Please visit the official FAQ on our website. 




TarDisk Frequently Asked Questions































General ##### What is TarDisk Pear? ----- Pear is the first ever plug-and-play HYBRID drive. Simply stated; Pear allows your to “pair” an enabled TarDisk to your existing system to effectively create a Macintosh HD that is up to 256GB bigger. Pear works by enabling commands at the root of OS X, to logically combine Pear enabled hardware and your original (probably-full-by-now) hard drive. For example:   

  •      • A 128GB MacBook Air/Pro Peared with a 128GB TarDisk will produce a Macintosh HD which is 256GB.
  •      • A 128GB MacBook Air/Pro Peared with a 256GB TarDisk will produce a Macintosh HD which is 384GB.
  •      • A 256GB MacBook Air/Pro Peared with a 256GB TarDisk will produce a Macinosh HD which is 512GB
  •      • A 512GB MacBook Air/Pro Peared with a 256GB TarDisk will produce a Macinosh HD which is 768GB. 

The same logic applies to hard drive sizes not listed here, including spinning disk drives. Time Machine backups, programs and everything else in OS X continue to work as before. All TarDisks shipped from our website are Pear enabled by default, however a user can choose if/when to Pear. Once Peared, computer performance is maintained and even often improved. Pearing is a permanent upgrade, and offers the only way to increase the size of your Macintosh HD designed to augment your MacBook experience.

$$$$$ What are the system requirements for TarDisk Pear? -----

  1. Operating system: Yosemite, or El Capitan*. (Mountain Lion & Mavericks are not officially supported, but can be replaced for free through the App Store) *OS upgrades from Yosemite to El Capitan, perform flawlessly. 
  2. Bootcamp: must be uninstalled before Pearing (i.e. MacBooks intentionally modified with a Bootcamp partition are not officially supported).
  3. Encryption: FileVault and any third party antivirus software must be turned off before Pearing ( FileVault and antivirus may be turned back on after the Pearing process is complete).
  4. MacBook Hardware: Generally, all MacBooks with an SDXC port are supported. Compatibility here. 

$$$$$ My TarDisk did not come with Pear, can it still be Paired? ----- Unfortunately, probably not. Only Pear-enabled TarDisks are supported. As of October 29th, 2015, all TarDisks shipped from our web store are Pear enabled. TarDisks purchased prior to October 2015 or TarDisks purchased from discounted 3rd party re-sellers (ex: Amazon.com or 3rd party sellers whom we have outstanding contracts) do not support Pear unless otherwise stated as exemplified below: 

Which TarDisks Support Pear?

Do you still want to Pear? At TarDisk, we are here to support you. If you would like, feel free to forward your original order invoice to PearSupport@TarDisk.com, and we will do our best to assist you.

$$$$$ My TarDisk came with Pear, can I choose not to Pear it? ----- Sure! If you want to use TarDisk as a secondary volume, that is no problem! It will function similar to an external hard drive (but is always with you)! This is a great option if you want to run a Time Machine Backup.   

$$$$$ Apple Care Warranty - will TarDisk Pear have an effect? ----- No, TarDisk Pear has no effect on your existing AppleCare Warranty. Remember, you can always uninstall your Pear'ed TarDisk if you wanted, however check out our recent chat with a Genius about TarDisk Pear here.  

$$$$$ Does TarDisk Pear work with Bootcamp? ----- No, Bootcamp is not officially supported by Pear. Further, before Pearing your system, you must remove your bootcamp partition. After your system is Pear'ed, creating a bootcamp partition is not recommended and is not supported.

$$$$$ Does TarDisk Pear work with FileVault? ----- Yup! Just remember to turn FileVault off BEFORE you Pear so that your files are not encrypted during the Pearing process.  After you are Pear'ed you can turn FileVault back on!

$$$$$ Does Pear work with Windows or Linux? ----- To answer this question, please choose the scenario that applies to you:

  1. Virtualizations (Parallels // VM Fusion ):  Pear works well with virtualizations that are run inside of OS X. Examples include Parallels or VM Fusion. If these programs were installed before, they will continue to function as they have previously. If you plan to install a new virtualization after you Pear, same thing, but now you will now have even MORE space to store your files and VMs!
  2. BootCamp (Windows // Linux): Pear does not support Bootcamp’ed computers.
  3. Non-MacBook computers Running windows: Pear cannot be run on non-Apple hardware.

