Quick Answer
Yes, HDDs (hard disk drives) can absolutely be used as external drives. HDDs are a common choice for external storage due to their large capacities and low prices compared to SSDs. As long as the HDD is installed in an external enclosure and connected properly via USB, eSATA, or Thunderbolt, it can serve as an external drive.
What is an External Drive?
An external drive is any type of storage device that connects to a computer externally rather than being installed internally. External drives connect to PCs via external interfaces like USB, eSATA, FireWire, and Thunderbolt.
Common types of external drives include:
– External HDDs – The most popular type of external drive, external HDDs provide lots of storage capacity at a low price point.
– External SSDs – External solid state drives don’t have moving parts and provide very fast data transfer speeds. More expensive per gigabyte than HDDs.
– External RAID arrays – Multiple drives in an external enclosure configured for RAID to provide large capacities, speed, or drive redundancy.
– External optical drives – Drives like Blu-ray burners and DVD/CD drives connect externally via USB.
– External tape drives – Used mainly for archival and backup purposes, tape drives store data on magnetic tape cartridges.
Benefits of Using External Drives
There are several advantages to using external drives versus internal drives:
– **Portability** – External drives are designed to be portable so they can easily be transported between different computers.
– **Flexibility** – External drives allow you to expand the storage capabilities of your computer without opening up the case.
– **Data security** – Keeping sensitive data on an external drive helps protect it if your laptop is lost, stolen, or infected by malware.
– **Accessibility** – It’s easier to access data on an external drive that’s not locked inside a computer case.
– **Sharing** – External drives facilitate sharing and transferring large files between computers.
– **Backup** – External drives provide a great medium for backing up your system or copying important files for safekeeping.
Using an HDD as an External Drive
Hard disk drives (HDDs) are a popular choice for external storage due to their high capacities and low cost per gigabyte compared to solid state drives. Here are some steps for using an HDD as an external drive:
1. Obtain a 3.5″ or 2.5″ internal HDD. 3.5″ drives require an external power adapter, while 2.5″ drives can be powered over USB.
2. Choose an external HDD enclosure that matches the size of your drive and your interface method (USB, eSATA, etc).
3. Open the enclosure and install the HDD securely into the SATA-to-USB bridge board.
4. Close up the enclosure and connect to your computer via the provided cable.
5. The drive should appear in your system’s file explorer ready for use. If not, try assigning a drive letter in disk management.
6. Optionally format the drive with a file system like NTFS or exFAT for use with Windows and macOS.
7. You can now store files on the external HDD like you would with any disk volume.
2.5-inch vs. 3.5-inch External HDDs
2.5-inch and 3.5-inch denote the form factor or size of the hard disk drives themselves. Here are some comparisons between the two types when used as external drives:
| Factor | 2.5-inch HDD | 3.5-inch HDD |
| Drive physical size | 2.5 inches | 3.5 inches |
| Common disk capacities | 500GB – 5TB | 2TB – 10TB+ |
| Interface types | USB, eSATA | USB, eSATA, Thunderbolt |
| Power requirement | Powered via USB port | Requires separate power adapter |
| Portability | Very portable and light | Less portable due to larger size |
As you can see, 2.5-inch drives are smaller, don’t require external power, and are more portable. But 3.5-inch drives provide larger storage capacities. Choose the form factor that makes sense for your specific needs. Both work great as external storage.
External HDD Interface Types
There are several different interfaces that external hard drives may use to connect to PCs and other devices. Some examples include:
– **USB** – The most common interface for external HDDs. USB 2.0 drives can reach speeds around 35MB/s while USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 drives provide up to 5Gbps transfer rates. Even faster USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 hits 20Gbps. Virtually any computer has USB ports.
– **eSATA** – eSATA (external SATA) offers high speed SATA connectivity for drives with transfer rates up to 6Gbps. However, eSATA ports are less common and may require expansion cards.
– **Thunderbolt** – Thunderbolt 1 & 2 provide bi-directional 10Gbps bandwidth while Thunderbolt 3 has blazing 40Gbps speeds. Thunderbolt works with both Macs and Windows PCs but requires specific ports.
– **FireWire** – A legacy interface standard peaking at 800Mbps speeds. Primarily seen on older drives and Macs. Very uncommon on new PCs and drives.
For the most compatibility and best cost-effectiveness, USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 external HDDs offer a good balance of speed and usability across virtually all modern computers. But Thunderbolt 3 offers amazing performance if supported.
Choosing the Right External HDD Enclosure
Shopping for an external hard drive enclosure to pair with your internal HDD? Keep these tips in mind:
– Match the enclosure to the size/form factor of your HDD (2.5-inch or 3.5-inch).
– Make sure the enclosure supports your target interface like SATA, USB 3.0, eSATA, etc.
– Seek an enclosure with good ventilation and cooling. Some have built-in fans.
– Only use a high-quality power adapter if supplied for 3.5-inch enclosures.
– Look for durable, sturdy construction to protect your drive.
– LED activity lights are useful to see when the drive is accessed.
– Enclosure material impacts portability. Plastic cases are light while aluminum adds protection.
– Pay a little more for name brand enclosures from reputable companies.
– Read reviews and benchmarks to find well-performing enclosures that won’t bottleneck your drive.
With so many enclosure options available, take your time to choose the right one for your external HDD. This helps maximize performance and reliability.
