External hard drives come in different shapes and sizes and they can be used for different uses. Since there are a lot of options available, you need to make sure that you understand all the pros and cons before you choose an external hard drive to store and access your precious and valuable data.

What are the pros of external hard drives?

1. Low cost per GB:

Compared to other tools that can be used to store different types of data, external hard drives have a very low cost per GB of storage. They are also less prone to damage and malfunctioning than DVDs and CDs and transferring data from and to them requires minimal effort.

2. Space:

The space you get from one external hard drive doesn’t compare to the one you get from Blue-ray disks, DVDs and CDs. In fact, some external hard drives will offer the same storage that you can get from 9000 CDs combined. Moreover, the speed at which you can restore and back up data is really fast compared to other tools and equipment used to store different types of data.

3. Easy to use:

Installing an internal drive is not something that everyone can do and could present a problem when you are simply trying to share data or information. But most external hard drives come with an easy plug and play feature that allows you to transform data quickly and effectively.

4. They are highly portable:

Hard drives allow you to easily transform huge amounts of data from one PC to another in an easy way. Transferring data can take forever when you are trying to move data from one PC to another over the internet no matter how fast your connection is. But when you use a hard drive, you can easily transfer TBs. At the same time, all operating systems support different hard drives so this means that you can even transfer and share data between dissimilar operating systems easily and fast.

5. They are great for backups:

There is nothing easier than backing up your data on a hard drive which will allow you to use and retrieve this data easily in case of any system failure. Of course this is faster and more convenient than trying to save this data on a CD or to storing it online where it might be wrongfully accessed in case your email account gets hacked or suspended.

6. They are small in size:

The small size makes them the best to carry around when you are travelling or moving. You don’t need to carry 100 CDs to carry all your valuable data as you change devices or if you are moving to somewhere else. A hard drive that carries a lot of data can easily fit into a small bag for safety.

But with all these pros, there are still some cons that make people skeptical about using external hard drives.

What are the cons of using external hard drives?

1. Security breech:

The truth is that external hard drives can be easily stolen or misplaced, compared to the stealing of a whole computer or laptop. Moreover, if a computer is kept in a safe place with the right security measures that will limit access except to the authorized personnel, the accessibility of data can become impossible. At the same time, cloud based data storage uses the same techniques that can be used on a computer to make sure that nobody can access the main server, except those who have the authority to do so. This problem can be solved if people take the time to encrypt their external hard drives, but a few people actually remember to do that.

2. They can easily fail:

There are a few reasons why external hard drives fail. They could easily be dropped and break. They also continue to produce an electro static discharge that can make their life span shorten. At the same time, with repeated use, they just start to malfunction and eventually they will need to be formatted. This is why, even your external hard drive should have a backup because if it fails there will be no way you could retrieve the data stored.

3. They tend to heat up:

Unlike internal drives that are installed in a way that they are always cooled by the internal case fans, external drives will always heat up with repeated use and this is why they should be used in a cool place, with good ventilation and away from direct sunlight.

Keeping the cons aside, external devices and pretty useful and if you want to get one, see the 10 Best 1 TB External Hard Disks in India (2017) | Review Station.

With the pros and cons of external hard drives, you can easily choose whether you want to use them to store your data or not. Understanding the basic features will help you with such a decision.