***** What is TarDisk? ----- TarDisk is a small solid state device which provides permanent onboard storage for MacBook Air/Pro through use of the computer’s SDXC port. Each TarDisk is constructed within a unibody aluminum enclosure, is MacBook Model Specific and can be installed without tools. 

$$$$$ Can I remove my TarDisk? ----- Absolutely, but it depends on how you intend to use it. TarDisk is engineered to stay in your MacBook, but its design is "semi-permanent" which gives you flexibility. 

  •     • If you Pear'ed your TarDisk, then TarDisk should only be removed, if/when you plan to un-pear it (un-pearing is about 8 steps ).
  •     • If you plan to just hold specific files, like a Time Machine Back up or a specific folder, then, yes removing it, after you safe eject, is not a problem. 
  •     • If you do not choose to Pear, and instead plan to link programs like iTunes, iPhoto, Dropbox etc., then no, TarDisk shouldn’t be removed too often. If you would like to remove your TarDisk from your MacBook in these instances, it can be removed after a safe eject. 

How would you like to use it?

$$$$$ How Big is a TarDisk? How Fast is it? (Technical info) ----- Are we talking Storage size or Physical size? TarDisk is bigger on the inside than it may appear.

Storage:
TarDisk comes in two* sizes: 128GB and 256GB. Both sizes can be peared with any compatible MacBook, regardless of that computer’s original HD size. *(Older 64GB TarDisk models are still sold by some retailers). Again, all MacBook Air/Pros support both the 128 and 256GB TarDisk Models.

Physical Size:
The TarDisk family is composed of six separate designs. This includes variations in length and width which allow a TarDisk to live comfortably inside your computer without the danger of being lost or knocked loose. Our shortest TarDisk is 16mm and our longest is 22mm. If compared to an “SD card” a TarDisk is about half the length and generally more powerful. A full product compatibility chart can be found here with representative images to show size. Each TarDisk is specifically tailored to the computer it was designed for.  

For selecting the correct TarDisk model, there is no ambiguity -- just download our simple and safe Selector software here, and feel confident knowing that your TarDisk will fit perfectly before it is shipped! 

Speed:
TarDisks are built around the same MLC flash NAND dies found in many SSDs and powered by high bandwith flash controllers developed for high definition media recording. TarDisks transfer data through the UHS-1 SDXC protocol at speed class 3 or above. The peak data transfer of the hardware alone is 95MB/sec which is about 1/5th that of a high performance SSD, however Pear more than makes up for that... 

If Pear'ed, TarDisk acts as a compliment to your existing SSD. A Peared system maintains a "cache" on your SSD, shifting the read/write load and making any speed differential between TarDisk and your lighting fast SSD, almost unnoticeable. 

$$$$$ Will TarDisk affect my computer’s battery life? ----- Yes, but not significantly. TarDisk maintains a power draw of around 70 milliwatts. To put that into perspective, for a MacBook Air containing a 50 watt/hour battery and a 7-hour battery life, you’ll see less than a 5 minute loss of life.

$$$$$ Is TarDisk Secure? Do I need to back my data up? -----Rest assured knowing that TarDisk is water proof, temperature proof (-13°F to 185°F), shock proof (500Gs), immune to airport X-rays, and magnet proof (3000 Gauss)!

However, just like any digital storage device, it is possible for TarDisk to fail and we strongly recommend that you always backup your data with your computer's built in Time Machine client. TarDisk uses the same MLC flash memory modules found in SSDs, where each block is rated for a minimum of 3k write cycles. (SSDs are 5k). Again, data failure on any storage device is possible and we recommend always backing up your system data with Time Machine and a cloud based option like this one here. 

$$$$$ Will TarDisk fit in my Mac mini / iMac / PC laptop? ----- Possibly, but potentially not perfectly. There is no guarantee that TarDisk will fit in these machines as the SD port varies from computer to computer. Run the TarDisk Selector Software to determine fit. 

