- Best Usb Drive For Macbook Air
- Flash Drive For Macbook
- Usb Drive For Macbook Air
- External Drive For Macbook Air
- 5 Best Ways to Fix a USB Flash Drive That Won't Show Up on a Mac. Let's take a look at some of the causes of a flash drive not showing up on a Mac to determine if you can resolve your particular issue. Some of these fixes are very simple while others may involve performing data recovery on a corrupted or damaged drive.
- What kind of USB device is it - stick/external drive/camera, etc? In FinderPreferencesGeneral tab you definitely ticked 'External Disks' or Hard Disks? What happens if, also in Finder PrefsSidebar tab you select External Disks or Hard Disks - does it show in the sidebar? If not, try restarting with the USB device plugged in - any luck?
The days of floppy disks are long past, and while CD-Roms are still around very few people use them for anything besides the occasional mixtape or digital photo album.
As we race ahead into the era of cloud storage, it's worth keeping an eye on our friend — the USB Flash Drive, which has by no means expired.
Connect the USB flash drive or other volume that you're using for the bootable installer. Make sure that it has at least 12GB of available storage and is formatted as Mac OS Extended. Open Terminal, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
In the case of the latter, USB-C flash drives are great for transferring files from your Macbook/Air/Pro to your USB-C-supported computers and devices and vice versa. The only ports you'll find on the MacBook lineup are USB-C / Thunderbolt 3. I know that some of you are looking around the room at all your existing peripherals and probably feeling a little dismayed that you won't be able to connect them directly to your MacBook.
Flash drives are reliable even when the Internet is down, files are too large to upload, or when you can't remember your password. Plus, they're easily shared among other people and can be used to distribute large amounts of information as well or store the final version of a project for later reference.
So whether you want a place to keep your digital movie collections, the latest year's worth of schoolwork, or all the material for a particular client, a thumb drive is a versatile and inexpensive solution to your problem.
In this buying guide, we'll help you choose the best flash drive that works with your MacBook Pro. In addition, you'll learn tips and tricks on how to keep the drive in good shape.
Quick Summary
- Want to be on the cutting edge of the future and enjoy using USB Type-C? Luckily SanDisk offers 256GB Ultra Dual USB-C Drive, which contains plenty of storage while allowing you to use a newer MacBook without dongles.
- If you're looking for as much space as you can get at a great value and reliability, the PNY Turbo 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive will have you covered with a sleek design and an expansive 256 GB of storage.
- Just need something that will last a while and have enough space for your old photos and videos? The Samsung BAR Plus 64GB is durable and the 32 GB of space includes a keychain attachment so you can't lose the drive anytime soon.
Who Should Get This?
USBs are almost completely universal devices, so you don't have to worry about which ones will or won't work with your computer unless you have the newest MacBook Pro, which has no USB-A slots at all! In that case, you'll need a USB-C dock or adapter in order to use most flash drives, or you can purchase a specialty USB-C model.
Beyond that, almost everyone can benefit from having a USB drive on hand. They work on both Macs and PCs without reformatting so file transfer and backup are very easy. You can keep any type of file on them, and you'll doubtless need one soon in the future to save something large or pass a file to a friend.
However, for those who've been used to live 'in the cloud' (aka, using cloud storage or services for all kind of files), you probably won't need a physical disk drive at all.
Buying a Flash Drive for Mac: What to Consider in 2020?
Capacity
When you're storing files, space is everything. Especially since thumb drives aren't expandable, you'll want to pick one big enough to encompass your needs for quite a while. How to unlock my imac with apple watch. Alternatively, if you like to keep each project separate, buy many small flash drives so you don't have an excess of space that you don't end up utilizing.
Type
These days, USBs are coming in more and more varieties. The classic USB-A actually has two variations- 2.0 and 3.0, and you'll want to get a 3.0 model whenever possible since at this point 2.0 is fairly outdated though widely available. You can also step it up a notch by going for USB-C, which has the new reversible design and doesn't look anything like you would expect. It'll be faster and more efficient, but only newer computers have the correct port to use it.
