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External Hard Drives

External hard drives are ideal for backing up your hard drive or storing additional media separately from your main hard drive. Photos, videos, and digital music have all become so popular in recent years that people need a place to put it all. CDs and DVDs do not have the capacity to hold PC backups and are not all that convenient. However, the prices of external hard drives have come down so much that they are perfect for backing up your important data.

The two most common interfaces for hooking up external drives to your computer are USB and FireWire with eSata now becoming popular also. USB has been around for years and are standard on just about all computers today while FireWire ports are newer and if you use a digital video camera with your computer you probably already have one. In terms of access speeds the latest eSata standard offers the fastest connection however that comes with a price. USB 2.0 and Firewire can cover most of your general needs without having to upgrade your system with a new eSata card. Any of the interfaces will do the job however be sure to purchase an external hard drive with the same type of port that your computer has.

Your backup drive should have a capacity at least as big as your computer's largest hard drive. That will leave you with plenty of room to back up your important files or mirror/clone your current drive. You can also buy an external hard drive case and mount an internal hard drive inside it. This method will give you a choice of brands and models, and if anything goes wrong with your internal hard drive, you can simply install the external one inside your computer to replace it.

Considerations for External Hard Drives

One drawback to using external hard drives for backups is that they are still relatively new for home computer use. They come with Windows drivers; should Windows fail, you will not be able to access your external drive through DOS. There are DOS drivers available but they can be difficult to find and most manufacturers do not provide support for them. This isn't a frequent occurrence, just something to keep in mind as you select your external hard drive.

Bestselling Desktop External Hard Drives Reviews:

Anthony G.

3/28/2025 12:24:45 PM

Good

“ bought to use as an external drive for a plex server, works well for that. ”

Seagate Expansion Desktop 16TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0 - STKP16000400

THOMAS H.

2/24/2025 4:41:02 PM

Simple setup, good performance at USB3.0+

“ Yes, because it's better than the Seagate external drive it originally replaced. ”

WD Elements 20TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive WDBWLG0200HBK-NESN Black

John B.

12/27/2024 2:27:35 AM

Great product

“ I only use WD drives - dependable and reasonably priced. ”

WD Elements 16TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive WDBWLG0160HBK-NESN Black

Anonymous

11/23/2024 2:05:12 PM

Good product, easy to setup and use.

“ The Seagate Expansion 14 TB External Hard Drive USB 3.0 Quick Start Guide says: USB-C ports require a micro-B to USB-C cable (not included). ”

Seagate Expansion 14TB External Hard Drive USB 3.0 with Rescue Data Recovery Services (STKP14000400)

Anonymous

10/25/2024 1:37:00 PM

So far it is doing the job

“ This hard drive seems to be working fine but it is too soon to tell if it rates 5 eggs. ”

Seagate Expansion 14TB External Hard Drive USB 3.0 with Rescue Data Recovery Services (STKP14000400)

Anonymous

10/23/2024 7:22:47 AM

Big drive

“ Drive was easy to install and easy to copy files over as a primary external drive. ”

Seagate Expansion 14TB External Hard Drive USB 3.0 with Rescue Data Recovery Services (STKP14000400)

Anonymous

10/7/2024 9:18:59 AM

Seagate Expansion 12TB

“ Had problems with WD drives so switched to Seagate. ”

Seagate Expansion 14TB External Hard Drive USB 3.0 with Rescue Data Recovery Services (STKP14000400)

Anonymous

8/29/2024 6:42:26 AM

I guess it does the job, slower than expected

“ All my Seagate and WD drives have never failed on me, even after a decade of use. ”

Seagate Expansion 14TB External Hard Drive USB 3.0 with Rescue Data Recovery Services (STKP14000400)

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Considerations for External Hard Drives

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