  1. Mac Mini - We recommend purchasing a TarDisk model "R15A" however all Mac Minis are not "officially" supported. Run our one-click Selector Software on your Mac Mini to determine compatibility. More info regarding Mac Mini compatibility here. Use this link to purchase. 
  2. iMac - We recommend purchasing a TarDisk model "A13A" however all iMacs are not "officially" supported. Run our on-click Selector Software on your iMac to determine compatibility. More info regarding iMac compatibility here. Use this link to purchase. 

  3. PC laptop - Pear is not supported on windows computers. SD port variations from computer to computer make TarDisk fit unpredictable. If you would like to measure your SD port, we offer a tool to do so here, and a 16mm TarDisk for Windows computers here.   

$$$$$ What maintenance will my TarDisk Require? ----- TarDisk is engineered to be a permanent extension of you MacBook. Just like any digital storage media, TarDisk will perform best when used capacity is maintained at a level less than 80% of total full capacity. Maintaining free space is good practice when using any Digital Storage Device as it allows for a distribution of write cycles for even drive wear. If at any point you would like to perform an [optional] maintenance step, we offer a guide here.  

$$$$$ Shipping Info & Returns ----- Shipping: We ship world-wide using a combination of USPS First Class mail and DHL. Domestic orders usually arrive in 3-5 days. International orders usually take 2 weeks depending on the option selected (but can take as long as 4 weeks!) with the buyer responsible for local tariffs and taxes. If premium services are selected, international shipments will take around a week. We send shipments out 2-3 times each week, and the majority of orders are mailed within five business days. 

We ship worldwide for FREE! Priority shipping is also available with rates varying by country. 

Insurance: Feel confident knowing at every TarDisk shipment is fully insured before mailing! On behalf of shipping carriers everywhere we apologize for any delays and pledge to do everything in our power to make sure you get the TarDisk you paid for! To deal with this problem as effectively and efficiently as possible please visit this page. 

Returns: We maintain a 14 day return policy from the date of shipment, for new and un-used product.  In the event that the product was used or damaged, we reserve the right to charge a re-stocking fee upto 50% of the product's value. To process a return, simply obtain an "RMA number" by emailing returns@TarDisk.com and then fill out this Return Form. Make sure to properly label, protect and insure your returned product, as TarDisk, LLC is not responsible for lost or damaged shipments. We will not be able to process your return without your completed Return Form, so make sure to include it! Simply then mail your product to:

Attn: Returns Order #____________
TarDisk, LLC // Launch Lab
114 Western Avenue 
Allston, MA 02134

))))) Trouble Shooting #####Help! I Pear'ed my MacBook, but it still shows my original hard drive size? ----- If your HD icon has been changed, it is possible that your Macintosh HD volume has not yet reflected the resize, first try restarting your computer. If the Pear installer is still located on your TarDisk or your HD icon has not changed, it is likely that you are only on part one of three in the pearing process -- simply follow the steps below;

  1. Run ALL steps in the instructions guide including the Optional steps. Here is a link to the guide. Remember to follow this guide EXACTLY as you may need to restart your computer and run the installer multiple times as well as complete "optional" steps. 
  2. Repair pre-existing issues after you have completed the entire install guide, including the "Optional Step 8", you should run the "Fix Pear" option from the "TarDisk Selector Tool". To do so, from the "Pear" menu, select "Fix Pear". Performing this command will make your computer go un-responsive. Restart your computer after this process for changes to take effect. See the full video walkthrough here.
  3. UnPear. If the above steps do not work, Un-Pearing your computer and Re-Pearing, will fix the problem. Make sure that OSX has the latest updates installed, you are running OSX Yosemite or newer and your TimeMachine Backup has been updated. If the Pear installer becomes lost in this unPear/rePear process, or if you receive a "your TarDisk has been modified" error, you can find more information here (at the bottom of the page), for how to re-activate the TarDisk or gain access to the Pear installer remotely. 
  4. Run the diagnostic. In our experience, all problems can be fixed by following the three steps above. In the very rare instance that you are still experiencing issues Pear-ing, you may now run the diagnostic which can be found in the “TarDisk Tool” located on the footer of this page, and from the "Pear" menu, select “Diagnose”. If any of the generated items say "error" or "failed", proceed to step 3 again, otherwise review the installation guide, as you still may have additional steps to run in the process. If you would like to shoot us an email we can only respond if you include (1) a bullet point list of the steps you have taken, (2) the information from the Diagnostic. Make sure to include information in the email, beyond the auto-generated diagnostic, or the email will not make it to the technical support team. Our technical team generally maintains a 7-day turn around time, for help. If you cannot wait for assistance, please repeat steps 2 and 3. 

