Help downloading files

[i might imac]

I have zero experience with Mac OS and how to download files to an external hard drive.

I have files on a thumb drive that I want to place into an external hard drive. The hard drive also is backing up automatically on time machine....I think at least.

Problem is I don't see the external hard drive in the storage or anywhere in any directory on this computer.

I plug in my thumb drive and I have no destination for the files.

I know it's me and this OS is made idiot proof but it hasn't been made me proof.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[jerwin]

Switch to the finder.
Pull down the Go Menu. Select "Computer".

or select "Go to Folder" and type

/Volumes

the slash is important...

If your flash drive isn't there, you can use

/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility

to mount it.

 

[jasnw]

I think he can 'see' the flash drive, but not the 'external hard drive' - is this correct? If so, I'm assuming that you do not see an entry for this external drive on your desktop or on the Finder sidebar - also correct? Try going to the Finder preferences and make sure that under the 'General' tab you have a check mark by 'External disks' (which will make all external drives show up on your desktop) and/or under the 'Sidebar' tab under 'Devices' make sure that 'External disks' is checked.

Has any of this helped as yet? Can you now see an icon either on your desktop or in the Finder sidebar for your external drive?

 

[i might imac]

Yes that is correct, I can see the flash but not the external hard drive anywhere.

I did as you said, I already had external drive checked, but still no joy.
[doublepost=1512848672][/doublepost]I just now unplugged and replugged the connection to the external drive, I now see it on the desktop and the sidebar.

Thinking back a few days ago when I initially installed the drive. After I was done with time machine backup I ejected the drive from the desktop, did I completely delete the drive from the computer when I did this.

 

[jasnw]

Start up the Disk Utility app (in Applications/Utilities). Do you see your external drive in the left-side list of attached drives? What about your TimeMachine drive?

What version of macOS are you running?

 

[i might imac]

Yes I see it now, thank you very much.

But I want to ask this question again so I understand what I did wrong

'Thinking back a few days ago when I initially installed the drive. After I was done with time machine backup I ejected the drive from the desktop, did I completely delete the drive from the computer when I did this.'

on edit; I'm running High Sierra.

 

[Parkin Pig]

Yes I see it now, thank you very much.

But I want to ask this question again so I understand what I did wrong

'Thinking back a few days ago when I initially installed the drive. After I was done with time machine backup I ejected the drive from the desktop, did I completely delete the drive from the computer when I did this.'

on edit; I'm running High Sierra.

When you eject the drive, basically you are making it safe to physically disconnect by shutting down communications between the mac and the drive. To reconnect and communicate with the external drive, you need to physically disconnect the drive and then reconnect, which is what you did.


Macworld describe it much better than I just did...
https://www.macworld.com/article/3012984/macs/how-to-eject-a-disk-properly-on-os-x.html

 

[i might imac]

So after I ejected it it did not write anymore backups on time machine either I guess.

How do I unclutter my desktop without ejecting the external drive...I just like a clutter free desktop

 

[jasnw]

Go back to the Finder preferences, and uncheck the 'External disks' box on the General tab. If you keep it checked on the Sidebar preferences you can access the drive through that. (You'd hate my desktop - I have over 50 icons on it (27" iMac) and it often has more.)

 

[i might imac]

Thanks for that