The Seagate Backup Plus Slim and the Seagate Backup Plus Portable were sold with a HFS+ option. HFS+ is the file system a Mac uses. The Seagate Backup Plus Slim now come in an ExFAT format. You’d reformat if you wanted to use the drive for a Time Machine backup. This driver provides write access for Seagate external drives in Mac OS without having to reformat. Installing Seagate Diagnostics on MacOS 10.7 (Lion) causes the Mac to freeze Diagnostic tests for Seagate and Maxtor-brand external drives Troubleshooting GPT Protective Partition Issues. Original software for MacOS that was loaded on the GoFlex for Mac, GoFlex Desk for Mac, or GoFlex Pro for Mac drive, including the driver for the capacity lights (for GoFlex Desk for Mac only) and Seagate Diagnostics. Oct 25, 2018 In fact, you are able to use NTFS formatted Seagate drive with Mac or HFS+ with Windows if you install certain third party software. But here I’d like to discuss what kind of file system you should format Seagate to for Mac and PC.
BestExternal Hard Drives for MaciMore2019
When it comes to storing data, personal information, and essential documents, you can never be too safe. External hard drives are not only useful for storing data but are an excellent way to transport files from one location to another. When you take into account price, ease of use, and portability, the Seagate Backup Plus Slim is the most reliable hard drive you can carry around with you at all times.
Best Overall: Seagate Backup Plus Slim (2 TB)
If you want a reliable external hard drive that has a decent amount of storage, is super easy to carry around and has a very affordable price tag, the Seagate Backup Plus Slim is the best option for most people. Formatted for Windows and Mac right out of the box, it's easy to carry all your essential documents from desktop to laptop without missing a beat.
The Seagate Dashboard back up system is a fantastic simple tool that can let you schedule backups to ensure you never miss any critical files you need in case something terrible happens to your computer. You can set automatic backups daily, weekly, or monthly, and change the frequency whenever you want.
Seagate also throws in a one-year complimentary subscription to Mylio Create. This can help you wrangle your photo library if you don't already use some photo managing tool, and a two-month membership to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Great backup software
- USB 3.0
- Metal enclosure
Best Overall
Seagate Backup Plus Slim (2 TB)
Reliable, portable, and affordable.
Don't worry about lengthy setups or formatting procedures. Plug in the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB which is formatted for Mac right out of the packaging.
Best USB-C hard drive: Samsung T5 Portable SSD (1 TB)
This small compact SSD drive from Samsung comes with both a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A, meaning it's perfect to use with your MacBook or Mac.
Its fast 540 MB/s read and write speeds are more than enough to transfer any file. And should be able to store all your photo and video files with ease thanks to its straightforward software. Plus, if you're worried about encryption, the Samsung T5 Portable SSD has you covered with an optional password to launch the drive, and AES 256-bit hardware encryption on all your files.
Pros:
- USB-C
- SSD
- Super compact
- AES 256-bit hardware encryption
Best USB-C
Samsung T5 Portable SSD (1 TB)
Fast and encrypted
With 540 MB/s read and write speeds the Samsung T5 Portable SSD is fast enough for photographers and videographers to transport all their work.
Compatible with Time Machine right out of the box, the 8 TB storage capacity on the Western Digital My Book is perfect for people looking for a lot of stage at a reasonable price. It's USB 3.0 meaning it's easy to take advantage of its storage speed with fast transfer speeds.
While portability is not the Western Digital My Book's strong suit and it needs a separate power source, it does offer 256-AES encryption when you download its easy-to-use security software. It ensures all your important files and documents stay private.
If you're looking for a drive that has lots of space, os you don't have to have multiple as your storage needs grow, look no further.
Pros:
- Lots of storage
- 256-AES encryption
- Time Machine compatible
Best Capacity
Seagate For Mac Instructions
Western Digital My Book (8TB)
Lots of storage for those who need it
Western Digital offers 256-AES encryption when you download its security software, meaning you can rest easy knowing your private information and personal data is safe.