$$$$$Help! I Pear'ed my MacBook, and now it shows two Macintosh HDs? ----- This is normal. Both physical drives will be shown. Note that the GB size of each drive is now increased to the sum of them both.
TarDisk Pear Storage

In this example a 256GB TarDisk has been Pear'ed with a 256GB MacBook Pro to produce 489GB free of 507GB. Notice that the MacBook Pro's SSD is 251GB while the TarDisk is a true 256GB, this is normal. Also notice that the colored bars are a reflection of each other, this too is normal and shows that both pieces of hardware are functional.

Finally the assigned names such as "Flash Storage" or "Secure Digital Disk" will vary depending on your MacBook Hardware which has been Pear'ed -- this too is normal. In the event that the sum of the two drives is not shown on the right hand side (i.e. you do not see 507GB or the combine equivalent) something in the Pearing process may not have completed fully and you should now review the trouble shooting steps in this FAQ. 

$$$$$Help! The Pearing process is getting stuck? What should I do? -----In the rare event that the pearing process stalls during installation (see screen shot below), this is the result of some pre-existing issue in your system, which has now triggered the pearing process to stop as a means of protecting you. 

 

Red-flags can be thrown to Pear if something is damaged or not responding properly. Please confirm the following checklist:

  1. Your computer is up-to-date running OSX; Yosemitie, El Captain or higher. Remember, you can upgrade your operating system for free on Apple.com here. 
  2. You have administrative access to your computer and are using the correct password when prompted.
  3. You have followed every step in the Pear Install Guide, including "optional step 8" which may solve your problem. 

If after you run these steps above and still have issues with the Pear installer getting stuck on the progress bar or on the screen above, the next step is to repair your hard drive by restoring your computer from a time machine backup. You can make a TimeMachine Backup now, and follow the applicable steps in our guide here. After restoring, Pear should be run again and should work flawlessly. 

$$$$$Help?! I accidentally removed my Pear'ed TarDisk. What happens? ----- Well, don't do that again. Plug your TarDisk back in, restart your computer and make sure that your backup is up-to-date. Our testing has shown that OS X manages the removal of the drive well, however removing the Pear'ed TarDisk while your system is running can result in a corrupted volume depending on what is running. If you did it once, it is probably (hopefully) ok. Don't do that again! 

$$$$$ Error Message: "Your internal drive has multiple partitions" ----- It is important that we do not accidentally Pear your TarDisk to the wrong volume. The Pear installer has a number of safety features built in to prevent this from happening!  

  1. First make sure that you have disconnected ALL external devices. This includes, USB devices, network attached storage and Thunderbolt connections. Restart your computer and try running Pear again. 
  2. If Pear is still giving this error message, please run: sudo tmutil disablelocal You can then try running Pear installer again. (after successfully Pear'ed, run: sudo tmutil enablelocal)
  3. If Pear is still giving this error message, it is possible that you have a bootcamp partition, which must be removed or transferred to a different computer.
  4. If you are absolutely 100% sure that you do not have any additional partitions or volumes plugged into your computer (don't forget network attached storage a.k.a. WiFI shared drives on other Macs), it is possible that your system was transferred from an older Macintosh which is throwing red flags, or some other unforeseen error has been flagged to protect you. Unfortunately, this safety feature will intentionally prevent you from Pearing your system as a safety measure. To proceed with Pearing, please restore your computer from your Time Machine backup and begin the Pearing process again. Guide Here. 

