The main downside is that you pay a lot more per gigabyte, so you’re likely to end up with less disk space overall. And, because solid-state storage takes up less room than mechanical platters, these types of external hard drive can often be smaller, too. ![]() They’re more expensive than their mechanical counterparts, but they’re faster and more robust. ![]() SSD-based external hard drives have solid state storage in them. The downside is that mechanical hard disks are quite slow and they’re not as rugged. The basic choice you have to make is hard disk or SSD? Traditional hard disks are a lot cheaper per gigabyte, so make sense if you need a load of storage and don’t want to pay a fortune for it. What type of external hard drive do you need? You’ve now got a huge choice of disk, depending on the capacity you need and speed you require. The good news is that external hard drives have moved on a lot since the early days. And, even if you’re not copying files between computers, an external hard disk makes it easy to store backups of important files or have access to the data you need on the move. External enclosures are available relatively inexpensively online - just make sure you get one that matches your drive's physical size (2.5 or 3.5 inches.What’s the best external hard drive? We test nine popular USB models from big manufacturers to see how they stack up.ĭespite fast internet connections and cheap cloud storage plans, an external hard disk is still often the easiest way to transfer lots of files. Alternatively, you can transfer the hard drive to a different external enclosure, if you're not comfortable with opening up your computer. Once connected, you may need to enable the drive in Windows using the Disk Management tool, as detailed in Step 3 above.ģ. Then, connect the drive to your desktop or laptop, following the manufacturer's instructions.Ģ. Open the enclosure and disconnect the drive. This only applies to external hard disks or SSDs it won't work with thumb drives.ġ. If anything, this will allow you to copy its contents to another drive, or upload it to the cloud, in case it fails completely. If all else fails and you possess the technical know-how, you can triage your hardware by removing it from its enclosure and hooking it up to a computer the old-fashioned way. (Image credit: Future) Install your hard drive directly into your computer or a new enclosure Since Windows and Mac computers have compatibility issues with certain types of drive format, you may find that your drive works in a Windows PC if you're running a Mac, and vice-versa. ![]() Failing this, try connecting your external hard drive to another computer, if you have one to hand. ![]() Alternatively, check whether your USB hub has an external power port (such as an AC power supply or USB port), since some hubs need an extra boost of energy to power certain devices such as external hard drives.ģ. If you're plugging your drive into a USB hub, try connecting it directly to its own USB port on your computer instead. It may help to restart your computer if this doesn't work, since this should "refresh" your ports if they're acting up.Ģ. Try plugging your external hard drive into a different USB port on your computer, to see if this makes a difference. (Image credit: Toshiba) Try a different USB port or computerįor all their uses, USB ports like to mess with us from time to time, so it helps to troubleshoot the port.ġ.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |