As the demand for more storage space and information security in computers increases, external hard drives have become a popular choice. It is easy to transfer data to an external hard drive on most computers and operating systems. Using an external hard drive will reduce the chance of data loss or corruption. In addition, data can be copied and archived to an external hard drive so it doesn’t take up space on the main hard drive. In most cases, transferring data from a computer to an external drive is as simple as connecting the drive to the computer, selecting the files on the computer that you want to transfer, and copying them to the external drive.
An external hard 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 image, video, or music files, an external hard drive with plenty of space is a great idea. If you plan 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 handy for travelers who need small files on the go.
A USB cable is often needed to transfer data from a computer to an external hard drive.
External hard drives come with a connection cable, which is usually a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable. External hard drives are also available with other connections like Firewire. Make sure your computer supports the connection used by the external hard drive. USB ports are common on most computer systems and are therefore generally a safe purchase.
A person can copy files by selecting them and pressing the ctrl and c keys at the same time.
To transfer data, start by plugging the external hard drive into the appropriate port. Most computers will 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 to it just as you would files on your computer.
Select the data you want to move, determining whether you want a copy on your external hard drive or delete data from your primary hard drive. In many cases, you can see 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 simply drag the files you want to move from one window to another. You can also cut or copy the files from their original location and paste them to the destination drive.
Many USB devices are also hot-swappable, meaning they can be plugged in and turned on while the computer is on. To remove the device, use the computer’s eject utility. This ensures that the device is not damaged when you turn it off and unplug it. When transferring data, you want to make sure that it is not lost; therefore, wait until the computer indicates that it is safe to disconnect 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 user can view and manipulate the data on the disk at will. This allows multiple users to enjoy the same external hard drive. Also, it makes the data portable, which can be very useful.
External hard drives are much less vulnerable to virus and spyware attacks because they are not continuously connected. When transferring data, make sure it has been scanned so you don’t inadvertently introduce viruses to your external hard drive.
Most external hard drives connect to PCs via USB cables.
