How to Mount a USB Hard Drive

A USB hard drive is mounted when the USB connection is made and an image of the hard drive appears on the computer's desktop. The hard drive becomes an available and accessible part of the computer while it is connected to the USB port.

The majority of external hard drives and flash drives are USB-compatible and connect to a computer through a USB cable. USB connections require little setup, and once the connection is made, files can be moved seamlessly between the mounted hard drive and the computer's internal hard drive.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• USB hard drive, with cable

1. Turn on the computer and connect the USB hard drive to an available USB port on the computer. Wait a few seconds for the connection to be established.

2. Locate the hard drive image icon that should appear on your desktop on the computer. The image may have a name such as "external drive" or "unknown disk" (or "drive" or "USB drive"). It may also have a file name that is the name of the specific drive (such as "Western Digital My Book") or a generic letter such as "F" or "G." The USB symbol may be present as well. If you see this hard drive image or icon on your desktop, then the drive has been successfully mounted.

3. Double-click on the hard drive to access the contents of the drive. You can select and drag files to and from the external hard drive as well as view files on the drive and make changes to those files.

4. Remove the hard drive by right-clicking on the hard drive image and selecting either "Eject Drive" or "Stop Drive." This will safely disconnect the USB hard drive. Remove it from the USB port.

Tips & Warnings

• Many USB hard drives are externally powered. Ensure the power supply is plugged in before attempting to connect the drive.
• Always disconnect the hard drive safely by following Step 4. Simply pulling the USB cable out can cause damage to the files on the drive.