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My name is Adrian Try, and I’ve been using external drives since before USB existed. I’ve been diligently backing up my computers for decades and have tried a wide variety of backup strategies, software, and media. I currently use Time Machine to back up my 1 TB internal iMac drive to a 2 TB HP SimpleSave 3.5-inch external USB drive.
But that’s not my only external drive. I use a Seagate Expansion Drive on my Mac Mini media computer to hold a large iTunes library and have several Western Digital My Passport portable drives in my desk drawer. All of these drives have been working flawlessly for many years. I’m currently considering upgrading my iMac’s backup drive to a larger-capacity portable drive to free up a powerpoint in my office.
May 09, 2019 The Best External Hard Drive Deals This Week. WD 2TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive for Mac $74.99 (List Price $89.99; Save $15) Seagate Backup Plus 5TB Portable External Hard Drive.
- Oct 09, 2017 Here then are the best external hard drives for Mac of 2020 in order of ranking. WD My Passport For Mac (Best Overall) The Western Digital 2TB My Passport For Mac is the perfect 2TB portable external hard drive for Mac users. It’s ready formatted for use on Mac, Time Machine ready and small enough to fit in your coat pocket.
- Jan 07, 2020 According to the latest annual survey of hard drive reliability by Backblaze, a provider of cloud backup services, the annualized failure rate for modern hard drives is around 2 percent. This means that if we have a group of 50 people, with every person in the group using two hard drives (perhaps one inside a personal computer and one inside a laptop), then one of those 50 individuals is going.
I’ve also helped a number of businesses and companies set up backup systems. I remember some years ago going shopping for an external drive with Daniel, a client who is an accountant. When he saw the LaCie Porsche Design desktop drive he couldn’t believe his eyes. It was gorgeous, and as far as I know, he’s still using it today. If you’re like Daniel, we’ve included a number of attractive drives in our roundup.
Every Mac User Needs a Backup Drive
Who needs an external hard drive? You do.
Every Mac user should own a good external hard drive or two. They’re an essential part of a good backup strategy, and they’re handy for storing files you don’t have room for on your internal drive. After all, my current MacBook’s SSD has far less capacity than the spinning hard drive I was using a decade ago.
You don’t have one? Well, before you go shopping, let us help you narrow down your choices.
How We Tested
Positive Consumer Reviews
I find consumer reviews helpful, so use them to add to my own experience using external drives. They’re from real users about their good and bad experiences with drives they bought with their own money and use every day. We’ve only considered hard drives with a consumer rating of four stars and above that were reviewed by hundreds of users or more.
Capacity
How large a drive do you need? For backup purposes, you need one large enough to hold all of the files on your internal drive, plus different versions of the files you have changed. You may also want some additional room to store files that you don’t need (or don’t fit) on your internal drive.
For most users, a good starting point would be 2 TB, though I believe a minimum of 4TB will give you a better experience with room to grow in the future. In this review, we cover capacities of 2-8 TB. Some users, for example, videographers, could do with even more storage.
Speed
Most hard drives today spin at 5400 rpm, which is fine for backup purposes. You normally perform a full backup or clone backup when you’re away from your computer, possibly overnight, so a bit of extra speed won’t make a difference. And after your initial backup, Time Machine can easily keep up with those files you change during the day.
Faster drives are available but cost more. We’ve included one 7200 rpm drive in our review—the Fantom Drives G-Force 3 Professional. It’s 33% faster, but costs 100% more than the Seagate Backup Plus Hub for Mac.
For applications where high speed is crucial, you may prefer to choose an external Solid State Drive (SSD). Read our review of the best SSD for Mac here.
Apple Compatible
You need a drive that’s compatible with Apple’s HFS+ and ATFS file systems and USB 3.0/3.1, Thunderbolt and USB-C ports. We’ve chosen drives specifically designed for Apple devices, or that explicitly state that they work with Macs. Most external hard drives use a USB 3.0/3.1 port. These should work with any Mac, though you may have to purchase a cable or adaptor if your Mac has Thunderbolt or USB-C ports. If you prefer a drive to work specifically with your computer, some products we list provide options for each type of port.
