Your external hard drive will be very useful for storing heavy files and transporting them wherever you need to go. This already shows how important this device is and must be taken care of to avoid losing files.

Do not think that your external hard drive is immune from intrusion. It is necessary to take good care of the security of your hardware. Whenever you connect it to your computer, activate the antivirus to prevent intrusions. This will prevent you from losing important files. In addition, it is necessary to take other precautions. Check out:

1. Take good care of your device even when it is disconnected. Never leave your external hard drive in very hot environments, always prefer cool and airy places. Never leave it exposed to sunlight.
2. Whenever possible, clean your appliance without using water or substances that could damage it. Always wipe with a cloth and avoid leaving it in places where there is accumulation of dust and exposure to fungi, such as drawers that are closed for a long time.
3. It is also necessary to protect yourself on public PCs, which do not always have antivirus. To avoid losing your files, you need to vaccinate your external hard drive. To do this, create directories with names of the most common contaminated files and, in addition, autorun, inf directories, which block the spread of this infection.
   Once these files are configured in “read-only” mode, viruses on public computers will not be able to delete the file or folder. To apply this vaccine, there are several types of programs available, such as Panda USB and AutoRun Vaccine.

The price of an external hard drive will depend a lot on its brand, storage capacity and technologies present in the device.

An external hard drive from a not very popular brand, with 320 GB of capacity, usually costs from R $ 150. However, it is worth investing a little more in a reliable brand and a superior memory.

An external hard drive of 4 TB can reach R $ 1,000, due to its very high storage capacity. Devices with a capacity of 2 TB cost around R $ 350.

There are devices with the most varied prices. It is necessary to assess what your main needs are before making the purchase.

Purchasing criteria: Main factors for evaluating an External HD

Each external hard drive has its own characteristics, and it is important to evaluate one by one before deciding which model is best for you. These are some items that must be taken into account before purchasing:

• Storage capacity
• Available connections
• velocity
• Operating system compatibility
• Weight

We will explain exactly why each of these points is important when purchasing your external hard drive!

Storage capacity

In general, all external hard drives have a storage capacity much higher than pen drives. The simplest and cheapest models usually have 320 GB of memory, which is enough to store many files.

The portable models with greater capacity store up to 4 TB. This type of space is suitable for those who have many heavy files, as it is capable of storing a wide variety of images and videos.

Most external HD models have 1 TB to 2 TB of storage capacity. Before choosing your model, you need to assess what your need is, considering the size of the files you would like to store.

Available connections

Nowadays, most external hard drives for sale have USB 3.0 connections, which guarantees an excellent and fast transfer rate of 5Gbps (the equivalent of about 625 MB/s).

There are models that provide even more speed when transferring. External hard drives with USB 3.1, eSATA or Thunferbolt connections are already available on the market and offer more comfort and speed when transferring files. However, their prices are higher.

Always prefer models that facilitate your daily life and do not provide headaches. Invest in quality external hard drives to ensure greater cost-effectiveness.

velocity

Speed ​​and connections are characteristics that must be evaluated separately when purchasing an external hard drive. The connections are related to the ability to transfer files. Speed, on the other hand, is the agility with which HD can access data contained therein.

This is usually measured in RPMs. The more RPMs, the faster your external hard drive will be. The slowest models usually have about 4200 RPM, while the fastest ones reach 10000 RPM.

However, you can only enjoy the speed of your external hard drive if you have a computer with a compatible USB port. A speed of 10000 RPM will only be fully utilized with connections faster than USB 3.0.

Operating system compatibility

To ensure the smooth operation of your external hard drive, it is necessary to verify that it has the same operating system as the computer.

Windows and Mac have different file systems (NTFS and HFS +, respectively). Therefore, there are specific models for each platform. Macs can read HD files on NTFS, but they cannot write new files.

If your system is Linux, external Windows-compatible hard drives will function normally.

Weight

Some models of external HD are very light, while others, heavier. Desktop hard drives, for example, weigh more than notebooks, in addition to being larger. Therefore, they are more difficult to transport.

If you are looking for a model that is easy to transport, you must take into account the weight of the external hard drive. Even among notebooks, there is a wide range of weights.

Some models are so light and compact that they can even fit in your pocket. The weights of portable hard drives usually range from 350 g to more than 1 kg.