Seagate Backup Plus Slim for Mac Portable Drive - Quick Start Guide, Installation, Troubleshooting Tips & Downloads. Seagate Backup Plus Slim for Mac Portable Drive - Quick Start Guide, Installation, Troubleshooting Tips & Downloads. User Manual Capacity Interface Depth Length Width Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive for Mac USB 3.0 500GB.
So you’reasking yourself the question ‘How do I use Seagate Backup Plus on Mac?’
You’ll be reassured that the answer is: using your Seagate Backup Plus on your Mac is easy.
And knowingwhere to start is the key.
By the endof this article you’ll find out how to use SeagateBackup Plus on Mac.
And what iseven better is that you’ll need a mere 15 minutes to get started.
Ways youcan use your Seagate Backup Plus on a Mac
- As a place for your Mac to take a backup to.
- To free up space on your Mac’s internal drive by keeping your files there.
- To copy files on your Seagate Backup Plus so that you can take them with you.
Before YouBegin. What Seagate Backup Plus Do you Have?
When youwant to know the best way of using your Seagate Backup Plus on Mac, it pays toknow which Backup Plus you have.
There arefour main products in the Seagate Backup Plus range of external hard drives. Andthe way they are set up when you buy means they either plug straight in andwork on your Mac. Or there is a little work to do first.
This table belowshows you the file systems installed on new Seagate Backup Plus drives.
| Backup Plus | File System Format |
| Ultra Touch | NTFS |
| Slim | NTFS or HFS+ |
| Portable | NTFS or HFS+ |
The Seagate Backup Plus’ are available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 5TB capacity options. The capacities available depend on which you buy.
You’ll find an article on the site all about the Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB if you would like to check out its features.
What is a FileSystem On the Backup Plus
And whyknowing the file system you have is important to using your Backup Plus?
Let meexplain.
A filesystem is how your Mac understands what’s on the Seagate Backup Plus. And howit stores your documents, photos and videos.
It is thesoftware layout of the external hard drive that allows the Mac to see andunderstand. And read from and write to the drive.
In the table above you’ll see that the Backup Plus’ drives come with either NTFS or HFS+ file systems. The Backup Plus Ultra Touch has a NTFS only file system.
SeagateBackup Plus for Mac?Which File System
What is thedifference between HFS+ and NTFS on the Seagate Backup Plus?
HFS+, whichis also known as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) file system, is the file systemMacs use.
Your Macwill know all about your Seagate Backup Plus straight away.
And you candrag and drop your files onto your drive.
Or use theHSF+ Seagate Backup Plus to backup to with Time Machine.
The SeagateBackup Plus Slim and the Seagate Backup Plus Portable arrive at your door withHSF+ already on them. They are the easiest to use on your Mac.But don’t worry too much if you have a one ofthe other types. You can change them. Please read on …
The Other Type of File System on the Seagate Backup Plus is NTFS.
NTFS is a file system made for a Windows PC.
When you useyour Seagate Backup Plus with a NTFS file system on your Mac your Mac can see it.
Your Maccan read the documents, photos etc on there.
But yourMac cannot put new files onto the drive. Or change files that are already onthere.
Not withoutyou changing the NTFS format on there first.
Or you usespecial software. Software like the Paragon software. It translates your BackupPlus’ drive so that your Mac can understand it.
Want to find out about using the Paragon software with your NTFS Seagate Backup Plus? Take a look here.
The other option is to change the format of the Seagate Backup Plus drive. You can change it to HSF+ so your Mac can read it direct. It’s easy to do, takes a few minutes and you can find out how here.
Change the NTFS format or download and use the Paragon driver and head back here afterwards.
How do youFind Out If you have a HSF+ or NTFS Seagate Backup Plus?
It’simportant for you to know which file system you have preinstalled.
Check thebox your Backup Plus came in to find out.
Seagate Backup Plus Manual Mac Pro
As this tellsyou how quickly you can use the Seagate Backup Plus on your Mac.
Plugging inthe Seagate Backup Plus on Your Mac
To use yourSeagate Backup Plus on your Mac the next thing you’ll want to do is plug on in.