Desktop, Portable or Rugged
Hard drives come in two sizes: 3.5-inch desktop drives that require to be plugged into a power source and 2.5-inch portable drives that run from bus power, and don’t need an additional power cable. Some companies also offer ruggedized portable drives that are less susceptible to damage from shock, dust or water.
If you use a desktop computer, you may prefer to choose a 3.5-inch drive. These are worth considering because larger capacities are available and they may cost less money. You won’t have to carry the drive around, so you won’t mind the larger size, and you’re likely to have a spare powerpoint in your office. We cover four of these in our review:
- WD My Book,
- Seagate Backup Plus Hub for Mac,
- LaCie Porsche Design Desktop Drive,
- Fantom Drives G-Force 3 Professional.
But if you’re a laptop user, or you’re running out of room on your desk, you may prefer a 2.5-inch external drive. These are bus-powered, so you won’t need to carry an extra power cord, and they’re significantly smaller. However, it’s difficult to find drives with more than 4 TB of space available. We cover four of these in our review:
- WD My Passport for Mac,
- Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive for Mac,
- LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive,
- G-Technology G-Drive Mobile.
If you regularly use your portable drive on the go—especially if you’re outside—you may like to spend a little more on a rugged hard drive. These are tested to be drop-resistant, dust-resistant and water-resistant—often with military-grade tests—offering additional peace of mind that your data will be safe. We cover four of these in our review:
- LaCie Rugged Mini,
- ADATA HD710 Pro,
- Silicon Power Armor A80,
- Transcend StoreJet 25M3.
Features
Some drives offer additional features that you may or may not find useful. These include a hub to plug your peripherals into, cases made of metal rather than plastic, a greater focus on design, and included cloud storage.
Price
Affordability is an important differentiator since the quality and functionality of each drive is similar. Each of these drives has been highly rated by hundreds or thousands of consumers, so value for money was a major consideration when choosing our winners.
Here are the cheapest street prices (at the time of writing) for the 2, 4, 6 and 8 TB options of each drive (if available). The cheapest price for each capacity in each category has been bolded and given a yellow background.
Here are the cheapest street prices (at the time of writing) for the 2, 4, 6 and 8 TB options of each drive (if available). The cheapest price for each capacity in each category has been bolded and given a yellow background.
Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in this table is subject to change, and reflects the cheapest street prices I could find at the time of writing.
The Winners
Best Backup Drive for Desktop Mac: Seagate Backup Plus Hub
Seagate’s Backup Plus Hub for Mac is designed for the Mac and compatible with Time Machine out of the box. Four and eight terabyte versions are available, more than enough for most people. Amazon’s price for the 8 TB version makes it a no-brainer—that’s less than most other companies’ 4 TB drives. But there’s more. This drive includes two integrated USB 3.0 ports that will charge your phone or connect your peripherals and USB sticks to your Mac.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 4, 8 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Max data transfer: 160 MB/s,
- Interface: USB 3.0,
- Case: white plastic,
- Features: two integrated USB 3.0 ports, comes with cloud storage.
Seagate drives have a reputation for reliability. The first hard drive I bought was a Seagate, way back in 1989. The Backup Plus Hub is designed for the Mac and is the most affordable 8 TB drive, followed by the WD My Book. The included hub will give you much easier access to USB ports, which is handy when connecting peripherals, copying files to a Flash drive, or just charging your phone.
Some limited free cloud storage is included with the drive. A 2-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan is included and must be redeemed by a specified deadline.
Finally, a few options. If you’d like to save some money, the 4 TB version of the WD My Book is significantly cheaper, as is the Seagate Expansion, which is also only $89.99 for 4 TB. Neither of these options includes a USB hub.
Best Portable Backup Drive for Mac: Seagate Backup Plus Portable
The Seagate Backup Plus Portable is also a bargain. It’s the most affordable portable drive we cover in either the 2 TB or 4 TB capacities. The drive is mounted in a sturdy metal case, and the 4 TB case is a little thicker than the 2 TB version.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 2, 4 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Max data transfer: 120 MB/s,
- Interface: USB 3.0,
- Case: brushed aluminum.
This portable drive doesn’t include a hub like Seagate’s desktop drive, but it’s slim and housed in an attractive, sturdy metal case. If you prefer the slimmest drive, go for the 2 TB “Slim” option, which is a significant 8.25 mm thinner.
