How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive

On Windows

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 1

Plug the hard drive into the computer. Plug the hard drive's USB cable end into one of the computer's USB ports.

USB ports are flat rectangular slots located on the computer chassis.

If you use a memory card, insert it into your computer's memory card reader. You may need to purchase an SD card to USB converter.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 2

Open the Start menu. Click the Windows icon in the lower left corner of the screen or press the key ⊞ Win.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 3

Click the File Explorer folder icon on the left side of the Start menu.

If you don't see the File Explorer icon in the Start menu, right- click the Start icon and select File Explorer .

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 4

Go to the folder containing the files. Open the folder where the files you want to copy to the external hard drive are stored.

For example, if the files are in the Documents folder, click Documents on the left to open the Documents folder.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 5

Highlight the files to copy. Click and drag the mouse pointer over the contents of the folder.

You can also hold down the key Ctrland click each file if you want to select them one by one.

To highlight all in the current directory, press Ctrl+ A.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 6

Click the Home tab at the top left of the File Explorer window.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 7

Click Copy to or Move to . Both options are in the "Organize" section of the Home toolbar at the top of the File Explorer window.

Copy to will create copies of files, copying them to the location you choose and keeping the originals at their current location.

Move to will move files from the current location to the location you choose. The data will no longer be in its current location.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 8

Click Choose location . It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu, below Copy to or Move to .

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 9

Scroll down and click the external hard drive name. The external hard drive will be under the "My Computer" or "This PC" menu in the pop-up window.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 10

Click Copy or Move . Files will start being copied or moved from the computer to the external hard drive.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 11

Wait for the process to complete. The process time depends on the size of the files.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 12

Disconnect the hard drive. After copying files to the hard drive, safely disconnect the hard drive to ensure that data is not lost or damaged.

On Mac

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 13

Plug the hard drive into the computer. Plug the hard drive's USB cable end into one of the computer's USB ports.

USB ports are flat rectangular slots located on the computer chassis.

If using a memory card, insert the memory card into your computer's memory card reader. You may need to purchase an SD card to USB converter.

Some Mac computers don't have USB ports, but you can buy an adapter.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 14

Open Finder. The application has a blue human face, located in the computer dock.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 15

Highlight the files you want to copy. Open the folder containing the files, then click and drag the mouse pointer over the contents of the folder.

You can also hold down the key ⌘ Commandand click each file if you want to select them one by one.

If you can't find your files, click All My Files on the left side of the Finder window to browse all folders on your Mac.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 16

Click Edit . It's in the upper left corner of your computer screen.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 17

Click the Copy option in the Edit drop-down menu .

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 18

Click the name of your external hard drive, located under the "Devices" heading on the left side of the Finder window. The hard drive's window opens in Finder.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 19

Click Edit again, then select Paste Items . The selected files will be copied to the external hard drive.

If you select just one file, the action will be Paste Item .

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 20

Wait for the copying process to complete. The process time depends on the file size.

How to Copy Files to an External Hard Drive Picture 21

Click the eject button. The option has an upward arrow, located to the right of the hard drive name in Finder. Thus, you can disconnect the hard drive without damaging or losing data.

5 ★ | 1 Vote

May be interested

  • Causes and ways to fix external hard drive slow on Windows 10Causes and ways to fix external hard drive slow on Windows 10
    when plugging an external hard drive into a computer and finding it slower than before? whether your computer is infected with a virus or a certain setting in windows 10 makes everything slow or maybe just a simple problem like a broken cable. this article will find out the cause and offer a way to fix the external hard drive slow on windows 10.
  • How to reformat an external hard drive does not cause data lossHow to reformat an external hard drive does not cause data loss
    most people are quite adept at keeping backups of their valuable data on an external hard drive. but what happens if these hard drives are broken?
  • Advice on buying an external hard driveAdvice on buying an external hard drive
    in fact, today's portable hard drives are quite popular with mobility as well as increasing memory capacity. however, the purchase of this product also needs to be carefully considered and depends largely on the need to use the data as well as the equipment that the user is in order to avoid the absence of it, but if so it's too much
  • Cannot Delete Files on External Hard Drive, How to Fix ErrorCannot Delete Files on External Hard Drive, How to Fix Error
    instructions on how to fix the error of not being able to delete files on an external hard drive effectively. tipsmake will help you deal with 'stubborn' files
  • How to Transfer Data Between Two Hard DrivesHow to Transfer Data Between Two Hard Drives
    this wikihow teaches you how to move files from your computer onto a hard drive, or vice versa. this is possible for both external hard drives and internal hard drives on both windows and mac computers. determine the type of hard drive....
  • How to copy data on a laptop?How to copy data on a laptop?
    laptops (also known as laptops) have a relatively short usage life. over time, internal hardware components will be outdated quickly and damage is inevitable. therefore, this is the time you should prepare to copy the data stored on your laptop to a new device.
  • How to copy files from Mac to USBHow to copy files from Mac to USB
    when copying files from macos to a usb drive with normal copy paste or drag and drop files, the process will not work properly as on a windows computer. in the article below, tipsmake will guide you how to copy files from a mac to a usb drive.
  • How to Fix an 'External Hard Drive Not Detected' Error on PC or MacHow to Fix an 'External Hard Drive Not Detected' Error on PC or Mac
    this wikihow teaches you how to fix an 'external hard drive not detected' error on your computer. there are a number of issues that can cause an external hard drive to not be detected. it could be a simple issue with the cord, usb port, or...
  • 5 best external hard drives of 20245 best external hard drives of 2024
    external hard drives come in all shapes and sizes, from portable to more compact but permanent secondary storage devices. of course, the best external hard drive will be the one that suits your needs!
  • Experience gold when choosing to buy an external hard driveExperience gold when choosing to buy an external hard drive
    external hard drive (hdd) has become an indispensable component for office users. however, many people still do not know how to buy them.