macOS is the operating system for the Mac and that’s what makes using it such a great experience. In normal use, The macOS operating system is hosted on each Mac’s internal hard drive. Therefore, using it is as simple as lifting the MacBook lid and starting to work on it.
If, on the other hand, you have a Mac with a full hard drive, or even if you are still between two destinations like an office or workcarrying macOS to an external hard drive might be a great idea.
What do you need to use an external hard drive as your Mac’s primary drive?
To start using an external hard drive as the primary hard drive on your Mac, you will basically need two things: The first would be a hard drive to install macOS. The second, download the operating system to your current Mac. In this article we will detail how to do it step by step. It’s very easy!
Regarding the external hard drive, The ideal is that you use an SSD drive so that you have a good experience and reasonable loading times. If you need to buy a new one, Here we leave you one of the best alternatives in value for money.
SanDisk 1TB Portable SSD – Read Speed up to 800MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 2
*Some prices may have changed since the last review
First, format the external hard drive that you will use as the primary drive on your Mac
Once you have the hard drive that you are going to use as your primary drive on Mac, it’s time to format it. It will take you very little time and is an essential step to install macOS on an external hard drive.
- Connect external hard drive to Mac
- Open the app Disk Utility
- Select hard drive and click Delete
- Choose APFS as file format
The external hard drive it will have been completely erased and formatted. Now it’s time to install macOS on it so you can run it externally.
Install macOS on an external hard drive
To begin the process of installing macOS on an external hard drive, start by macOS will need to be downloaded again on your Mac. Don’t worry, we will only download it, your information will be safe.
To download macOS, go to the app store and search the name of the current operating system. Right now, it’s all about macOS Sonoma. After downloading, the macOS installer will open.
It’s in this installer where you will advance the steps until you reach one in which you will choose to install macOS on an external hard drive. Click Show All Disks and choose the external hard drive connected to your Mac.
The process of Installation will take approximately twenty minutesalthough this depends on the writing speed of the external hard drive you are installing macOS on.
Starting and using your Mac from an external hard drive
Once the installation is completethe Mac will restart and run the system from the external hard drive. Now it’s time to set up your Mac with your Apple ID, password, Touch ID, etc. From there you can use your Mac normallythe difference is that it is run from an external hard drive
If you want choose which hard drive to boot your Mac fromwhether internal or external, when switching on, press these buttons:
- If it’s a Mac with Chip Mturn on your Mac and hold for a few moments 10 seconds on ignition button (Touch ID).
- If it’s a Mac with Intel processorWhen you turn on the Mac, hold down for a few moments 10 second option key.
This is where you can choose which hard drive to boot your Mac from. If you also want to choose which one it will turn on by default, go to. System Settings > General > Startup Disk.
Use an external hard drive as the primary drive on your Mac This can be a practical solution for those of us who need more storage space. or we want greater portability. And with these steps you will be able to enjoy all the benefits of macOS from an external device.
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