All the Seagate Backup Plus’ external drives use USB 3.0 connections. And come with a USB cable to plug into your Mac.
So what?
Let me tellyou a bit about USB cables.
There aredifferent types of USB cables.
And the cablecomes with different plugs at the end of the cable. And support different USB speedstandards.
The cablefor the Seagate Backup Plus drive is a USB 3.0 cable. You’ll find a type Aconnection on the end that goes into your Mac.
And a typeB Micro USB on the end that goes into the Backup Plus drive.
SeagateBackup Plus Connection to your Mac
Switch onyour Mac and log in.
Plug the endof the Backup Plus’s USB cable for the drive into your Seagate backup Plus.
Do thisbefore you plug the cable into your Mac.
Here is theend for your Seagate Backup Plus drive.
And here isthe port on the drive itself.
YourSeagate Backup Plus gets its power from the USB cable.
And yourBackup Plus should power up as soon as you plug it in.
Problemwith the Seagate Backup Plus Cable on your Mac?
Older Macshave USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. You use type A USB cables to plug into yourMac. This is the cable that comes with your Backup Plus.
Newer Macbooks and IMac’s 2016 and later have either a USB 3.1 (USB-C). Or Thunderbolt connections.
And you’llneed an adaptor cable before you can connect the Seagate Backup Plus’ drives.
My favoriteadaptor cables are;
1. USB C to Micro B Cable, QCEs
2. Apple USB-C to USB Adapter
Should youneed more information about cables you can read more in my article here. – linkto connecting article.
Once YouConnect Your Seagate Backup Plus Drive
Now you’reMac is connected up to your Backup Plus, the drive should power up and bevisible as an icon on your desktop.
Note: Yourdrive may not say Untitled. What appears under the drive would depend on which BackupPlus drive you bought.
Read on andlearn all about how to use Seagate Backup Plus on Mac.
1. Using Seagate Backup Plus on Mac As a Place for YourBackups
If it isthe first time you plugged your drive in, your Mac may well ask you a question.It will ask if you want to use the Backup Plus as a destination for TimeMachine.
If your Macasks this and you plan to use the ‘whole drive’ for Time Machine backups thensay yes.
What if youhave bought a large drive?
But if you have bought a large drive you may have other thoughts. Thoughts about using the Backup Plus in many different ways.
You mightwant a section where you copy some of your files off your Mac to free up space.And have a separate section for Time Machine or even another section to sharefiles between your Mac and a PC
And why notif your drive is large enough?
Then sayno, and set up the Seagate Backup Plus exactly as you want it. Take a look atuse 9 of this article.
If your Mac hasn’t asked you to connect your Backup Plus to Time Machine and you want to. It’s quick to do and take a look at my article here all about it.
2. Giveyour Seagate Backup Plus a Name
You’ll findit useful to give your Seagate Backup Plus drive a name. A name that is easyfor you find on your desktop when you want to use it.
Want tochange the name?
Click onthe text under the icon and type in what you want.
And thereyou have it. You have changed your Seagate Backup Plus’ name.
3. Startingto Use your Seagate Backup Plus on Mac
To put yourdocuments on the Seagate Backup Plus the first thing to do is to open a finder Window.You do this by double clicking on the drive icon on your desktop.
If you havecreated a specific partition for your documents you do the same thing.
You doubleclick on the name of the partition on your desktop.
When youdouble click on your backup plus icon a new finder window will open.
You’ll see there are preloaded files on the drive. Click on the ‘start_here_Mac’ files and the Mac version of the Seagate Dashboard software will start up.
This Seagate software allows you to register your Seagate Backup Plus drive for warranty.
Once you’ve registered the next screen asks if you want to download the Paragon driver for Mac OS. If it is a NTFS drive and you want to install the Paragon NTFS driver go ahead.
Otherwise you can click ‘next’ to click past this option. Don’t download the software and instead reformat your Backup Plus to HSF+ to use the drive without any additional software.
