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Setting Downloads and Documents on external drives
source link: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/setting-downloads-and-documents-on-external-drives.2278114/
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Setting Downloads and Documents on external drives
Mar 27, 2011
Dear friends,
I am ashamed as I am sure I'm missing something very obvious but I'm not wrapping my head around something that sounds easy
Can I permanently set the Downloads folder on an external disk? This would be a slowish but large external USB attached HDD.
Can I do the same for my Documents folder but having that on the USB-C attached Samsung T5 SSD?
If I was on a Linux system I would mount those two drives at boot onto the proper mount points and be done but on MacOS I am unsure if this is possible and how to do it (unless there's a good reason not to that I'm overlooking).
I'd like to do this since my Mini has the small internal SSD which I'd like to keep only with System and Apps and the day I'll change the machine I'd have my Documents and Downloads I could remount on the new machine.
Thank you very much for clearing up the confusion.
I am ashamed as I am sure I'm missing something very obvious but I'm not wrapping my head around something that sounds easy
Can I permanently set the Downloads folder on an external disk? This would be a slowish but large external USB attached HDD.
Can I do the same for my Documents folder but having that on the USB-C attached Samsung T5 SSD?
If I was on a Linux system I would mount those two drives at boot onto the proper mount points and be done but on MacOS I am unsure if this is possible and how to do it (unless there's a good reason not to that I'm overlooking).
I'd like to do this since my Mini has the small internal SSD which I'd like to keep only with System and Apps and the day I'll change the machine I'd have my Documents and Downloads I could remount on the new machine.
Thank you very much for clearing up the confusion.
chrfr
macrumors G4
Jul 11, 2009
10,381
4,050
You can set the Downloads folder to be any folder, on any disk. Moving your Documents folder will be problematic and unreliable, so I wouldn't recommend doing that.Dear friends,
I am ashamed as I am sure I'm missing something very obvious but I'm not wrapping my head around something that sounds easy
Can I permanently set the Downloads folder on an external disk? This would be a slowish but large external USB attached HDD.
Can I do the same for my Documents folder but having that on the USB-C attached Samsung T5 SSD?
If I was on a Linux system I would mount those two drives at boot onto the proper mount points and be done but on MacOS I am unsure if this is possible and how to do it (unless there's a good reason not to that I'm overlooking).
I'd like to do this since my Mini has the small internal SSD which I'd like to keep only with System and Apps and the day I'll change the machine I'd have my Documents and Downloads I could remount on the new machine.
Thank you very much for clearing up the confusion.
Reactions: rjalex
Mar 27, 2011
Thanks a lot for your advice.
And how would I proceed to designate the HDD as the new Downloads folder from now on?
And how would I proceed to designate the HDD as the new Downloads folder from now on?
chrfr
macrumors G4
Jul 11, 2009
10,381
4,050
That's set in any app that downloads files. There's no global setting for that.Thanks a lot for your advice.
And how would I proceed to designate the HDD as the new Downloads folder from now on?
Mar 27, 2011
Aw I see. So there's no way to mount the external HDD onto the internal HDD /Users/bob/Download mountpoint?
In other words of the following:
bob@Roberts-Mac-mini ~ % diskutil list (edit)
/dev/disk6 (external, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk6
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk6s1
2: Apple_HFS WD1TB USB 999.3 GB disk6s2
3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk6s3
I'd like to mount disk6s1 onto /Users/bob/Download at boot time (unless the external disk is not there and fail gracefully)
In which file could I try to setup a mount command?
Thanks a lot
In other words of the following:
bob@Roberts-Mac-mini ~ % diskutil list (edit)
/dev/disk6 (external, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk6
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk6s1
2: Apple_HFS WD1TB USB 999.3 GB disk6s2
3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk6s3
I'd like to mount disk6s1 onto /Users/bob/Download at boot time (unless the external disk is not there and fail gracefully)
In which file could I try to setup a mount command?
Thanks a lot
mikzn
macrumors 68020
Sep 2, 2013 2,403 1,711
It might also be good to review if you want the "Desktops and Documents" enabled with iCloud (preferences) - I have mine turned off and create my own folders. If this is turned on it can impact the documents folder.
Most external drives HDD or SSD mount automatically at start up - or as soon as they are connected / reconnected
Most external drives HDD or SSD mount automatically at start up - or as soon as they are connected / reconnected
Reactions: rjalex
grahamwright1
macrumors regular
Feb 10, 2008
There's a pretty easy way to do this using Unix Symbolic Links. Download this: https://github.com/nickzman/symboliclinker
and you can then create a symbolic link in your user directory called Downloads that points to your external HDD. You can also create a symbolic link for Documents and have that pointing to a different folder / drive as you want.
I've been doing this with my Downloads and Pictures folder for years now. The symbolic links point to different folders on my external RAID array, and it simply works for all applications.
Direct download link: https://github.com/nickzman/symboliclinker/releases/tag/v2.2
Edit: I just realized this might be a bit confusing at first glance.
Step 1 - Copy / Move your Downloads folder from your home folder to your external drive.
Step 2 - Once completed, rename the Downloads folder on your home directory to Downloads1 or something else
Step 3 - On the external drive, use the Symbolic Linker service to create a link to the external copy of Downloads.
Step 4 - Copy / Move the newly created symbolic link to your home folder. You will see a little arrow on the Folder icon to indicate it's a symbolic link.
Step 5 Download a file via Safari or other app that would go into your Downloads folder, then go the the external drive and make sure the file just downloaded is in the external Downloads folder.
Step 6 - Once verified, delete the Downloads1 folder (or whatever you named the copy on your home folder) and you are finished.
and you can then create a symbolic link in your user directory called Downloads that points to your external HDD. You can also create a symbolic link for Documents and have that pointing to a different folder / drive as you want.
I've been doing this with my Downloads and Pictures folder for years now. The symbolic links point to different folders on my external RAID array, and it simply works for all applications.
Direct download link: https://github.com/nickzman/symboliclinker/releases/tag/v2.2
Edit: I just realized this might be a bit confusing at first glance.
Step 1 - Copy / Move your Downloads folder from your home folder to your external drive.
Step 2 - Once completed, rename the Downloads folder on your home directory to Downloads1 or something else
Step 3 - On the external drive, use the Symbolic Linker service to create a link to the external copy of Downloads.
Step 4 - Copy / Move the newly created symbolic link to your home folder. You will see a little arrow on the Folder icon to indicate it's a symbolic link.
Step 5 Download a file via Safari or other app that would go into your Downloads folder, then go the the external drive and make sure the file just downloaded is in the external Downloads folder.
Step 6 - Once verified, delete the Downloads1 folder (or whatever you named the copy on your home folder) and you are finished.
Last edited: 15 minutes ago
Reactions: rjalex
Mar 27, 2011
Thanks guys. Good tips.
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