Since the switch to SSDs, many Mac laptops have significantly less internal storage than they used to, so portable hard drives are handier than ever. Most MacBook users should find that 2-4 TB is more than enough to back up their computer and also store additional files they don’t need permanently on their computers. For best practice, buy two drives, one for each function.
Unlike a desktop drive, portable drives don’t need an additional power source. And like the desktop version, a 2-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan is included and must be redeemed by a specified deadline.
Best Rugged Backup Drive for Mac: ADATA HD710 Pro
Of the four rugged external hard drives we cover, only two come in a 4 TB capacity. Of the two, the ADATA HD710 Pro is significantly more affordable. It’s even cheaper than some of the non-ruggedized portable drives we cover. How rugged is it? Extremely. It’s waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof and exceeds military-grade standards. It comes with a three-year warranty.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 1, 2, 4, 5 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Interface: USB 3.2,
- Case: extra-rugged triple-layered construction, various colors,
- Drop resistant: 1.5 meters,
- Water resistant: up to 2 meters for 60 minutes.
If you regularly use an external hard drive in extreme conditions, or if you’re just very clumsy, you’ll appreciate a ruggedized portable drive. The HD710 Pro is extremely rugged. It’s IP68 Waterproof, and has been tested being submerged in two meters of water for 60 minutes. It’s also IP68 military-grade shockproof and IP6X dustproof. And to demonstrate the company’s confidence in its own product, it comes with a three-year warranty.
For durability, the casing has three layers: silicone, a shock-absorbing buffer, and a plastic shell closest to the drive. A number of colors are available.
The Competition
Other Desktop Drives Worth Considering
I’ve owned a number of Western Digital My Books over the years and found them very good. They’re also very affordable and missed out on the win by a whisker. Seagate’s 8 TB drive is significantly cheaper, but if you’re after a 4 or 6 TB drive, a My Book is the way to go.
My Books are available in more capacities than the Seagate Backup Plus, which only comes in 4 and 8 TB models. So if you’re after some other capacity—large, small or in between—WD’s drives may also be a better choice for you. However, they don’t include a USB hub like the Backup Plus does.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 3, 4, 6, 8,10 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Interface: USB 3.0,
- Case: plastic.
If you’re willing to pay more for a luxurious metal enclosure that will match the good looks of your Mac, LaCie’s Porsche Design desktop drives fit the bill. When my fashion-conscious friend Daniel saw one it was love at first sight, and he had to buy it. The Amazon link below goes to the USB-C version of the drive, but the company also offers a version for USB 3.1 drives.
Since 2003, LaCie has been collaborating with design house Porsche Design to produce external hard drive enclosures that look like works of art. It’s a modern, minimalist design with rounded corners, high-polish beveled edges, and sandblasted finish. Apple approves and sells LaCie drives in their store.
Besides its good looks, LaCie’s desktop drive has a number of other features. First, an adaptor is included in the box, so you can use the USB 3.0 version in a USB-C port and vice-versa without additional cost. Second, like the Seagate drives, it includes a 2-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan. (This must be redeemed by a specified deadline.) Finally, it will charge your laptop while it’s plugged into the drive.
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At a glance:
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- Capacity: 4, 6, 8 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Interface: USB-C, USB 3.0 adaptor included. A USB 3.0 model is available separately.
- Case: aluminum enclosure by Porsche Design.
Finally, the most high-end drive we cover is the Fantom Drives G-Force 3 Professional. It’s the only high-speed 7200 rpm drive included in our review, features a sturdy black brushed-aluminum case that can be stored vertically to save some desk space, and comes in a wide range of capacities from 1-14 TB.
You’ll pay more for the G-Force than our winner, but it’s superior in every way. The high-speed drive is 33% faster than the other drives we review. That’s significant if you regularly save huge files, say video footage. The brushed black (or optional silver) aluminum casing looks good and is sturdier than the plastic cases of most of the competition. And the integrated stand allows you to store the drive vertically, which may save you some desk space.
