How to Use USB Memory on a MacBook Pro (4 Steps)
By Travis Meyer
Apple products are notorious for their user-friendly interfaces, especially when it comes to mounting, working with and ejecting USB memory sticks. If you're the type who's constantly on the go, learning how to utilize a portable USB memory stick for transferring files between your MacBook Pro and other computers is essential. Fortunately, the process is incredibly simple and only takes a few seconds, depending on the file sizes you're working with.
Step 1
Mount the USB memory stick on your MacBook Pro. Insert the USB drive into one of your USB ports, located on the left side of the palm plate, where your keyboard is. Wait for the USB drive to automatically mount to your MacBook Pro. Once mounted, it will appear as a white icon on your desktop. If you want to rename the USB drive, simply click the icon and type the new name in the text-field.
Step 2
Save files to the USB memory stick. This can be done in two ways. When saving a file in an application, select the USB drive shown in the left sidebar of the "Save as" dialog window and click "OK" to save to the USB drive. If you already have a file saved you want to transfer to your USB drive, simply click, drag and drop it into the USB drive icon displayed on your desktop. Once dropped into the icon, a status pop-up window will appear, displaying a bar that tracks the status of the upload. For larger files, this process can take up to a few minutes.
Step 3
Open files saved to the USB memory stick. Open a new "Finder" window and find the USB drive icon shown in the left sidebar. Click the USB drive icon to display its contents in the main window pane. To open any of the files, simply double-click their icons. If you want to transfer one of the files to your computer, you can click, drag and drop the files from the USB drives directory to your desktop or any of the directories located in the "Finder" window's left sidebar. Keep in mind you can also access the USB drive's directory by simply double-clicking its icon on the desktop.
Step 4
Eject the USB drive from your MacBook Pro. Open a new Finder window and located the USB drive icon in the left sidebar. Click the "Eject" icon, located to the right of the USB menu item. You can also eject your USB drive by going to your desktop, right-clicking the USB drive icon and selecting "Eject," or alternatively, by dragging the USB drive icon into the Trash.
Writer Bio
Travis Meyer is a co-editor at Poor Claudia and Pocket Notes. Also a front-end web developer, he specializes in server-side content management systems, web-based business solutions and graphic design.