Best Thunderbolt 3 Drive: LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt
LaCie hard drives have always been good for people on the go because of the rugged design. The LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt can withstand some dust, dirt, and even a tiny bit of water being splashed on it.
It's 7200 RPM Hard drive keeps things running smoothly. And the included USB-C cable — which supports Thunderbolt 3 — makes it perfect for MacBook and Mac users alike!
Cons:
- Only 130MB/s
Best Thunderbolt 3 Drive
LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt
Rugged design with Thunderbolt 3
The LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt 3 is a favorite because it can withstand drops, dust, and even the occasional splash of water, making it easy to carry around!
Best for Legacy Hardware : G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 (4TB)
While Apple has been going the way of USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 for a while now, some of us still use older hardware and thus don't need hard drives that have USB-C connections. If you're still rocking USB-A or even a Thunderbolt 2 connection from your Mac, the G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 (4TB) is a perfect companion.
Its all-metal design is not only more durable than plastic hard drives, but it also looks stylish! Plus, it's 7200 RPM speed allows the G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 to achieve 195 MB/s read and write speeds. This makes it fast enough to transfer large video files quickly and efficiently.
Cons:
- Needs to be reformatted for Windows
Best for legacy hardware
G-Technology G-DRIVE USB 3.0 (4TB)
Stylish and fast even on older computers
With 7200 RPM, this hard drive works hard and fast to get your files transferred quickly. Plus, it uses USB 3.0, and it even has a Thunderbolt 2 port.
The CalDigit Tuff does the best it can to live up to its name, giving you a hard drive that isn't as delicate as most. Its official IP rating is IP57, meaning it can be submerged in 3-feet of water for 30 mins and come out the other side functional. That's not all; this Thunderbolt 3 compatible drive can also withstand falling from about 4-feet high. We still don't suggest that you purposely abuse the CalDigit Tuff. Still, it's always good to have peace of mind when you're carrying your hard drive around.
Cons:
- Only come in 2TB
Best rugged drive
CalDigit Tuff
Can withstand drops and water
Official rated IP57, the CalDigit Tuff can survive an accidental dip into the water and has a great price tag.
If you're used to dealing with giant file sizes and need a hard drive that can handle transfer data fast, the Samsung X5 is one of the fastest SSD's you'll find. Its read and write speeds are 2,800MB/s and 2,300MB/s respectively, and the entire body is made of metal, making it much harder than plastic drives. Plus, The internal frame on the inside is shock resistant for drops from 2 meters.
This SSD comes with Thunderbolt 3 technology included. This you can take advantage of the fast speeds on your Mac or MacBook Pro, and it doesn't need any formatting, so it's plug and play!
![Seagate tools for mac Seagate tools for mac](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126306186/966367731.jpg)
Pros:
- 2,800MB/s read speed
- Shock resistant
- Thunderbolt 3
Best fast drive
Samsung X5
Incredibly fast SSD
If you need blazing fast speeds for giant files, the Samsung X5 is a monster external SSD that can handle any workload.
Bottom line
The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is the most reliable hard drive you can carry around with you at all times. It is formatted for both Mac and Windows right out of the box, and its easy-to-use software can automatically do backups for you as often or as little as you want.
Seagate also throws in a one-year complimentary subscription to Mylio Create. This program can help you wrangle your photo library if you don't already use some photo managing tool. A two-month membership to Adobe's Creative Cloud Photography Plan means it's perfect for budding photographers as well.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Luke Filipowicz is an iMore staff writer who has been carrying around his Seagate Backup Plus Slim since his college days.
Lory Gil is the Managing Editor of iMore and an avid believer in having as many backups of your important files and documents as possible.
Rene Ritchie is the foremost authority on all things Apple and has insider knowledge about the goings-on at the biggest tech company in the world. When it comes to accessories for Mac, Rene has used them all.
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In Apple support communities a number of Mac OS X users have reported that their Mac machine won’t show up Seagate Backup Plus drive. There are various reasons for this. This article gives you a brief idea about the reasons behind this problem along with the solutions.
