Quick Answer
Yes, you can save files directly to an external hard drive. An external hard drive is simply a hard drive that is external to your computer and connects via USB, Firewire, Thunderbolt, or another connection type. Once you have the drive connected and accessible, you can save, copy, move, and access files on it just like you would with an internal drive.
Saving Files to an External Hard Drive
Saving files to an external hard drive is no different than saving to any other drive on your computer. Here are the basic steps:
- Connect the external hard drive to your computer via USB, Thunderbolt, Firewire, or another connection type. Most external drives today use a USB connection.
- Allow some time for your computer to recognize the new external drive. Usually this is instantaneous but sometimes could take 30 seconds or longer depending on your system.
- Open up File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac. The external drive should appear in the list of available drives and storage devices.
- Navigate to the location on the external drive where you want to save files.
- Copy files to the external drive by dragging and dropping them into place, or use the Save As command within a program to specify the external drive location.
You can save any type of file – documents, photos, videos, music, etc. – to an external hard drive. The external drive becomes available as separate storage just like your internal drive(s).
Benefits of Using an External Drive for Storage
There are several advantages to using an external drive for saving and storing files:
- Portability – External drives are designed to be portable so you can transport your files anywhere.
- Capacity – External drives provide greater storage capacity for large files and backups.
- Security – If sensitive files are saved on an external drive, it can be disconnected and stored safely when not needed.
- Speed – Newer external drives often use fast SSD or Thunderbolt technology providing quick access.
- Sharing – External drives make it easy to share large quantities of files.
Unlike cloud storage which requires an internet connection, external drives provide direct access to files for quick backups, transfers, and access. For creative professionals, photographers, video editors and others working with large file sizes, external drives are a necessity.
Choosing an External Hard Drive
If you’re in the market for an external hard drive, there are a few key considerations when making your purchase:
- Storage capacity – How much storage is needed? Often the higher capacity 4TB+ models offer better value.
- Connectivity – Most recent drives use USB 3.0, USB-C or Thunderbolt for fastest speeds.
- Transfer speed – Faster drives use solid state drives (SSD) for quicker access but come at a higher cost per GB.
- Portability – Compact and slim drives are ideal for travel but larger desktop models store more.
- Durability – If you’ll be travelling with the drive, look for sturdy, shockproof models.
- Security – Some external drives have built-in password protection and encryption.
Popular and well-reviewed external hard drive brands include Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, LaCie, Samsung, and G-Technology. Pay attention to customer reviews to avoid problem drives.
Formatting an External Hard Drive
Before you can start using a new external hard drive, it will need to be formatted. Formatting sets up the filesystem on the drive so your operating system can access it for storing files.
The formatting process is simple but will erase anything already on the drive, so you want to be careful to not format a drive that already has important files saved.
Here are the basic steps to format an external hard drive on Windows and Mac:
On Windows:
- Connect the new external drive and power it on.
- Open Windows File Explorer.
- Right click the drive and click “Format”.
- Choose your desired file system – most often NTFS or exFAT for cross-compatibility.
- Give the drive a descriptive name if desired.
- Click Start to begin the formatting process.
On Mac:
- Connect the new drive and power it on.
- Open Finder and select Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
- Locate the external drive on the left panel and click it.
- Click Erase across the top menu.
- Enter a name for the new volume and select your desired file format.
- Click Erase.
Once the formatting is complete, the external drive will be accessible for saving and managing files.
Saving Files vs Transferring Files
When adding files to your new external hard drive, you have two options:
- Save files directly – Use the Save As command in an application and select the external drive location, or drag files directly over to the drive.
- Transfer files – Copy files over from your internal drive using Copy + Paste, or move them using drag and drop.
The end result is the same – the files end up on the external drive. Saving directly will be a little faster, but transferring copies ensures you retain the originals.
Tips for Quick Transfers
If you need to transfer many files and folders to your new drive, here are tips for making it faster:
- Use a USB 3.0, Thunderbolt or USB-C cable connection for fastest transfer speeds.
- Drag and drop files for quick transfer rather than copying individual files.
