How to Install a USB Storage Device

External USB hard drives offer plug-and-play storage upgrades.

USB, or Universal Serial Bus, is designed to be "plug-and-play," which means you can readily add or remove devices from USB without restarting your computer. Most USB devices install automatically whenever you attach them to a Windows 7 computer, and this is true of USB storage devices such as flash drives or external hard drives. To install them on your computer, you need only plug them in, and Windows 7 will handle the rest.

Instructions

1. Plug the power cable from the USB storage device to a standard wall outlet and power it on. Some devices, such as flash drives, do not require an external source of power.

2. Plug the USB connector of your storage device into an available USB port on your computer. Windows 7 automatically loads the necessary drivers.

3. Hold the "Windows" key and press "E" to open Windows Explorer and see your new drive.