External hard drive compatibility with older Mac OS versions

[iman.pirmo]

I found this thread in this forum which kind of answered my question, but I wanted to double check and confirm that this is still the case: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...patible-with-os-10-7-5.2033982/#post-24529195

I'm running OS X 10.7.5 and want to upgrade to OS El Capitan, but want to back up my data onto an external hard drive. I looked at a My Passport external hard drive, but it said it is only compatible with OS X 10.8 and above. However, can I still use external hard drive to simply back up my Mac, even if it says the system requirements are OS X 10.8 and above (as per the previous thread, if I have read it correctly)?

 

[Fishrrman]

My -guess- is that the "My Passport" comes with factory-installed software that requires 10.8 to work.
However... you don't need to use the factory-installed software.

If you want a drive that you'll KNOW will work, don't buy a "pre-packaged" WD or Seagate drive.

Instead, buy a "bare" drive, get an external USB3 enclosure, put the two together (ANYONE can do this), then format and use it.

I'd suggest a Hitachi/HGST or a Toshiba drive.

Here's an enclosure that's bulletproof:
https://www.amazon.com/MiniPro-USB-...ords=oyen+digital+minipro+3.1+usb-c+enclosure

To create the backup, I'd recommend either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
Both are FREE to download and use for 30 days.

 

[iman.pirmo]

My -guess- is that the "My Passport" comes with factory-installed software that requires 10.8 to work.
However... you don't need to use the factory-installed software.

If you want a drive that you'll KNOW will work, don't buy a "pre-packaged" WD or Seagate drive.

Instead, buy a "bare" drive, get an external USB3 enclosure, put the two together (ANYONE can do this), then format and use it.

I'd suggest a Hitachi/HGST or a Toshiba drive.

Here's an enclosure that's bulletproof:
https://www.amazon.com/MiniPro-USB-...ords=oyen+digital+minipro+3.1+usb-c+enclosure

To create the backup, I'd recommend either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
Both are FREE to download and use for 30 days.

Thank you very much for your help and advice!

Is this the sort of 'bare' drive you were talking about? https://www.ebuyer.com/726222-toshi...MI1tHvxcqs4gIVBIXVCh0rWAvpEAQYAiABEgKFmPD_BwE

Sorry for the 'spoon feeding' haha, I just want to make sure that I buy the appropriate items!

 

[Fishrrman]

"Is this the sort of 'bare' drive you were talking about?"

Yes, but be aware that it's a 3.5" (full-sized) drive, not a 2.5" (laptop sized) one.