Formatting Your External Hard Drive
When you first set up an external hard disk for use, you’ll want to format it and assign a file system:
– **Windows** – Nearly all external drives for Windows should be formatted with NTFS for best performance and compatibility. The older FAT32 file system has limitations but can be used for drives under 2TB if needed for Linux and Mac support.
– **Mac** – For external drives that only be used with Macs, format them with Mac OS Extended (HFS+). For cross-platform flexibility, use exFAT instead.
– **Linux** – On Linux, you can format external drives with Ext4, XFS, Btrfs, or other modern Linux file systems. For sharing drives between OSes, try exFAT.
Use the built-in disk utility within your operating system to easily format external HDDs. On Windows, right-click the drive in File Explorer and choose Format. On Mac, find Disk Utility in Applications > Utilities. In Linux, utilize tools like GParted.
Properly formatting optimizes external HDDs for use as storage expansion and ensures the operating system can fully access and manage the drive.
External HDD vs. External SSD
There are some key differences between external hard drives (HDDs) and external solid state drives (SSDs) to consider when choosing external storage:
| External HDD | External SSD | |
| Cost per GB | Around $0.03/GB | Around $0.20/GB |
| Capacities | Typically 500GB – 10TB | Typically 250GB – 2TB |
| Max speeds | Up to 210 MB/s | Up to 1050 MB/s |
| File transfer speed | 100-170 MB/s seq. read | 550-850 MB/s seq. read |
| Ruggedness/fragility | Moderately durable | No moving parts, very durable |
| Power efficiency | Requires more power | Lower power draw |
As the table illustrates, HDDs are more affordable and offer greater capacities compared to SSDs. But SSDs are much faster, more durable, and energy efficient. Pick the external drive technology that aligns best with your priorities like budget, speed, size, etc.
Using External HDDs for Backup
One of the most popular uses for external HDDs is to back up your system and important files. There are several ways you can leverage external drives for backup purposes:
– **Manual file copy** – Manually drag-and-dropping files from your computer to the external HDD periodically. Easy but time consuming.
– **Sync tools** – Sync software like FreeFileSync can automate copying of files to external drives for routine backup.
– ** Imaging** – Tools create a full system image backup that can restore your entire OS and data in case of failure or disaster recovery.
– **Cloud backup** – Back up your external HDD files to cloud services like Backblaze and Carbonite for offsite protection.
– **Backup software** – Solutions like Acronis True Image automatically back up drives and files incrementally to external storage.
– ** RAID array** – Using multiple external HDDs in a RAID 1 array can instantly replicate and protect data from the loss of any single disk failure.
No matter your specific backup needs, external hard drives provide reliable, high capacity storage for protecting your data. Be sure to store your drive in a separate secure location from your computer to keep your backups protected from hazards.
External HDD vs. NAS vs. Cloud Storage
So you need more storage – should you expand with an external HDD, Network Attached Storage (NAS), or cloud storage? Here’s how they compare:
| External HDD | NAS | Cloud Storage | |
| Cost | Cheap $/GB | Moderate $/GB | Most expensive $/GB |
| Capacity | 2TB to 10TB+ typical | Terabytes to petabytes | Unlimited |
| Access Speed | Moderate | Very fast on local network | Moderate to slow based on internet speeds |
| Accessibility | Only from attached computer | From all devices on local network | From any internet-connected device |
| Security | Moderate if stored properly | Good for shared access | Encryption and access controls |
As you can see, each storage solution has its own pros and cons. External HDDs are directly attached for a single machine, NAS devices interface with a network, and cloud storage is accessible from anywhere with internet connectivity. Consider which benefits fit your specific needs in deciding on the best storage expansion approach.
Ideal Uses for External HDDs
Due to their plug-and-play functionality, high capacities, and low cost, external HDDs are great for:
– Backing up desktop and laptop systems
– Transporting and sharing large files between computers
– Storing large media libraries of photos, videos, music, etc.
– Saving backups of critical business and personal data
– Archiving old computer files that no longer need quick access
– Expanding the storage capacity of low-end laptops and tablets
– Collaborating on project files between school and work computers
For cold data storage and backup purposes, external HDDs are hard to beat. But they can slow down when running programs or as startup drives, so SSDs are better for active projects.
Tips for Using External Hard Drives
Follow these tips for safely and effectively utilizing external hard disk drives:
– Eject the external HDD safely before disconnecting to avoid possible drive errors or data corruption.
– Always keep backups of your important external HDD data in case of failure or loss. Drives can unexpectedly fail at any time.
– Store drives properly upright when not in use and avoid excessive shocks, drops, vibrations, chemicals, liquids, heat, and magnets.
– Transfer large batches of files in folders at once rather than many small individual files to speed up the process.
– Only use high-quality cables designed for external HDD connections for the fastest speeds.
– Format drives with NTFS or exFAT for use across Windows and MacOS. FAT32 has more limitations.
– Keep drives in a secure physical location away from your computer to protect data from internet attacks or drive failures.
Following best practices helps you reliably utilize cost-effective external hard disks for all your expandable storage needs both at home and on the go.
Conclusion
External HDDs provide a versatile and affordable way to add storage capacity and back up systems. By installing a standard hard drive in an external enclosure, even large capacity HDDs can interface with any computer via fast connections like USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt. Compared to external SSDs, external hard drives offer more storage for less cost while still providing adequate speeds for backup, archival, entertainment media, and other secondary storage needs. Just be sure to use a quality external interface and properly format the drive for optimal performance as reliable expanded storage space.