If you’ve a freshly formatted your NTFS Seagate Backup Plus drive you’ll see an empty finder window like this one.
This is your window onto your Backup Plus drive.
4. Create aNew Folder on the Seagate Backup Plus
Within theSeagate Backup Plus’ finder window you can now create new folders. And use themto organize the documents, photos or music you store on your Backup Plus drive.
You createnew folders just as you would on your Mac’s internal drive.
Click inthe finder window on the Seagate Backup Plus.
Go to thetop of your desktop and select File, then New Folder.
Next giveyour untitled folder a name by typing it in.
5. How to use Seagate Backup Plus on Mac Drag and Drop
It doesn’tmatter if you have a ‘for Mac’ Backup Plus formatted as HFS+.
- Or you have already formatted your NTFS Backup Plus drive as Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
- Or you have a partition formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
- Or you have a drive or a partition on that drive formatted as ExFAT
- Or you are using the Paragon NTFS driver
You’ll findthe information here on how to transfer files from your Mac to your SeagateBackup Plus.
You’re freeto copy and paste your documents.
Or drag and drop your documents from your Seagate Backup Plus external hard drive.
To Drag andDrop to your Seagate Backup Plus
Open up anew finder window on your Mac.
In thewindow on your Mac, move to the files you want to copy across to the SeagateBackup Plus.
Or you canselect a file from your desktop.
Click andhold your arrow over the file you want to drag. Move your arrow to the finderwindow on the Seagate backup plus. And release the file there by lifting yourfinger off your Mac’s track pad.
It’s assimple as that.
To Drag andDrop Several Files to your Seagate Backup Plus
Click onthe first file in the list and hold down the shift key and click on the lastfile in the list to highlight them all.
Or
create aselection window
Click in anempty spot in the finder window. And while holding your cursor drag a windowacross all the files you want to select.
Once youselect the files you want.
Click andhold. Move your arrow to the finder window on your Seagate Backup Plus drive.
Release thefiles there by lifting your finger from your Mac’s tracker pad.
Copy andPaste a File From Your Mac to the Seagate Backup Plus
Open a finderwindow on your Mac and find the file you want to copy and paste across to yourBackup Plus drive.
Go to thetop of the finder window on your Mac and click edit. Then select copy.
Then go tothe finder window on the Seagate Backup Plus.
Click onthat finder window.
Go to thetop of your desktop. When you select Edit then Paste you’ll be pasting yourfile onto the Seagate Backup Plus.
Your file iscopied across.
And it isas easy as that.
Copy andPasting Many Files From Your Mac to the Seagate Backup Plus
In a Finderwindow find the files or folders containing files you want to copy across onyour Mac.
Click onthe first file or folder.
Hold theshift key down and then click on the last file or folder in the list.
Thishighlights all the files or folders on your Mac.
Right clickon the highlighted files and select copy from the menu.
Then headover to the finder window on the Seagate Backup Plus.
You rightclick in the finder window on your Seagate Backup Plus. And select paste fromthe menu.
If you arecopying and pasting. Or dragging and dropping a lot of files from your Mac toyour Seagate Backup Plus it could take a while.
But don’t worry your Mac will show you the progress as the files copy across.
YouTube Video Clip On Copying and Pasting to your Seagate Backup Plus
Would you prefer to see how it’s done. I’ve set this YouTube video to start where you’re shown how to copy and paste your files. Enjoy!
Seagate – Backup Plus Slim – Guide for Mac
Video Credit: Tech and Design
6. Usingthe Seagate Backup Plus to Free Up Space on your Mac
You cancopy and paste files, drag and drop files from you Mac to your Backup Plus andfree up space.
Fantastic.
But beaware. If the files on the Seagate Backup Plus are the only copies of the filesyou have. And you lose your Backup Plus drive then you will loose those files.
Have a copyof them somewhere else. Either on a Time Machine backup.
Or learn how to backup an external drive. Just like your Seagate Backup Plus to another external drive on your Mac in an article here.
Or copy andpaste them to another Backup Plus.
You can head over to Amazon to get a second Seagate Backup Plus at this link.
