How to Move Files from Mac to External Hard Drive

How to transfer files from Mac to external hard drive

When moving files, you physically remove them from their original location. Copying files, meanwhile, preserves the original file location—pasting a second version to your hard drive instead. When using this method, you don’t strictly have to use your external HDD to access these.

You can use several methods to move and copy files. For example, you can drag and drop them or press Ctrl + C before using Ctrl + V in the desired destination. In some cases, you may want to use third-party software to safely transfer files between your MacBook and external hard drive.

Below, we’ll discuss each of the most common ways to transfer files:

• Drag and drop holding the Command key.
• Use Command+C and Option+Command+V.
• Via Terminal command.

1. Drag and drop holding Command key

The easiest way to transfer files from your Mac to an external hard drive is by dragging and dropping with the Command key. For this reason, I recommend starting with this. Before doing so, you should format the hard drive on your Mac if you need to. Then, follow my instructions:

1. Find the files and folders you wish to move from your computer to the HDD.
2. Select the files you want to transfer. If there are multiple ones, you’ll need to use the Command key.
3. Drop the files into the section with your external HDD on the side.

2. Use Command+C and Option+Command+V

The easiest way to quickly copy files from your Mac to an external hard drive is by using your keyboard. Command+C / Option+Command+V is a classic way to transfer content, and below are the steps you should follow.

1. Find the files you wish to move from your MacBook to your external HDD.
2. Select all of the files you want to move and press Command+C on your keyboard.
3. Go to your external hard drive—you can click on this via the left-hand toolbar.
4. Press Option+Command+V in the part of the hard drive where you want to move your files to. You may need to confirm that you want your files to be removed from iCloud.

A hint from our team: 

 

To ensure that you have the right hard drive for your needs, you should make sure that you choose the best external hard drive for your Mac. Think about storage and other things that might be important for you.

3. Via Terminal command

If you’re comfortable using the Terminal app and are a more advanced user, I can suggest moving files to your external hard drive using this tool instead. If you’re a beginner, the other two above-mentioned methods are better for you. If you’re ready to try Terminal for file transferring, then stay with me:

1. Open the Terminal app—you can search for it in Spotlight.
2. Type mv old_file_path new_file_path (replace the file paths with the name of your files and the external hard drive).
3. Hit the Enter key.

A note from our experts:

 

Before transferring your folders and files, you should make sure that you haven’t got any duplicates. If you do, you’ll needlessly consume extra space. MacKeeper’s Duplicates Finder will find these files and free up storage on your Mac without much effort required on your part.

 

Here’s how to use it:

1. Download MacKeeper.
2. Navigate to Cleaning > Duplicates Finder > Start Scan.
3. Tick Duplicates and then choose Remove Selected.
4. Confirm your choice.

How to copy files from Mac to external hard drive

When you copy a file from your computer to your external HDD, you duplicate it and keep the original in place. This is a good idea if you want to keep across multiple places. You can copy files safely in numerous ways, such as:

• Command+C and Command+V
• Using a Terminal Command
• Via Time Machine backup

Let’s now look at how to do each of these.

1. Command+C and Command+V

The easiest way to copy and paste files between your Mac and an external hard drive is via your keyboard. As such, I suggest that every beginner uses this method. Below are the steps you should follow to achieve this.

To use this basic keyboard shortcut, follow these steps:

1. Find the files you want to transfer and select Command+C on your keyboard.
2. Go to your external hard drive.
3. Press Command+V to paste the files in their new place.

Important:

 

Sometimes, you may need to clone the hard drive on your Mac. Doing so is wise for duplicating the drive and adding extra protection if something goes wrong.

2. Use Terminal command

The cp command on Terminal can be a good way to copy and paste files. However, you should only use this feature if you’re experienced, as it can be quite tricky. Below are the guidelines to follow:

1. Open the Terminal app.
2. Enter cp old_file_path new_file_path, replacing the old file and new file paths with the locations and names. Then, hit the Enter key.

A note from our team:

If your Mac is not detecting external hard drive connections, ensure the drive is properly formatted and powered on. You may also need to check Finder settings or try accessing the drive through Disk Utility.

3. Via Time Machine backup

If neither of the above options worked, you can use a Time Machine backup instead. Rather than being the go-to for basic file transfers, I recommend using this if you want to back everything up in the long run.

Here’s how to copy and paste files via your Time Machine backup:

1. Open the Time Machine app.
2. Set up Time Machine if you haven’t already.
3. Open System Settings and navigate to Time Machine.
4. Select Add Backup Disk.
5. Choose the disk you want to add as your backup disk.

Moving files from Mac to external hard drive: A straightforward process

Transferring files from your Mac to an external hard drive is very straightforward, and you shouldn’t have too many problems—regardless of the method you use. If you’re a total beginner, you should stick with the basic ways; they’ll do the same job while limiting the amount of stress involved.

Before moving your files, it’s important that you have enough space on your device. To ensure this, make sure you’ve deleted all your duplicates. You can do so by using third-party tools like MacKeeper’s Duplicates Finder, which allows you to quickly and easily get rid of redundant file copies and save your time.