Size
Do you lose things easily if they're too small, or would you prefer something that fits in your wallet? USB drives can be as small as one joint of your finger or include keyrings or other attachments that make them easier to keep track of. The size is also relevant when inserting it into your computer — if your USB ports are close together, especially if you already use them regularly, a small flash drive will make sure the other accessories don't get pushed out in the process.
The Best USB Flash Drive for MacBook: Our Picks in 2020
Kindly note that all the products recommended below are chosen based on the criteria above (plus our own personal preferences). They are, however, by no means ranked in this order.
1. SanDisk 256GB Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C
Hate dongles and adapters but using the newest MacBook Pro with only Type-C ports available? This flash drive from SanDisk has you covered. The progressive design is made for the future and using USB-C, so you can copy, read, and store files even faster than USB-A 3.0 without ever needed a middleman for your laptop.
Pros:
- Available from a range of 16GB all the way up to 256 GB, this USB-C drive is ready to work with your modern Mac.
- The Type-C connection is cutting edge and allows faster file transfer than legacy models.
Cons:
- Not all old Macs have USB-C ports, so you may be able to use the drive with your main MacBook but not with the computers of peers or your own other models.
2. PNY Turbo 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive
Need space in epic proportions? PNY offers a 256GB flash drive that will have you covered for quite a while. With a sleek sliding design and transfer speeds 10 times faster than with USB 2.0, you'll be able to utilize that space quickly and efficiently. PNY has a great electronics reputation isn't expected to fail anytime soon.
Pros:
- Sliding cover is attached and cannot be lost, securely covering the electronics from the elements.
- Reading and writing speeds are much faster than on a USB 2.0 model, and the drive has enough space to store thousands of songs or most any other file type.
Cons:
- Does not include an activity indicator light.
3. Samsung BAR Plus 200MB/s USB 3.1 Flash Drive Titan Gray
For an all-around winner, the Samsung BAR Plus drive hits all the important points. It's extremely damage resistant, easily attaches to a keychain so you can keep track of it, and the slim design leaves plenty of space for peripherals in other ports of your MacBook. The 64 GB size is more than sufficient for a casual user.
Pros:
- Slim design is durable — waterproof, shock-proof, and magnet proof- your data will be safe no matter what.
- The built-in key ring makes it hard to lose, and the 64 GB of space gives you plenty of options when it comes to what data you want to store- from movies to Word documents.
Cons:
- None, this drive does everything right (unless you only have type-C ports, but in that case, any USB-A device is going to be a struggle to use).
Useful Tips
A USB flash drive is more than a place to store files. There are tons of fun things you can do with it, as demonstrated in this article from Gizmodo that shows you 10 cool ways to use a flash drive such as speeding up your computer, applying for a job or making new connections, etc. Nevertheless, Apple also curated a list of commonly asked questions about connecting USB devices to a Mac.
If you're out of luck when it comes to USB-A ports, Apple has you covered with their USB-C to USB-A dongle (see on Amazon). This means you'll be able to use any standard flash drives you have because the new USB-C port on your computer will be converted to the legacy version for a perfect fit.
Final Words
You can't go wrong with a flash drive. From backing up your important files to storing extra video games, they're extremely versatile and reliable. Flash drives can be used for years, and you're never really done with one unless it becomes corrupted or lost.
Best Usb Drive For Macbook Air
What do you use your flash drives for the most? Leave a comment and let us know!
Nowadays, when you buy a USB drive, you can use it right out of the box with your Mac. Xbox one pc software. However, unless it's been designed for use with a Mac, it won't be formatted using macOS' preferred file system (either Mac OS Extended or APFS, depending on which version of macOS you're running).
That's because most of the computers in the world run Windows, and Windows uses a different file system, usually one known as Fat32. Drives formatted as Fat32 can be read from and written to by macOS, but it's not optimal and you're more likely to run into problems than if you use macOS' native format. So, if you've bought a USB drive that's formatted as Fat32, or any other format other than Mac OS Extended (also known as HFS+) or APFS, here's how to format a USB drive on Mac. It's exactly the same procedure if you need to reformat a flash drive on a Mac.
How to format a USB drive on a Mac
1. Plug the drive into a USB socket (if you have a recent MacBook or MacBook Pro that only has USB-C connectors, you'll need a USB-C to USB-A adaptor).