There are also ten different storage capacities available, from 1 TB all the way up to 14 TB. While 2 or 4 TB will suit most users, if you need additional space the G-Force offers it in spades, but at a price. In summary, if you’re willing to pay for the best external hard drive out there, this is it.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 TB,
- Speed: 7200 rpm,
- Interface: USB 3.0/3.1,
- Case: black aluminum (a silver version is available at a premium).
Other Portable Drives Worth Considering
I own a number of WD My Passport drives and love them. But they cost more than the Seagate Backup Plus Portable and have a plastic case rather than a metal one. Western Digital does offer a more expensive model with a metal case—the My Passport Ultra.
The My Passport for Mac is designed for the Mac and is Time Machine ready. A number of colors are available, and the cables match.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 1, 2, 3, 4 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Interface: USB 3.0,
- Case: plastic.
LaCie’s Porsche Design Mobile Drives look as good as their desktop counterparts, and are your best choice if you don’t mind paying more to make your external drive match your MacBook. While it doesn’t offer as much protection as a rugged drive, the case is made of 3 mm thick solid aluminum which certainly helps.
LaCie drives are designed for the Mac. They’re available in space gray, gold and rose gold, and come set up to work well with Time Machine. But they’ll work with Windows too. Like other options, drives with 4 TB and greater are significantly thicker.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 1, 2, 4, 5 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Interface: USB-C, USB 3.0 adaptor included,
- Case: aluminum enclosure by Porsche Design.
Like the LaCie Portable and Slim, the G-Technology G-Drive Mobile is mounted in an aluminum case that comes in three Apple colors. It costs about the same but comes in USB 3.0, USB-C and Thunderbolt versions. And like LaCie drives, Apple likes the look of them and sells them in their store.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 1, 2, 4 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Transfer speed: 130 MB/s,
- Interface: USB-C (USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt versions available),
- Case: aluminum,
- Colors: silver, space gray, rose gold.
Other Rugged Drives Worth Considering
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The LaCie Rugged Mini is designed for all-terrain use. It’s shock-resistant (for drops of up to four feet), and dust and water-resistant. It’s available in USB 3.0, USB-C, and Thunderbolt versions. It’s the most expensive rugged drive we cover in this Mac backup drive review.
The aluminum case is protected by a rubber sleeve for extra protection. The drive inside is from Seagate, and it comes formatted for Windows, so it will have to be reformatted to work with your Mac. A zip-up case is included and features an interior strap to secure your drive in place.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 1, 2, 4 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Transfer speed: 130 MB/s (510 MB/s for Thunderbolt),
- Interface: USB 3.0 (USB-C and Thunderbolt versions available),
- Case: aluminum,
- Drop Resistant: 4 feet (1.2m), dust and water resistant.
With “armor” in the name, the Silicon Power Armor A80 is waterproof and military-grade shockproof. It’s not available in a 4 TB capacity, but the 2 TB drive is the least expensive we include in this review.
A layer of shock-resistant gel is placed inside the housing to add an extra bumper for full shock protection. The drive passed the US military MIL-STD-810F transit drop test and functioned perfectly after surviving falls from three meters.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 1, 2 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Interface: USB 3.1,
- Case: shock-resistant silica gel,
- Drop resistant: 3 meters,
- Water resistant: up to 1m for 30 minutes.
Another drive with a maximum capacity of 2TB, the Transcend StoreJet 25M3, is affordable, has excellent anti-shock protection, and is available in two colors.
The drive features a three-stage shock protection system that includes a silicone rubber case, an internal shock-absorbing suspension damper, and a reinforced hard casing. It meets the US military drop-test standards to protect your data.
At a glance:
- Capacity: 1, 2 TB,
- Speed: 5400 rpm,
- Interface: USB 3.1,
- Case: silicone rubber case, internal shock-absorbing suspension damper, reinforced hard casing,
- Drop resistant: US military drop-test standards.
Why need automatically backup files to external hard drive?
When was the last time you backed up the important files on your computer? Three months ago when your friend called in tears that she lost her thesis because of computer failure? Maybe it is longer. You know the importance of system backup, while files backup cannot be ignored, either, especially to backup those significant documents, office files, and irreplaceable photos.
