No bundled software or protection feature The drive was recognized quickly and I could use it to save games and apps, as well as to store media for playback. I tried it with the Xbox One and it worked very well. Just make sure you first format it into the supported file system. Apart from computers, the drive will also work with other popular hosts, such as game consoles or media players.

If you want to use the Seagate Expansion interchangeably in a mixed Windows and Mac environment, you can also format it using the exFAT file system. In fact, I generally find that buying a drive like this is a much cheaper way to get storage for your Mac than buying a Mac-designated drive, which are generally much more expensive. You can also easily reformat it into HFS+ in order to work with a Mac, a process that takes just a few seconds.

Out of the box, the Expansion is preformatted in the NTFS file system so it works right a way with a Windows computer. Like all portable drives, the Expansion is bus-powered, requiring just one cable for both data and power. But that's all you need to get up and running. The Expansion ships in a spartan retail package that includes the drive itself and a foot-long standard Micro-USB 3.0 cable. The slow spin speed generally translates into slower performance (not in this case though more on that later) but at the same time also means lower power consumption. The Expansion's internal storage is a low-power drive that spins at just 5,400 rotations per minute, and not at 7,200rpm. Basically, it's small enough to be easily tucked in inside a purse or your back pocket. Measuring 4.8 inches by 3.2 inches by 0.6 inch (12.2 by 8.1 by 1.52cm), it's as big as you'd imagine a squarish plastic box holding a standard 2.5-inch hard drive on the inside would be. You can call the Seagate Expansion a typical portable drive. For more options, including those with more features, check out our list of top portable drives on the market. And thanks to the straightforward design, the drive is especially good for a non-computer host, such as a game console or media player. It also carries a short warranty of just 1 year.īut if large storage space and fast performance are what you need, the Seagate Expansion is an excellent way to add more storage to your laptop. This frills-free storage device comes with no added value, however, as there's no backup software or encryption support. Other than the slightly different looks and costs, the two versions of the drive are essentially the same.) (Note that there's also a legacy version of the Seagate Expansion that costs $85 for 2TB.

How to format seagate expansion mac