to erase. When formatting a hard drive with Disk Utility, make sure to select the correct drive. Reformatting a hard drive is often done just to erase all of its contents. Before a hard drive can read or write data, it must first be formatted, or erased and reconfigured. On Mac computers, use the Finder app to browse and manage files on your computer and external hard drives. Once the USB drive is connected and sharing is enabled, you're ready to access the drive from your Mac.Rename volumes Format an External Hard DriveĮxternal hard drives use either spinning disks or solid memory to save your files. Ensure USB access and the file sharing server are enabled. Once you're logged into the settings panel, look for an option titled USB Settings, USB Storage or File Sharing. This differs by brand, but can be easily found with a quick Google search. This is typically pretty generic, such as admin as the username and password as the password. You'll be asked for a username and password. In my case, it is 192.168.0.1.Įnter this IP address into the browser address bar. Open the TCP/IP tab and you should see the router's IP address. Highlight Wi-Fi and select Advanced in the lower right corner of the window. Go to System Preferences and navigate to Network. For other brands or if that doesn't work, you will need to locate the IP address of the router. Next, open a browser window and navigate to the router settings panel.įor Netgear routers, navigate to. Once you pick which storage drive you want to share over the network, plug it into the USB port on the back of the router.

I'm currently using an SD card reader with my router (pictured above), so I can quickly share any pictures I take with my camera across the network.

#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 manual#

Check with the router manual to find out if there are any storage limits. Older routers may not be compatible with larger storage drives, but with newer models, you can typically use anything from a small flash drive to a 5TB (or larger) external HDD will work.

You can choose just about any type of USB storage drive to add to your network.

#How to enable external hdd for mac mini 2011 how to#

Here's how to set up a networked hard drive with a Mac.

Setup is easy, but if you have a Mac, you'll need a different set of instructions than PC users. Maybe you want to share documents with coworkers without having to upload everything to Dropbox or share music files with the entire family. Setting up a networked hard drive is a great way to access all your files from multiple computers.