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External hard drives are a popular option for increased storage space and information security. They can be easily connected to a computer, reducing the risk of data loss or corruption. To transfer data, select an external hard drive that meets your storage needs, plug it into the computer, and select the files you want to transfer. External hard drives are portable and can be used on multiple computers, making data transfer easy. They are also less vulnerable to virus and spyware attacks.
As demands for more storage space and information security on computers have increased, external hard drives have become a popular option. It’s easy to transfer data to an external hard drive on most computers and operating systems. Using an external hard drive will reduce the risk of data loss or corruption. Additionally, you can back up and archive your data to an external hard drive so it doesn’t take up space on a primary hard drive. In most cases, transferring data from a computer to an external drive is as simple as plugging the drive into the computer, selecting the files on the computer you want to transfer, and copying them to the external drive.
To transfer data to an external hard drive, first select an external hard drive that meets your storage needs. Depending on the type of data, you may want a hard drive with a very large capacity. If you have a lot of pictures, videos or music files, an external hard drive with plenty of space is a great idea. If you intend to transfer data such as documents, a smaller capacity external hard drive is sufficient. Some external hard drives are small enough to fit on a keychain, which is useful for travelers who need small files on the go.
External hard drives come with a connecting cable, which is often a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable. External hard drives are also available with other connections such as Firewire. Make sure your computer supports the connection used by the external hard drive. USB ports are common on most computers and therefore are usually a safe buy.
To transfer data, start by plugging your external hard drive into the appropriate port. Most computers recognize the hard drive as a new device and scan it to determine what it is. The computer will assign a letter to the portable hard drive. This allows you to transfer data exactly as you would move files to your computer.
Select the data you want to move, determining if you want a copy to the external hard drive or if you want to remove the data from the primary hard drive altogether. In many cases, you may be able to view the contents of the folders on each drive side by side, one showing the drive or folder you want to copy or move files from and the other showing the destination on the external hard drive; you can then simply drag the files you want to move from one window to another. You can also cut or copy files from their original location and paste them to the destination drive.
Many USB devices are also hot-swappable, which means they can be plugged in and turned on while the computer is on. To remove the device, use your computer’s eject utility. This ensures that the device is not damaged when you turn it off and unplug it. When you transfer data, you want to make sure it’s not lost, so be sure to wait for your computer to indicate it’s safe to unplug the external hard drive.
An external hard drive can be used to transfer data to and from multiple computers. The drive can be connected to any computer with the appropriate port, which will recognize the drive. The data on the unit can be viewed and manipulated as desired by the user. This allows multiple users to take advantage of the same external hard drive. It also makes data portable, which can be very handy.
External hard drives are much less vulnerable to virus and spyware attacks because they are not plugged in all the time. When transferring data, make sure it’s been scanned so you don’t inadvertently introduce viruses to your external hard drive.