If you have followed the steps above and still receive this error, your computer is not supported. Your TarDisk however can be run as a mobile secondary drive without Pear. 

    $$$$$ My core storage was corrupt before Pearing, now what? ----- We have found that some computers have corrupt core storage volumes. This can be the result of many different things, but often we have seen this occur with users who have restored their MacBooks from an image after upgrading, or from users who are running MacBooks which have been left "on" for most of their life. Not to worry, we have the fix! You will use the “fsck” tool,  accessible in single user mode through command prompt. To proceed follow these steps: (See fsck -fy video walkthrough here)

    1. Backup your computer with Time Machine Backup. (it is possible that your original SSD is getting old and backing up your data is always a good idea)
    2. Unplug all USB devices and restart your computer. (If your TarDisk is currently installed, please leave it plugged in)
    3. Open this guide on a second computer or cellphone for reference.
    4. Restart the computer into Single User Mode by holding down Command+S during system boot after you hear the boot chime, you know you will have successfully entered Single User Mode because you will see a bunch of white text on a black background scroll by.
    5. When the Single User boot sequence has finished, you’ll find a small command prompt at the bottom of the screen prefixed by a hash sign (#), when you see that type the following command exactly: fsck -fy
    6. Once fsck completes, if you see a “File system was modified” message, then you should then run “fsck -fy” again until you see a message stating “The volume (name) appears to be OK” – this is standard procedure of using fsck. You may have to run it 3-4 times. (Take a picture of this screen with your phone's camera)
    7. Type “reboot” then press enter, to leave Single User Mode and boot the Mac back into OS X as usual.
    8. Once OS X is booted again, it can be a good idea to confirm all is well by running the Disk Utility tool and running the “Verify” tool to check on the drives health. For an article on how to do this, click here.

    This should solve your problems with corrupt storage, but if it does not, the next step is to either un-pear your computer (if applicable), or to replace your worn out existing SSD. Please proceed to "All other issues". A guide for un-pearing your TarDisk can be found here. 

    $$$$$ All other issues ----- In the event that you are experiencing issues not listed above, these problems can generally be solved by un-pearing your TarDisk and then re-pearing it. The un-pearing process can be found here which applies to computers that have yet-to-be peared as well.  This general process solves any issue you have with your computer, which includes: not re-sizing to the increased Macintosh HD size, not being able to pear, not being able to properly run the Pear installer, or generally not being able to start up (perhaps from an improperly removed TarDisk, physical damage to your system or other). This guide, which is the equivalent to restoring your system from a backup, can be found here. If you would like to try some non-TarDisk specific fixes before restoring, Apple offers a few options that we have summarized here. 

    In the rare even that you are still experiencing issues trying to Pear your TarDisk or trying to run a computer which has recently been Peared, it is possible that something in your system has either thrown the Pear-Installer a red-flag or caused a kernel panic. In these instances we encourage you to visit the document found here, however due to your hardware configurations, it is possible that Pear is not supported by your MacBook. 

      *****My TarDisk does not work, Nothing happens when I plug it in, help! ----- Feel confident knowing that every TarDisk is formatted by hand before it is shipped out! If your new TarDisk is not mounting when you first plug it in, try shutting down your computer, and while it is off; unplugging the TarDisk and securely plugging it back in TEN-times. Feel free to use a credit card or other plastic tool to remove the TarDisk if your nails are short. This removal-insertion process helps “clean” the electrical connections inside your MacBook which sometimes get blocked with dust or dirt. Remember, never use metal objects to remove your TarDisk, or damage will occur. After this process is completed, turn your computer back on.

      •      • Open Disk Utility and in the column on the left hand side you should see TarDisk listed. At this point, feel free to access TarDisk through your finder window. 
      •      • If further troubleshooting is needed repeat the process in the paragraph above; shutting down your computer, and while it is off; unplugging the TarDisk and securely plugging it back in TEN-times. Feel free to use a credit card or other plastic tool to remove the TarDisk if your nails are short. This removal-insertion process helps “clean” the electrical connections inside your MacBook which sometimes get blocked with dust or dirt.
      •      • If further troubleshooting is needed, download the “TarDisk Tool” located on the footer of this page. From the File menu, select “Mount all Disks” then select “Where is my TarDisk”. If you prefer to use command line in terminal, you can follow this guide or type the command "diskutil mount /dev/disk1s2". (You may have to change the disk# to suit your system)  
      •      • If you're still having trouble, create a bullet point list of what you have done so far, and send an email over to us. (It may take upto seven business days for us to get back to you, but we will get back to you!) 