2. Open a new Finder window and click on the drive. Make sure it has no files on it that you need. The process of reformatting it will wipe all the data from it.
3. Once you've copied any files you need from the USB drive to your Mac, go to Applications>Utilities and double-click on Disk Utility.
4. Voice changer software for phone calls. Click on the USB drive in the sidebar and then choose Erase from the toolbar at the top of the window.
5. In the window that drops down type a name for the formatted drive in the box next to Name.
6. Choose a format from the dropdown menu.
7. If you have previously stored sensitive data on the drive, click the Security tab.
8. Choose a security level using the slider. The further to the right you move the slider, the more ‘passes' the erase tool will make and the more securely files will be deleted. However, it also increases the time it takes to format the drive quite considerably.
9. Click Ok then click Erase.
Tip: You don't need to erase a whole drive to delete files securely. If you have confidential files or sensitive data you need to remove from your Mac completely, you should use CleanMyMac's File Shredder. It's specifically designed to securely delete sensitive data and will render it unrecoverable. You can download CleanMyMac X for free here.
Which format to choose?
If your Mac is running macOS High Sierra or later, you have two options for file formats: APFS and Mac OS Extended. Which should you choose? The key point is that disks formatted as APFS won't be recognized by Macs running versions of macOS older than High Sierra. So if you think you might need to plug the USB drive into a Mac running an older version of macOS, format it as Mac OS Extended.
APFS is optimized for SSD (solid state drive) such as flash drives, so if you reformat a flash drive on a Mac, you should definitely choose APFS (unless you plan to use it with a pre-High Sierra Mac, of course). Even on hard drives, however, APFS is faster and more reliable than Mac OS Extended.
Finally, if you plan to use the USB drive as a destination for Time Machine backups, choose Mac OS Extended. Time Machine can't currently back up to an APFS disk and if you select one for use with Time Machine, it will offer to reformat it as Mac OS Extended. You can, however, backup an APFS formatted disk to a Mac OS Extended Time Machine drive.
How to format a USB drive to FAT32 on a Mac
The main reason for formatting a USB drive as Fat32 on a Mac is that you want to be able to use the drive on a Windows PC, as well as a Mac — perhaps to transfer files between the two machines. You may also be preparing the drive for use as, say, a storage device for a media player or to record TV programmes on a TV with a USB port.
The fact that Fat32 can be read from and written to on both Mac and Windows makes it very versatile. However, there is a significant limitation — individual files have a maximum size of 4GB. So, if you're using the USB drive to store large video files, you may run into trouble. There is a solution, however, exFAT. Unlike FAT32, exFAT doesn't have a maximum file limit. Better still, it can be read from and written to on any Mac running Mac OS X Snow Leopard or later and on Windows.
To format a USB drive in FAT32 or exFAT:
1. Plug the USB drive into your Mac.
Flash Drive For Macbook
2. Go to Applications>Utilities and launch Disk Utility.
3. Click on the USB drive in the sidebar in Disk Utility.
4. Click Erase in the Disk Utility toolbar.
5. Type in a name for the formatted disk.
6. Click on the Format menu and choose either MS-DOS (FAT32) or ExFAT.
7. Click Erase.
Your USB drive will now be erased and re-formatted as either FAT32 or ExFAT, depending on the format you chose in step 6.
Usb Drive For Macbook Air
How to manage your drives easily
External Drive For Macbook Air
If you look for a quick and easy way to manage your drives, try using CleanMyDrive 2. With its help, you can drag-and-drop files directly to any drive, clean hidden junk from external drives, and check disk stats. It works for all drives, including USB drives, SSD, SD cards, external hard drives. All the drives will be at hand in the menu bar, so you can get to see types of drives you have and manage them easily. CleanMyDrive is absolutely free to use, so download it on the Mac App Store and enjoy!
It's very easy to format a USB drive on a Mac using Disk Utility. There are a couple of things you should keep in mind, however. The first is that when you format and disk, you will erase all the data currently on it. So if you need that data, make sure you copy it onto another disk before you start. Secondly, there are several formats to choose from, each with advantages and disadvantage. Use the guide above to help you decide which is right for you.
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