Getting started

1. Desktop drives (Vault Facet, Vault Alloy): plug the AC power adapter into the drive and the mains first. Portable drives and the Nexus dock take their power from the USB cable.
2. Connect the cable that came in the box to the drive.
3. Plug the other end into your computer. Use the USB-C end, or the USB-A adapter on the cable if your computer only has the older, rectangular USB ports.
4. Wait a few seconds. The drive appears in File Explorer on Windows or in Finder on a Mac.

Your drive comes formatted as exFAT, which works on both Windows and Mac. You only need to format it if you want to use it with a games console, for Time Machine, or on one type of computer only.

Formatting erases everything on the drive. Copy anything you want to keep somewhere else first.

Which format?

• exFAT (how it arrives): works on Windows and Mac. Best if you use both.
• NTFS: Windows only. A Mac can read it but not save to it.
• APFS: Mac only, and the one to use for Time Machine backups.

On Windows

1. Open File Explorer (Windows key + E) and click This PC.
2. Right-click the drive and choose Format.
3. Pick exFAT or NTFS under File system, type a name, tick Quick Format and click Start.

On a Mac

1. Open Disk Utility (press Cmd + Space and type Disk Utility).
2. Click View, then Show All Devices, and select the drive itself (the top line) in the sidebar.
3. Click Erase. Choose a name, the format (APFS or exFAT) and the scheme GUID Partition Map, then click Erase.

Using it with a PlayStation or Xbox? The console formats the drive itself. See Using your drive with PS4, PS5 or Xbox.

• Your ModusTech drive (or the Nexus docking station)
• A USB-C to USB-C cable with a USB-A adapter attached, so it fits older computers too
• An AC power adapter, with the Vault Facet and Vault Alloy desktop drives
• A product manual and a product insert card

Keep the box and the insert card: they are handy if you ever need to make a warranty claim.