        *Please note that if you previously Pear'ed your TarDisk to your system and have since removed Pear, you will need to delete the EFI partition from your TarDisk, before it will show up in your finder. More info here. This only applies to those users who have completed the un-Pear process.

        $$$$$ TarDisk is stuck!?! ----- Hold on, it should slide right out! TarDisk is precision machined to within .005 inch accuracy, but between that range and the range on your MacBook’s machining, some TarDisks are especially snug. Don’t worry!

        1. Make sure you’ve ejected your TarDisk first (and of course that it is not Pear'ed).
        2. Then, use the edge of a credit card to gently pull it out. Push down on TarDisk to engage the spring mechanism built into your MacBook’s SD port. Do not use metal objects as they will damage your TarDisk and SD port.
        3. If you would like a "Guitar-Pick" tool mailed to you, send a self-addressed envelope to us and we will get one in the mail to you! 

        For a video of how to remove the TIGHTEST fitting TarDisk we could find and to demonstrate how to remove a TarDisk with a credit card, click here. Remember to never use a metal object when removing your TarDisk or damage will occur!

        For TarDisk users, who can not reach their TarDisks' -- as you are aware, TarDisks are MacBook Model specific and range in length from 16mm to 22mm. In the event that you installed the wrong TarDisk for your MacBook, it is possible that this TarDisk is now seated deeply in your SD port making it difficult to reach with a fingernail/Credit Card. If it is necessary to remove your TarDisk, feel free to send a self-addressed and stamped Envelope to us and we will get a tool in the mail to you. The tool can be used to hook the TarDisk and pull it out.

        $$$$$ TarDisk is ejecting randomly. ----- A Peared TarDisks will not eject, however if you did not Pear your TarDisk and you find that you have run your computer down to 0% battery, TarDisk will be ejected by OS X, and after a simple re-start TarDisk should appear again.

        If you have not run your computer down to 0% battery, but the TarDisk has still ejected, the first thing to try is shutting your computer down and with the computer off, unplugging and plugging your TarDisk back in TEN-Times. It is possible that if you rarely used your SDxc port prior to using your TarDisk, the pins in your computer’s slot are dirty and not making good electrical contact with the TarDisk. The act of pushing your TarDisk in and out may fix the problem. (Remember never use metal objects to remove your TarDisk)

        If your [non-pear'ed] TarDisk is involuntarily unmounting from your MacBook upon sleep, there are software fixes for you here that will help as this is a setting in OS X. 

        $$$$$ “Error 50 Code” — What does this mean?! ----- This is actually a defect in Apple’s drivers and/or OS X which is a problem not unique to TarDisk. We pre-format all TarDisks into MacOS Extended Journaled, which provides the highest performance experience, however this format may show this error when files are accessed across separate drives when those files contains special characters (? / < > " | > *) in their names. This even more commonly occurs if the file was created on a Windows computer. Luckily, it’s an easy fix;

        1. Format TarDisk into ExFat. You can use DiskUtility to format the Drive; here is a tutorial.   
        2. SMC & Pram Reset. You can follow our tutorial here.
        3. Delete/Rename files.  Especially for files created on a windows computer, make sure to delete special characters from file names; (? / < > " | > *)

        Please note that if you Pear'ed your TarDisk to your computer, and received this error code, "Step 1" and "Step 3" are not applicable to you. 

        $$$$$ My TarDisk does not fit flush. -----Remember when inserting TarDisk into your MacBook that the gold contact pins should face the floor and those pins should be inserted into your computer first. You can ignore the direction of the "Thumb-nail-removal-slot" as these vary from model to model. A simple video of insertion can be found here. 

