Wednesday, November 2, 2011

External Hard Drives Explained

By Michael Tygart


An external hard drive is an additional storage apparatus utilized to back up the internal hard drive used by most computers. There is typically only one of these internal storage devices in every personal computer system. This absence of back up renders almost all personal computers distinctively at risk to many threats, both deliberate and accidental.

Worms, drive failures and physical accidents all present severe threats to most peoples computers. Everybody who makes use of the world wide web has learned about the insatiable capacities of trojans which can consume and damage the data on a personal computer in a matter of seconds. Preserving duplicates of files wholly isolated from a computer brings about an additional level of safety for confidential and crucial data stored on a computer.

Aside from the fiscal and work-related losses which might come about due to a substantial breakdown of the internal hard drive, personal computers would likely additionally suffer a loss of family pictures, personal emails and various other documents and folders which might hold an extra relevance for the individual. These are some of the most driving causes behind personal purchases of external memory storage devices. The average external device offers more than enough capability to securely protect virtually all of a persons most valued files.

This is the reason why external memory devices were developed. An external memory delivers a certain amount of protection and duplication which prevents substantial loss of material. They also supply a certain peace of mind for computer users who take the time to back up their internal hard drives. Buying these drives is simple and they are found in great number at any retail store which carries computers. These external drives come in quite a few designs and are accompanied by numerous accessories.

An external hard drive stores a duplicate of the information held on the internal hard drive of a computer. The copy does not have to be an exact copy of the data stored internally. The end user can decide precisely what data to move over to the external memory. He or she can also pick which information to transfer back into the first computers memory if, for some reason, data files were lost or wiped out.

External drives offer added safety from hazards simply because they can be unplugged and held at a distance from the computers hard drive. This renders them impervious to both digital and physical attacks on the original computers. If the information on the external memory ever becomes necessary, the user can simply plug it in to the computer and transfer the files over to the internal hard drive.

These kinds of external memory units can also link up to additional computers. This permits the user of the information to make use of the data placed on the device in different locations. The external drive does not, however, function on its own without the help of a Processor. They are not portable computers or netbooks. They are merely storage devices.

To attach the external drive to the original computer, or any additional computer, you must commonly use a USB cable. The majority of computers contain numerous USB ports that would certainly be suitable with an external drive. Supplemental ports that are also appropriate with the common external memory include Fire Wire 400 and FireWire 800. These may or may not be among the ports offered on a particular computer. The velocity and protection of data transfer can vary between the various ports. Fire Wire 800, in particular, boasts a very fast connection rate.

Presently there is a great deal of selection among external memory drives. A number of desktop hard drives are relatively large and designed in order to remain physically hooked up to a personal computer. They are either stored on a table near the computer or kept in a closet in the same room. In some cases, they just continue to be hooked up to the original computer at all times.




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