How Do I Download Files From My Computer To An External Storage

  1. 1

    Decide the connection type for the hard bulldoze and your reckoner. Virtually all external hard drives apply a USB cable to connect to your computer, simply you may find that your estimator doesn't have a traditional rectangular USB port.

    • Mac computers and some Microsoft computers utilise oval USB-C ports instead of traditional USB 3.0 ports.
    • Likewise, it's proficient to know if your external hard drive uses a USB-C cable when your estimator only has USB 3.0 ports.

  2. two

    Purchase an adapter if necessary. If your computer has a USB-C port instead of a USB 3.0 port, y'all'll need to purchase a USB-C to USB 3.0 adapter for your estimator. Y'all tin can find these online or in some tech stores (e.1000., Best Buy).

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  3. three

    Plug one end of the external hard drive's cable into your figurer. This will commonly be the USB finish of the cable. The USB connector should only fit 1 way, and so don't force information technology if it doesn't fit; instead, rotate information technology 180 degrees and try connecting it again.

    • If y'all're using an adapter, first connect the end of the adapter that fits in your computer to your computer, then plug the finish of the external difficult drive'due south cable into the free cease of the adapter.

  4. 4

    Attach the other terminate of the cablevision to the external hard bulldoze. Depending on the external difficult bulldoze, the cable may already be attached; if not, attach the free end of the cable to the port into which it fits on the external hard drive.

  5. 5

    Format your hard drive if necessary. Depending on both the external difficult drive and your computer's operating organization, you may not be able to utilize your drive until you change its format to work with your computer.

    • Both Windows and Mac users can select exFAT equally the file organisation when formatting the drive. This is platonic if you desire to use your hard drive with both Windows and Mac computers.
    • Formatting an external difficult drive will erase everything on it.

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  1. 1

    Open File Explorer . Click the File Explorer app icon, which resembles a yellow and blueish folder, in your computer's task bar at the bottom of the screen.

    • If you don't run into the File Explorer app icon here, you can open up File Explorer by pressing ⊞ Win+Due east .
    • You lot tin can also correct-click the Beginning icon and then click File Explorer virtually the lesser of the pop-upwardly menu.

  2. two

    Go to the folder where your files are. Using the left-paw console of options, go to the folder where you have the files you want to copy to the external hard drive.

    • For example, if your files are in the Documents folder, y'all would click Documents on the left to open up the Documents folder.

  3. 3

    Highlight the files you desire to re-create. To do so, click and drag your mouse cursor across the contents of the folder.

    • You lot can also hold down Ctrl and click each file y'all want to copy to select them individually.
    • To highlight everything in a given folder, printing Ctrl+A .

  4. 4

    Re-create the files. Press Ctrl+C to exercise so.

  5. 5

    Click This PC . It's on the left side of the File Explorer window.

  6. 6

    Double-click your external hard drive'due south proper name. Y'all'll encounter it below the "Devices and drives" heading in the middle of the page.

    • If you don't run across anything below the "Devices and drives" heading, click once the heading to expand information technology.
    • If you can't find your external hard drive here, try using a different USB slot for your hard drive.

  7. 7

    Paste in your files. Click a blank space in the external difficult drive's window, then printing Ctrl+V to paste in the copied files.

  8. 8

    Expect for your files to end copying onto the drive. Depending on your files' sizes, this process time will vary.

  9. 9

    Remove your difficult drive . Once your files are done copying to the hard drive, safely removing your hard drive will ensure that no files are lost or corrupted:

    • Click in the lower-right side of the screen.
    • Right-click the flash drive icon in the pop-upwards carte.
    • Click the Squirt option.
    • Disconnect your external hard drive.

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  1. 1

    Open Finder. Click the Finder app icon, which resembles a blue face, in your Mac'south Dock.

  2. 2

    Highlight the files y'all desire to copy. Open a folder when y'all keep your files, then click and elevate your mouse cursor across the contents of the folder.

    • You can besides agree down ⌘ Command and click each file you want to re-create to select them individually.
    • If you tin't find your files, click All My Files on the left side of the Finder window to browse all of your Mac's folders.