        If your TarDisk is not sitting completely flush, it is likely that you received the wrong model or your are not inserting it correctly. We are happy to replace your recently purchased TarDisk with the correct model. Get in touch with us (flushfit@TarDisk.com) so we can help! Please include; 

        1. Your MacBook model number as specifically listed by the TarDisk MacBook Selector. 
        2. Your TarDisk model number and receipt.
        3. A description of the problem.  

        ))))) Quick Guides ##### How do I Pear my TarDisk? -----

        Pearing your MacBook is a simple process designed to be permanent. To prevent the potential for data loss, please make sure to follow the steps below carefully. Pearing makes edits to your operating system's core storage that results in a Macintosh HD that is additively larger. A full set of text instructions can be found here.

        1. Purchase TarDisk: Obtain a Pear enabled TarDisk, which has not been used previously. (Only Pear-enabled TarDisks, which have not been used previously support the Pearing process.)  
        2. Create a Time Machine backup of your system. Make sure that this backup is up-to-date. For information on how to enable your MacBook's existing Time Machine backup, visit Apple's website here. A TimeMachine backup is a necessary safeguard to the Pearing process. 
        3. (Optional) Create an online Backup. Use CrashPlan to create a free 30-day online backup of your MacBook. Note that an online backup can be used in addition to your Time Machine backup, but not in place of it. An online back up may take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. 
        4. "Turn-Off" FileValult and any installed third party antivirus software. After Pearing is complete, you may turn FileVault and antivirus software back "on". 
        5. Free up 8GB. Make sure that you have at least 8GB of free space for the Pearing process. This space is only needed temporary during Pearing. 
        6. Unplug ALL Devices from your MacBook. Make sure your laptop is connected to power and running OSX Yosemite or higher. 
        7. Turn off your computer. 
        8. (Optional, but HIGHLY recommended.) Confirm that your existing hard drive is running properly before Pearing and if it isn't, repair it. If you choose to skip this step now please be aware that you may need to run it later. (See Video Guide here).
          1. Turn your computer off and boot into Single-User Mode. To boot into Single User Mode, press the power button and hold down the Command and S keys simultaneously until you see white text appear on the screen.
          2. When the Single User boot sequence has finished, you’ll find a small command prompt at the bottom of the screen prefixed by a hash sign (#), when you see that type the following command exactly: fsck -fy
          3. Once fsck completes, if you see a “File system was modified” message, then you should then run “fsck -fy” again until you see a message stating “The volume (name) appears to be OK” – this is standard procedure of using fsck. You may have to run it 3-4 times. 
          4. Type “reboot” then press enter, to leave Single User Mode and boot the Mac back into OS X as usual.
        9. (Optional) Verify status of your current storage. Once OS X is booted, confirm all is well by running the Disk Utility tool and running the “Verify” tool to check on the drive's health. Step-by-step article here.
        10. Quit ALL programs. Hold down the Command key and press tab to see programs that are running. Quit each program. 
          Command + Tab
        11. Insert TarDisk. Slide TarDisk into your SDXC port. Remember, never use metal to remove your TarDisk. 
        12. Run TarDisk Pear installer.  Located on your TarDisk is the Pear installer application. This step-by-step installer will prompt you for input. Please be sure to read every screen. After the installer finishes, you will be prompted with a window asking you to restart your computer.  (For MacBooks that formerly did not have core storage, you may be prompted with a separate dialog and be required to restart and run the pear program a few times) This process will vary in length based on the size of your current hard drive, and the size of the TarDisk -- for a complete Tardisk Pear Installer walkthrough please see the full instructions here.
        13. Finished. After restarting, you will see a window: Welcome to TarDisk Pear! If you do not see this window, then you are only one third throught the process, and now need to run the Pear Installer again. (For computers that previously did not have core storage, you will need to run the installer one more time)  Your Macintosh HD will now show two HD volumes, however both volumes will show the combine size of the two.

        Enjoy your new Peared MacBook!

        If you have additional questions, please review this guide and confirm that all steps were properly followed. In the event that you intentionally skipped any of the optional steps above (i.e. Step 8), this may be the source of problems you are experiencing. Please complete those skipped-steps now. If further assistance is needed, please review the full instructions, and in the FAQ follow instructions for Troubleshooting a Peared TarDisk.  