- Create smaller batches of files to transfer rather than moving everything at once.
- Only transfer new files. Use software like FreeFileSync to sync changed files.
- Disconnect other external devices to dedicate bandwidth.
With large transfers, an external SSD will provide much quicker write speeds than a mechanical hard disk.
Using External Drives for Backup
One of the most common and recommended uses for external hard drives is to backup your important files for protection in case your main system drive fails.
Backup Basics
Here are some tips for using an external drive for effective backups:
- Use backup software like Apple Time Machine or Microsoft Windows Backup to automate backups.
- Backup regularly – daily or weekly rather than just occasionally.
- Keep drives in different physical locations for redundancy.
- Use cloud storage in addition to local drive backups for geographic redundancy.
- Encrypt backup drives for security.
- Consider a backup rotation with multiple drives.
- Test backups by restoring files occasionally.
Offline backups to external hard drives provide protection against system failure, device loss, ransomware, natural disasters, and other data loss scenarios. They give you complete control over your backup process.
What to Backup
What you backup depends on how much storage space you have available. At minimum, focus on your most important data:
- Personal documents
- Digital photos and videos
- Financial records
- Installation files and licenses
- Business documents
- Email archives
- Website files
With more disk space, you can opt to do a full system backup to create a bootable clone of your entire drive for recovery when needed.
Automating Backups
Manual periodic backups are better than nothing. But automated tools make the process effortless.
On Windows, use the built-in Windows Backup and Restore utility. On Macs, use the Apple Time Machine app and an external drive for set-it-and-forget-it backups.
Third party tools like Veeam, Acronis, Carbonite, CrashPlan and others also simplify the backup process with scheduling and versioning.
For business use, deploying an automated server backup solution is highly recommended to protect company data and systems.
External Hard Drives vs Cloud Storage
So should you backup your files to an external drive or to the cloud? Each have their own pros and cons.
| External hard drives | Cloud storage |
|---|---|
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For most home users and small businesses, a combination of both external and cloud backup provides the best protection and flexibility. Large files and backups can be stored locally, while key documents can be synced to the cloud for accessibility. An external drive augmented with a cloud service like Dropbox or IDrive provides the best of both worlds.
Enterprise and business users rely more heavily on purpose-built backup solutions with automation, redundancy, versioning and long-term retention.
Maintaining and Troubleshooting External Drives
While external hard drives provide reliable storage, it is important to take proper care of them for best results:
– Disconnect the drive safely using the “Eject” feature to prevent damage.
– Always keep backups on a separate drive as well in case of failure.
– Store drives in a cool, dry location away from magnets and excessive heat.
– Avoid exposing drives to shocks, drops or physical damage.
– Use a protective case when travelling with a portable drive.
– Check for errors and bad sectors periodically with built-in disk utilities.
– Upgrade older drives after 3-5 years of use for best performance.
External Hard Drive Not Showing Up
If your external drive is not being detected or not showing up on your system, try these troubleshooting steps:
– Check all cable connections to make sure they are fully plugged in.
– Try a different USB cable or port if possible.
– Reboot your computer and check again for the drive.
– Verify if the drive shows up in Disk Management (Windows) or Disk Utility (Mac). You may just need to mount or format it.
– Check if the external drive shows up on another computer. If it does, the issue is with your original system.
– Update your USB and motherboard drivers. Outdated drivers can cause USB issues.
If the drive is still not being detected, the external enclosure or connection may have failed. Opening up the enclosure to test the bare drive separately can help determine if that is the case. Replacing the external enclosure itself is easier than having to recover data from a failed drive.
Conclusion
External hard drives provide a versatile option for expanding your local storage capacity. Prices are low for these portable drives with capacities topping 10TB that can hold entire libraries of documents, photos, videos and backups. Just connect over USB and you instantly have access to extra storage space.
Carefully saving important files or doing periodic backups to an external drive aids in protecting that data from accidental loss, drive failures, theft and disaster. While the cloud has its benefits, local external storage gives you complete control over your data for safekeeping and quick access. Follow best practices for drive care and maintenance to get the most longevity from your investment.