How to use your Seagate External Drive | Seagate UK (2024)

1. Drag and drop
2. Copy and paste

If you are looking for an automatic backup then you will want to use the utility built-in to Windows, see links below:

For Windows 11:
How to backup and restore your files

For Windows 10:
How to backup and restore your files

For Windows 8/8.1:
How to setup a Backup
How to restore from a backup

1. First, open one window by double-clicking on (My) Computer/This PC.
2. If the upper right-hand corner of the window that opens includes this symbol (), click it.
   It will change to this symbol: .
3. Now you can resize it. Move your mouse to a corner of the window.
4. Click and hold down the mouse button, on the corner of the window.
5. Move the mouse, still holding down the button, and the window corner will move with your mouse. Resize it so that it only takes up a portion of your screen.
6. Look for the Seagate External drive in (My) Computer/This PC. It will be a drive letter, like E: or F: (unless you have changed it). Open (My) Documents by double-clicking on it.
7. Resize the window in the same way, so that each window takes up only a portion of the screen.
8. Now you will have two windows. One is the source, one is the destination.
   (Click to expand the image.)
   
9. Click and hold down the mouse button, on the document you want to move. It will illuminate and a "ghost" image will move with your mouse button.
10. Drag the mouse so that the "ghost" image hovers over the icon representing the external drive (in this example, the V: drive).
    (Click to expand the image.)
    
11. Let go of the mouse button and the file will copy automatically to the external drive.
12. Double-click on the external drive’s letter.
13. The contents of the external drive will display in the window.
    (Click to expand the image.)
    
14. The task is complete! This is known as a "drag-and-drop" action.

Copy and Paste

1. Double-click to open the place where the file you want to copy is located. (My) Documents, for example.
2. Find the file or folder you would like to copy and right-click on it.
3. A drop-down menu will appear. Choose Copy.
   For Windows 11 Choose this icon:
   (Click to expand the image.)
   
4. The file or folder is now copied and held in the computer's short-term memory.
5. Double-click to open (My) Computer/This PC.
6. Look for the Seagate External drive in (My) Computer/This PC. It will be a drive letter, like E: or F: (unless you have changed it). Double-click on the external drive.
7. The window will change to a display of the contents of the external drive.
8. On the top bar of the window, choose Edit.
   Alternatively, you may right-click on blank space within the window and a drop-down menu will appear.
9. Choose Paste.
   For Windows 11 Choose this icon:
   (Click to expand the image.)
   
10. The file or folder will appear inside the window. It is copied.
11. The task is complete! This is known asa "copy-and-paste" action.
    

Copy and Paste instructions:

1. Open the location where the file/folder is stored and the location where you want the file/folder to be copied to.
2. Select the item you want to Copy
3. Right click (Control+click)on itor click Edit in the menu bar at the top of the screen
4. Select Copy from the menu
5. Right click (Control+click)inside the location where you want to save the fileor click Edit in the menu bar at the top of the screen
6. Select Paste from the menu
   

Faster method of Copy and Paste:

1. Select the item you want to Copy
2. Hold down the Command key (⌘) and press ( C )
3. Inside the location where you want to save the file, hold down the Command key (⌘) and press (V).