        Step-by-Step guide for Pear Install

        $$$$$How do I un-Pear my TarDisk? -----

        Although the Pearing process is permanent, there may be instances where you need to remove your TarDisk for troubleshooting etc. In these cases the un-Pearing process is listed below and can be accomplished in eight steps.   

        1. Reduce the used disk space on your Macintosh HD to 20% below its original size.
        2. Turn off FileVault and any third party antivirus software.
        3. Create a Time Machine backup.
        4. (Optional) Create an additional online BackUp. 
        5. Turn your computer off.
        6. Slide your TarDisk out.
        7. Turn your computer on while holding down Command (⌘) + R while the computer starts.
        8. Enter into “Disk Utility” and click “Repair Disk.” After the repair process completes, exit Disk Utility.
        9. Restore your MacBook from your most recent Time Machine backup. The process will take about an hour.
        10. Thats it you are done!

          If you run into issues, please follow the step by step guide here.
          Note that after you un-Pear your TarDisk, the TarDisk itself will need to be wiped clean before it will function properly again in a computer. To wipe the TarDisk clean, you will need to delete the EFI partition. More info on the process of deleting a formerly Pear'ed TarDisk can be found in the guide here.

          $$$$$How do I delete the TarDisk HD icon on my desktop? -----

          After a successful Pearing, a shortcut icon to your Macintosh HD will appear on your desktop. This shortcut can be enabled or disabled using the preferences menu. 

          Remove Macintosh HD icon from desktop in OSX 

              

          ***** How do I put my Dropbox onto my non-Pear'ed TarDisk? -----A Peared TarDisk will integrate natively with your MacBook and your DropBox folder -- no additional work necessary -- everything is automatic! However, if you choose NOT to Pear your TarDisk, and instead prefer the TarDisk to function as a separate secondary-drive that you would like to maintain your DropBox folder on, follow the steps below; 

            1. Click on the Dropbox icon on the top menu bar.
            2. Click on the gear icon and select "Preferences..."
            3. Click the "Account" tab under the dropdown menu labeled: "Dropbox location" select your TarDisk.

            $$$$$ How do I set up Time Machine to back up to my non-Pear'ed TarDisk? -----A Peared TarDisk will integrate with a TimeMachine backup automatically -- no additional work necessary! However, if you choose NOT to Pear your TarDisk, and instead prefer the TarDisk to function as a separate secondary-drive, follow the steps below; 

            1. Plug TarDisk into your MacBook. Open Time Machine in Systems Preferences on your Mac.
            2. Click the "select disk" / "select backup disk" button.
            3. In the popup dialogue box, click on the TarDisk icon and then click "use disk”.
            4. If Time Machine asks to reformat the disk, select yes, but be aware that this will delete any data you currently have on your TarDisk. Note: If you want to back up part of your computer, rather than the whole of it on your TarDisk, you can exclude folders from the backup by pressing the "Options..." button in the bottom right hand corner of the Time Machine dialogue box from step 2 above.

            $$$$$ How do I set up iTunes to my non-Pear'ed TarDisk? -----A Peared TarDisk will integrate natively with your MacBook and iTunes Library -- no additional work necessary -- everything is automatic! However, if you choose NOT to Pear your TarDisk, and instead prefer the TarDisk to function as a separate secondary-drive that you would like to maintain your iTunes Library on, follow the steps below; 

            Setup:

            1. Create a folder in your TarDisk called iTunes_TarDisk
            2. In iTunes, go to iTunes -> Preferences (in the settings bar). In the popup menu choose Advanced tab.
            3. Locate “iTunes Media folder location” & click on the “change” button.
            4. Select the folder you created on your TarDisk iTunes_TarDisk in the finder window and press OK.

            Copy Files to TarDisk:

            1. In the settings bar go to File -> Library -> Organize Library and a popup window will appear.
            2. Select the option “Consolidate Library”. Check this box and hit OK. This may take anywhere between a few minutes and an hour depending on the size of your library.
            3. After you confirmed that everything transferred properly, delete your old iTunes Media folder (/Users/Your-Name/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media).