Computer failure, hardware conflict, hard drive fails, or hacker invade is a fact of computer life. It’s not a matter of whether or not your computer will encounter these problems; it’s a matter of when. As for the destination backup path, you can backup files to internal hard drive that OS installed on, or you can backup files to Seagate external hard drive or the like for better protection. The latter way avoids the data loss caused by system disk failure or system meltdown.
You know the importance of backing up, how about automatically backup? We all are busy with various stuff, work, family, friends, school, etc. It is hard to promise we can remember to do backup for each modifying. So, a schedule or auto task really helps a lot. Auto back up files to external hard drive on Windows saves times and efforts and memory.
How to automatically backup files to external hard drive?
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Usually, Windows backup utility can do a regular backup. In Windows 7/10, open Backup and Restore by clicking Start -> Control Panel -> System and Security. In Windows 8/8.1, open backup window by searching for “recovery” from the start screen, and then select Windows 7 File Recovery. Then follow the wizard to backup your files. There is an option for you to choose whether or not backup files to external hard drive in Windows backup utility. Nevertheless, some tiny flaw of Windows backup you may need to concern, people cares details in particular.
First of all, using external hard drive is unlike using internal drive. You may need move the external hard drive around sometimes. To prevent losing files again, don’t bother to backup external hard drive. The sensitive files and important documents could be accessed by others. Therefore, to avoid this, you might as well encrypt your backup image. In the second place, regular backup means a lot of disk space will be took up. So, a kind of software that could compress backup image will do you a big favor in this aspect. If you’re running Windows 7, you can save disk space with automatically delete old backups.
Fortunately, there is all-around free software to backup files to external hard drive and it meets all mentioned function. With AOMEI Backupper Standard, you can do “set it up and forget it”. More important, image file encrypting and compressing are available. Encryption protects your files from unauthorized access and Compression saves space on your external hard drive. Furthermore, the auto backup task will not interrupt your work flow and ensure your work productivity.
Steps to backup files to external hard drive automatically
Connect the external hard drive to your Windows and make sure it is recognized. You external disk need to be formatted before you can store data there. Download, install and launch AOMEI Backupper Standard.
Step1. Head to Backup > File Backup at the main console.
Step2. Click Add File or Add Folder to browse the files you want to back up to external drive.
Step3. Select the external hard disk as the Destination. Tick Schedule option after selecting the destination.
Step4. At this page you can set schedule backup to Daily, Weekly, or Monthly mode.
Step5. Click Start Backup after your confirmation. The selected files and folders will be backed up at a regular basis.
Tips:
- Event-trigger backup is available in Professional edition.
- Click on Start Backup you have options to decide whether to run backup immediately or at next setup time.
- You can set up backup mode (full backup, incremental backup, or differential backup) by clicking Advanced option next to General. Incremental backup is chosen by default.
- You can click Backup Options to encrypt your backup images and to compress them to save disk space.
- This backup software also can be applied to backup files to Seagate external hard drive, WD external hard drive, Samsung external hard drive, etc.
Backup files to external hard drive in another manner
Backup means you create an image for certain files, and when you need them back, you restore the image to files. However, some users regard synchronization as backup because sync files is also a way to back files up. Sync files to external hard drive just like you make an exact copy for these important files. Comparing to backup, synchronization takes up more disk space, yet you don’t need to do a recovering for these files before you can use them.
AOMEI Backupper Standard also provides feature File Sync to assist you sync files to external hard drive automatically. Follow steps below to learn how to operate.
Step 1: Head to Backup > File Sync this time.
Step 2: Click Add Folder and then Browse to add the items you want to back up from.
Step 3: Select the partition on external disk as the target path.
Step 4: Again, click Schedule to set auto-run task. For the file frequently changed, real-time sync is recommended.
Step 5: Click Start Sync to save settings or run file sync.
Tips: Real-time Sync from or to network/NAS is only available in Professional edition, so does to File filter in backup and sync.
Summary
Automatically backup files to external hard drive the first time may take up a litter longer, but it worth to do that because it saves much more time than rebuilding the lost forever files or memories. If you just lost several files, you can do selective files restore without recovering the entire backup image.
No matter which method you’ll choose, the most important thing is to keep data safe. AOMEI Backupper has many other features embedded, such as system clone, disk clone, etc. Try it to experience more.