How to Use External Hard Drives

External hard drives come in two types, a USB port connection or a serial port connection. Newer models are all connected by USB or universal serial port. You can either purchase the entire drive assembly or purchase an external hard drive enclosure for a hard drive you already own. Either way, they are simple to install and use.

Instructions

1. Assemble the hard drive enclosure if needed. This is usually done by sliding your existing hard drive into the enclosure box and attaching the connector to the pins on the end of the drive.

2. Plug the end of the external drive cable into either your USB port or your serial port. Many computers have USB ports on the front of the machine for ease of use; serial ports are almost always found on the back of the computer.

3. Turn on your computer and allow it to boot. Once it has finished booting, click on the ‘"My Computer" icon. You should see an extra drive letter, such as ‘"F," with the notation of "removable drive." Drag files into that drive to save them.

4. Use the external hard drive to back up data from your primary drive or to store data and digital media such as music, video and pictures.

Tips & Warnings

• Some operating systems allow you to plug in external hard drives while the computer is up and running. Older operating systems may not allow this convenience.

• Older operating systems require that you stop the hardware before you remove an external hard drive. This is easily accomplished by clicking the ‘remove hardware’ icon in your system tray. Scroll your mouse over the icons in the tray to determine the correct one.

• External hard drives are great for transferring files from one computer to another. This makes it a simple task to make sure you are using the most recent version of any project you are working on.