You’ll begrateful I suggested it. Particularly if the worst happened to your BackupPlus.
7. How toUse Seagate Backup Plus NTFS on a Mac
When youbuy any of the Backup Plus drives delivered as NTFS formatted,
Mac OS willsee the drive connected. But you will not be able copy any of your documents,videos or photos onto Backup Plus drive. Or any of your files.
Or use theBackup Plus as a place for your Time Machine backups.
Not withouta little effort. And it is only a little effort.
There are afew ways to go about using an NTFS Backup Plus drive.
And it isworth having a think about how you plan to use the Seagate Backup Plus externaldrives on a Mac.
You can:
- Use the Paragon driver from Seagate to read and write to your Seagate Backup Plus drive. Hop over to my article here to find out more about it.
- Change your drive to HFS+ so that you can use it direct on your Mac
- Create different sections on your larger drive dedicated to different things. Have one section for putting some files on. Another section to share with a Windows PC. Or have a section for your backups. It’s up to you how you split up the drive.
- Change your Backup Plus’ file format to something called ExFAT. Then you can to share the drive whole between a Mac and a PC.
8. How to Eject Seagate Backup Plus Drive
When you’re finished using your Seagate Backup Plus onMac you need to tell your Mac. This isbecause your Mac holds information for the drive in memory. Just in case youask for it again.
When you’re done with the Backup Plus’ drive Ejecting isan important signal to your Mac. It tells your Mac to write anything it has forthe drive in memory down to it. And prevents you from corrupting your files onthe Backup Plus.
You eject the drive from your Mac by right clicking on the driveicon on your desktop. Then you select Eject from the right click menu.
Wait untilthe drive Icon disappears from your desktop. And then it’ll be safe to removeyour Seagate Backup Plus.
One morething.
If you havedeleted files from the Backup Plus you’ll need to empty your trash beforeejecting the drive.
This is sothat the deleted files clear properly from your Backup Plus.
9. How toUse a Seagate Backup Plus 4TB or 5TB On Your Mac
A large 4TBor 5TB Backup Plus drive is overkill for most Mac Users. Unless you have a large high definition photoor movie collection you want to store.
Though alarge drive like this is great parceled up. You could use as a backupdestination for several Mac’s if you’re a multi user Mac household.
Or have asection where you can share and or store files from your PC’s.
Seagate Backup Plus Manual For Mac
You mighthave Mac’s and PC’s at your home.
Separating your Seagate Backup Plus is called partitioning. And you can find out how to do it in this article here.
FrequentlyAsked Questions
1. Seagate Backup Plus not Recognized
You mayplug your Seagate Backup Plus into your Mac and see no drive icon on thedesktop.
What do youdo?
1. Unplug the USB cable and try again – you may just have got a bad connection.
Anotherdevice plugged into that port before may have hung the port software. Orsometimes it wasn’t ejected properly.
2. Try another USB port if you have one.
3. A reboot of your Mac will reset the USB software at the port and can clear problems.
4. Are you sure you don’t have a broken USB cable? Try another cable
5. Check if you can see the drive in Disk Utility.
Sometimesan NTFS formatted drive doesn’t appear on the desktop. But you can see it inDisk Utility. And you can select the drive from there.
6. Can you see the drive appear under devices in a finder window? Make sure your finder preferences has the external disks check box checked.
7. Try your Seagate Backup Plus drive on another Mac or Windows PC.
Can you seeit? If not you may be unlucky and have a corrupted drive.
2. The USBcable provided with the Seagate Backup Plus is too short?
Yes, it is only 18 inches long. And depending on where you want to place the drive compared to your laptop you may want a longer USB 3.0 cable. Check out my article on the Seagate Backup Plus Slim for suggestions.
Last Words
You havemade it!
And by now you should know how to use Seagate Backup Plus on Mac. You’ll have learnt how to transfer files from Mac to a Seagate Backup Plus.
You’ll haveyour drive connected with your files on it.
Well done.
Feel free to check out my other articles about the Seagate Backup Plus on the site.