  3. three

    Click the Edit card item. It's in the upper-left corner of your Mac'due south screen.

  4. 4

    Click Copy . This option is in the Edit drib-down carte du jour.

    Expert TIP

    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasance Signal Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering key California for over two years.

    Luigi Oppido

    Luigi Oppido
    Estimator & Tech Specialist

    You can also drag and drib files into the external difficult drive. If you plug in an external difficult bulldoze, information technology usually opens in Finder. Highlight your files, click and concur them, so drag and drop them into the new drive y'all plugged in. If it doesn't work, the drive might need to be formatted for Macs through OS Journal.

  5. v

    Click your external difficult drive'south name. Yous'll find it below the "Devices" heading on the left side of the Finder window. Doing so opens your hard drive's window in the Finder.

    • If yous can't observe your external difficult drive here, try using a different USB slot for your hard bulldoze.

  6. half-dozen

    Click the Edit menu item again. The drib-down menu will reappear.

  7. 7

    Click Paste Items . This will begin copying your selected files onto your external drive.

  8. eight

    Look for your files to end copying. Depending on your files' sizes, this process fourth dimension volition vary.

  9. 9

    Click the "Eject" push. It's an upward-facing arrow to the right of your difficult bulldoze's name in Finder. Doing so ensures that you lot tin can remove your hard bulldoze without risking file loss or abuse.

    • Once yous see the external difficult drive's proper noun disappear from the Finder side pane, you can physically disconnect it from your Mac.

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Add New Question

  • Question

    What should I do to become more space for Windows ten?

    Community Answer

    Remove temporary files or files y'all really don´t need. A simple plan for this is CCleaner, which will remove unnecessary files for you chop-chop and efficiently.

  • Question

    What happens to my files, data, etc. when I disconnect/unplug my hard drive?

    Community Answer

    Whatever files or data you moved to your difficult drive just stays there after unplugging. The indicate of an external difficult drive is to keep your files somewhere safe outside of your PC. As before long equally you plug the bulldoze back in, you can access those files once again.

  • Question

    Do viruses transfer to external difficult drives?

    Community Answer

    In short, yes. Viruses are programs, and if yous backup a plan, then y'all volition fill-in whatever associated viruses. If you copy an infected file of your own, such as a family unit picture, the aforementioned affair will happen. However, your picture alone cannot requite you lot that virus on your new OS. It requires the virus program to run in the background to send data to the attacker.

  • Question

    Will programs added to an external difficult drive work again if sent to another PC?

    Community Answer

    Commonly not, because when you install a program information technology also installs needed files on the C: drive.

  • Question

    After a mean solar day's work, exercise I have to manually transfer the data or will the external hard drive do it?

    Community Answer

    You could utilize a tertiary party fill-in tool to have it practise it, otherwise you'll have to manually transfer it. On the plus side, the manual method ensures that it actually gets washed.

  • Question

    I have a huge file of photos. How do I back information technology upward?

    Community Answer

    You can select the folder of photos, or just individual photos, and copy them to your external drive. You can besides move multiple images at once by selecting them with the "Shift" key held downwardly.

  • Question

    My external hard drive has a lot of complimentary space but my computer will not let me add together whatsoever files to it. What can I practice?

    Community Answer

    Change the Format to NTFS (you can use with Windows system merely) or exFAT (you tin can use with Windows and Mac) or APFS for Mac merely.

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  • If y'all don't have an external drive, you can e'er use Google Bulldoze or a different cloud service (e.yard., iCloud or Dropbox) to fill-in your files.

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  • Declining to safely squirt your hard bulldoze may result in loss or corruption of files.

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Nearly This Article

Article Summary X

1. Connect the drive to the computer.
ii. Format the drive if necessary.
3. Open File Explorer.
4. Go to the binder with the files you want to copy.
5. Select the files and printing Ctrl + C.
6. Click This PC.
7. Open the external drive.
8. Right-click a bare area and press Ctrl + V.

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