A USB stick (also known as a USB flash drive or USB stick) is a small pocket device that can store a large amount of data in digital format. Transferring files and folders to the memory drive and vice versa is a quick and easy process. Connect the key to the Mac, locate its icon on the desktop and drag the files you want to copy over it.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Transfer Data to a USB Flash Drive
Step 1. Plug the USB stick into the Mac
Insert its USB connector into a free port on your computer.
Step 2. Wait for the device to be detected by the operating system and installed
As soon as the computer detects the memory drive, its login icon will appear directly on the desktop.
If the icon to access the USB stick does not appear, try disconnecting and reconnecting the device or using a different USB port. If you have several USB devices connected to your system already, try disconnecting one you are not currently using
Step 3. Select the USB key icon that appeared on the desktop with a double click of the mouse
This way you will be able to see the complete list of all the items it contains. If you wish, you can create a new folder by accessing the "File" menu and choosing the "New folder" item. At this point, drag the files you want into the USB drive window to move them to the stick.
In order to perform the data transfer, you don't need to open the Finder window for the contents of the USB stick first, but doing so will make it much easier to organize the data within it
Step 4. Transfer the files to the USB stick
Select and drag the items you want to the USB drive icon or window. As soon as you release the mouse button all the selected files will be copied to the specified destination. A progress bar will appear showing you the estimated time remaining until the process is complete.
- If you need to copy several elements at the same time, you can draw a selection area by clicking an empty spot and dragging the mouse cursor until all the files and folders of your interest are highlighted. If you want to select multiple items that are not contiguous to each other, you can hold down the ⌘ Cmd key while clicking them one at a time with the mouse.
- By default, when transferring data by drag and drop between two different drives, the information is copied, while when using only one drive, the data is moved (for example, from one folder to another on the same hard disk). In other words, when you drag a file from your computer to the USB stick and vice versa it will be "copied", but if you drag from one folder to another on the same hard drive it will be "moved".
Step 5. Wait for the transfer to complete
As soon as the progress bar is completely full it will disappear from view to indicate that the data transfer is complete.
If the USB stick does not have enough space to accommodate the new data, an error message will be displayed. If this happens, you can delete some of the current content of the device to increase the free space. Drag the files you want to delete to the trash, then access the "Finder" menu and choose the "Empty trash" item. Remember that the data deleted from the USB stick will not be deleted until the recycle bin is emptied
Step 6. Disable the USB drive
When the data transfer is complete, you must eject the key before you can physically remove it from your computer. This step is very important to avoid receiving error messages or worse, losing precious data. Select and drag the USB stick icon to the system trash. When the mouse cursor is on the trash can icon it will turn into the symbol used to identify the "Eject" button. Now release the mouse button, after a few moments, the USB drive icon will be deleted from the desktop. You are now able to disconnect the USB drive from your computer without any fear of losing important data.
Alternatively, select the USB drive icon with the mouse while holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard, then choose the "Eject" option from the context menu that appeared
Part 2 of 2: Transfer Data from a USB Flash Drive
Step 1. Plug the USB stick into the Mac
Insert its USB connector into a free port on your computer.
Step 2. Wait for the device to be detected by the operating system and installed
As soon as the computer detects the memory drive, its login icon will appear directly on the desktop.
If the icon to access the USB stick does not appear, try disconnecting and reconnecting the device or using a different USB port. If you have several USB devices connected to your system already, try disconnecting one you are not currently using
Step 3. Access the contents of the USB stick
Double click on the icon of the USB stick that appeared on the desktop. The contents of the device will be displayed in a Finder window. Alternatively, you can choose to open a Finder window and select the USB drive icon from the left sidebar.
Step 4. Transfer the files
Select and drag the data you want to copy from the USB stick to the destination folder on the Mac. As soon as you release the mouse button, all the selected files will be copied.
- Alternatively, you can use the "copy / paste" or "cut / paste" function (in the latter case the data will be moved, ie deleted from the USB drive and copied to the Mac). Proceed by selecting the files to transfer, then press the key combination ⌘ Cmd + C (to copy) or ⌘ Cmd + X (to cut). Now choose the folder or location to paste the data and press the key combination ⌘ Cmd + V.
- By default, when transferring data by drag and drop between two different drives, the information is copied, while when using only one drive, the data is moved (for example, from one folder to another on the same hard disk). In other words, when you drag a file from the USB stick to your computer and vice versa it will be "copied", but if you drag from one folder to another on the same hard drive it will be "moved".
Step 5. Disable the USB drive
When the data transfer is complete, you must eject the key before you can physically remove it from your computer. This step is very important to avoid receiving error messages or worse, losing precious data. Select and drag the USB stick icon to the system trash. When the mouse cursor is on the trash can icon it will turn into the symbol used to identify the "Eject" button. Now release the mouse button, after a few moments, the USB drive icon will be deleted from the desktop. You are now able to disconnect the USB drive from your computer without any fear of losing important data.
Alternatively, select the USB drive icon with the mouse while holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard, then choose the "Eject" option from the context menu that appeared
Advice
- Pocket USB memory drives are known by various names, for example "USB stick", "USB stick", "USB flash drive" or "USB stick".
- When transferring data to the USB drive by drag and drop, you can force the copy process instead of the move process by holding down the ⌥ Opt key while performing the action.
- Files can be transferred from one folder to another or they can be copied directly to the desktop. Don't worry, no matter what choice you make, the data can later be moved to another location without any problem.
Warnings
- Avoid unplugging a USB memory drive without first disabling it properly as otherwise you may lose some data.
- When you need to transfer a large amount of data to the USB drive, it is advisable to first check the total memory capacity by accessing the "File" menu and choosing the "Get Info" item to make sure that the files do not exceed the space storage on the key.