Seagate backup plus not appearing on Mac…...
![Seagate Seagate](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126306186/775396435.png)
Why Seagate Backup Plus for Mac Not Recognized?
Below are the causes for Mac not recognizing Seagate backup plus.
- Problem with USB ports
- Recent OS update issue
- System failure
- Virus infection
- Motherboard issue
- External drive damage or corruption etc.
So it is suggested to check whether the power cables are connected properly or not. If so then uninterrupted power supply may not transmit power. Try by connecting the Seagate drive to all ports of Mac machine if not working then connect it to some other system and check whether it works.
If it is working well then recover your important files, documents, audios, videos, photos from Mac external hard drive. And, try the troubleshooting techniques explained in the Part 2 section of this page.
In case, your Seagate Backup Plus drive is not detected in other systems then immediately recover data from Seagate Backup Plus drive that is not detected on Mac using Remo Recover; because chances are there that you may lose data while fixing undetected Seagate backup plus drive. So, it is suggested to backup your data from Seagate backup plus drive before you start resolving the issue.
And, is this regard Remo Recover can help you. It will easily recover even your pictures from an external hard drive on Mac machines that is not showing up. This software can recover data from all Mac OS X including High Sierra, macOS Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, etc.
Part 1: Recover Data from Seagate Backup Plus Drive That Is Not Detected on Mac with Remo Recover Mac
Get the free download of Remo Recover (Mac) software on your Macintosh and install it. Next, follow the below step-by-step instructions to recover data from Seagate backup plus drive that is not recognized on Mac OS X.
Mac OS X 10.5 - Leopard
Mac OS X 10.6 - Snow Leopard
Mac OS X 10.6 - Snow Leopard
Steps to recover data from unrecognized Seagate backup plus drive on Mac with Remo Recover:
1. Connect your Seagate backup plus drive to the software installed Mac, launch Remo Recover (Mac) tool and click the Recover Volumes/Drives button on the main screen.
2.Next, click on the Volumes Recovery button to recover data from Seagate backup plus drive volumes.
3. Select the connected Seagate backup plus drive, followed by all its volumes and click “Next”.
4. If you wish you can specify file types to recover from the Seagate plus drive. Else, hit the Skip button to select all file formats by default.
5. The data recovery software deep scans the selected Seagate backup plus drive and lists all recovered files.
6. Preview recovered data and Save your required files on the Mac machine’s internal hard drive (HDD).
Note: Don’t save recovered files onto the same Seagate backup plus drive from where it is retrieved.
Now, you have your data safely recovered from the Seagate backup plus drive. So, you can start fixing Seagate backup plus drive that is not detected on Mac.
Part 2: Fix Seagate Backup Plus Drive that is Not Detected On Mac
Step 1:
Seagate For Mac Download
- OpenDisk Utility and check if the external hard drive is faded or grayed out and uncountable?
- If so then connect another external drive or pen drive. This drive also grayed out and not recognized then do a proper eject from Finder Windows list
- Then restart the computer and connect the external drive again
Step 2:
- On Mac, go to Disk Utility and choose the external drive from the left sidebar. Then click on verify disc. This will help you to find and correct the minor errors
Step 3:
- Go to Mac’s Finder Menu and select Go to Finder
- Then type Seagate drive path which appears under Disk Utility and checks whether it will display your drive.
Step 4:
- Start Mac
- Go to Settings
- Select Finder Preferences
- Then under the General tab select the external hard drive in Show these items on the desktop
- Now reinsert the drive and check
Step 5:
- Open Mac
- Go to Applications then toUtilities
- Click on Disk Utilities
- From that change the format of Seagate external drive that is compatible with your Mac OS
Step 6:
If any of the above methods didn’t help you to solve the problem, then install the fresh OS X and try. Or else connect Seagate drive to any Windows computer, delete the partition and connect back to Mac Pro.
I hope your issue is resolved by using the above techniques. In case, if you have tried any other technique and successfully fixed the Seagate backup plus drive that is not recognized on Mac then you can Leave a Reply and share your solution here.