Question 1

does this drive will work with a usb 2.0 computer?

Accepted Answer

All USB 3.0  is backward compatible with USB 2.  However you will not get the speeds advertised using it with a 2.0.

Question 2

Can it be re-formatted for Mac compatibility on my Macbook Pro?

Accepted Answer

I did wind up buying a different Seagate 4 TB model that showed compatibility for Mac and PC, but I would still be interested if this model is accessible to Mac formatting.  My general impression has been that any external USB drive can be formatted either way, for PC or Mac, and I have swapped them out before, but the fact that this specified compatibility for only PC gave me some hesitation.

Question 3

Is the USB cable included?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A usb3 cable is included

Question 4

Is this one compatible with Windows 10?

Accepted Answer

Hi Sherry
Yes it works well with Windows 10

Question 5

what is a compatible media player for movies ?

Accepted Answer

I used Plex media server on Android. Or if that doesn't work, VLC media player is always solid

Question 6

how much power does it draw from the USB buss?

Accepted Answer

Not sure.  Nothing noted on the drive itself.  Works fine on 900mA USB 3.0 port and on 500mA USB 2.0 port on my laptop.  Checking the power in device manager shows 0mA consumption.  Presumably only uses power when reading or writing.  Can’t be much, as it is a solid state drive with no physical moving parts.  In my home office I use it in a powered hub, when traveling directly on the built-in laptop hubs.

Question 7

Is this hard drive a solid state hardrive?

Accepted Answer

No.  It runs hot...you need to keep it in a cool place to use it regularly.

Question 8

What is the write speed?

Accepted Answer

I can't give you an exact answer.  What you're connecting is a conventional 2.5" 4 TB laptop drive.  Not solid state.  You're running thru an internal SATA to USB adapter to connect to your computer's USB ports.  You are limited by (1) the speed of the drive including its SATA interface, (2) the speed of the USB connection, and (3) the speed at which your computer processes the data.  USB 3.x is faster than SATA, so that's not an issue.  USB 2.0 will probably be the limiting factor if you're running it.  Overall speed will be similar to an internal conventional 2.5" drive if you're running USB 3.x.  USB 2.0 will be slower but still useful.  USB 1.1 does not supply enough power to safely run this unit.

Question 9

does it download games fast?

Accepted Answer

I have noticed when I use this hard drive, I can reach data transfer speeds faster than internal SATA drives to internal SSD drives in some cases. I think This device can handle fast action whatever you throw at it. (answer does not consider internet speed, motherboard model and age, is your system drive designated solely for system and using other drives for various other tasks in order to allow system to not bottleneck. I think it will impress.) (I don't know why people frown upon the larger capacity drives operating at 5400RPM and not traditionally 7200RPM.) the 5400 rpm operate differently than the 7200 rpm drives and aren't compromised. Most people don't take the time to understand the difference implemented in the new speeds. Just because a number is larger does not mean it's faster or more efficient. typical, bigger numbers, faster numbers.

Question 10

Would this drive work under Windows XP SP3 ? and USB 2.0 ?

Accepted Answer

Yes it will. It comes formatted for NTFS so it will be no problem to use on that system. And it does work on USB 2.0, you just will get slower read/write speeds than advertised depending on your system config. Hope this helps - btw this is a great drive at a great price!! I have one & LOVE it & I'm using it on USB 2.0

Brand	Seagate
Series	Expansion
Model	STEA4000400

Color	Black
Interface	USB 3.0
Capacity	4TB

Features	Seagate Expansion portable drive, add-on storage for your PC The Seagate Expansion portable drive is compact and perfect for on-the-go. Instantly add more storage space to your computer and take large files with you when you travel. Setup is simple and straightforward; simply connect a single USB cable and you are ready to go. The drive is powered from the USB cable, so there is no need for an external power supply. Plus, it is automatically recognized by the Windows operating system, so there is no software to install and nothing to configure. Saving files is easy - simply drag-and-drop. Take advantage of the fast data transfer speeds with the USB 3.0 interface by connecting to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 for additional system compatibility.
System Requirements	Windows 7 or higher, or Mac OS X 10.12 or higher operating system1,2 USB 3.0 port (required for USB 3.0 transfer speeds)2 1 Reformatting may be required for use with Time Machine. 2 Compatibility may vary depending on user's hardware configuration and operating system.

Form Factor	2.5"
Dimensions	0.79" x 3.15" x 4.61"
Weight	0.52 lb.

Seagate Portable Hard Drive 4TB HDD - External Expansion for PC Windows PS4 & Xbox - USB 2.0 & 3.0 Black (STEA4000400)

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Item#: N82E16822178817