How to Increase Storage Space on a Mac

An external hard drive can dramatically increase storage space.

Although Mac computers typically come with hundreds of gigabytes of storage space and memory, even this much storage is not enough for some. This is particularly true for those who work on their Macs to create movies. Because uncompressed video files can take up a lot of space, Mac users sometimes find themselves in need of extra storage space. For these people, Macs allow users to connect external hard drives to dramatically increase storage space.

Things You'll Need

• External hard drive
• USB cable

Instructions

1. Connect the external hard drive to a USB port on the Mac.

2. Press "Shift + Command + U" on the keyboard. The "Utilities" window will open.

3. Double-click the "Disk Utility" icon in this window. A list of hard drives will appear on the left side of the screen.

4. Click on the name and icon associated with your external hard drive. A new window will open.

5. Click the "Erase" tab.

6. Click the drop-down menu next to "Volume Format." Choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" from this list.

7. Click the "Erase" button at the bottom of the screen. The external hard drive is now formatted. You have increased the storage space on your Mac.

References

• David Tse: Connect External Hard Drive to a Mac

Resources

• Mac Tips & Tricks: Tips