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EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE
A Description
Antonio Brancatella
October 20, 2012
Audience and Scope
The purpose of this technical description is to inform and
familiarize computer users on
what an external hard drive is, what are all the components and
parts, and what are some
of the associated advantages of an external hard drive. This
technical description will also
outline safety tips and a list of external hard drives available
for purchase.
The audience of this technical description would be personal
computer owners. An
external hard drive can be connected to all personal computers
running on all operating
systems, be it Mac, Windows or all other operating systems.
Personal computers have an
internal hard drive which eventually will get full especially if
the computer user edits
high-quality video file or/and stores a music library. There is
no set storage size for an
external hard drive but their capacity is getting bigger all the
while remaining compact.
Introduction
An external hard drive is a hard drive in a casing that requires
its own power supply
outlet and connects to a personal computer with a USB cable .
The external hard drive
can also connect to a wireless router and in turn, be connected
to all computers on a home
network. This technical description will only describe and
illustrate the external hard
drive connected with a USB cable directly to a personal
computer.
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Description
An external hard drive is a portable data storage device that
attaches effortlessly to all
personal computers. The external hard drive can be attached and
shared simultaneously to
more than one computer through a home network setup. The
external hard drive sits in a
casing sometimes referred to as a cage. The casing protects the
hard drive and also holds
the IDE Interface connector. The IDE Interface connects the hard
drive to the USB wire
which in turn, connects to the personal computer. The casing
also holds the power
connector which is connected to the Power Adapter Cable. All
casings have a "turned-on"
light which lets the user know that the external hard drive is
on and connected.
Parts
Hard Drive
A Hard Drive's storage size varies and typically has
1 to 2 Terabytes of data. 1 Terabyte can hold up to 2
million pictures, several hours of music, and over 20
movies or videos.
USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable
Connector Face
(to Computer)
Cable End
(to Computer)
Cable End
(to Hard Drive)
Connector Face
(to Hard Drive)
http://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/bezel_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb_topc.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cableshttp://manuals.lacie.com/_detail/static/cables/end_usb3_reg_todrive.gif?id=en:manuals:porsche-9230:cables
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Power Adapter Cable
Hard Drive Casing or Cage
Power ConnectorIDE Interface
Connector
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Turned-On Indicator Light
Process
Figure 1 below shows how the external hard drive looks like once
connected to the
personal computer. Note the external hard drive can easily be
connected to a Lap Top
computer or a wireless router.
Figure 1:
Turned-On
Light Indicator
Light
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External Hard Drive Advantages
An external hard drive allows you to increase space without
taking the personalcomputer apart.
Users who do not require extra storage may still find external
hard drives usefulfor backing up their main hard drive. External
hard drives are a great backup
solution because they can store an exact copy of another hard
drive and can be
stored in a safe location.
The external hard drive can be connected to a wireless router
and be used by allcomputers on the network.
An external hard drive is portable and can be easily stored in a
safety deposit boxat home or in a bank vault.
The data transfer speeds are getting faster allowing long
process work such asPhotoshop or Illustrator projects to be
completed in a shorter amount of time.
External Hard Drives manufacturers are competing with each other
to capture theexternal hard drive market driving down the cost of
price per gigabyte.
External Hard Drive Disadvantages
External hard drives can be carried from place to place; as a
result they getdropped, knocked, and subjecting the hard drive to
abuse which might render it
inoperable.
Trailing data transfer on an external hard drives can be a
problem but with USB3.0 now available, the transfer speeds are
getting faster.
The cables are a disadvantage; an external hard drive cannot
function without theUSB cable and power adapter so need to secured
as well as the hard drive.
The cables can get in the way at times and might drag the
external hard drive tothe floor if not secured properly.
An external drives seldom have cooling fans and can at times
overheat. The external hard drive can also be lost not being inside
the personal computer. An external hard 's design is not always
pleasant to look at, especially with the
attached wires, but companies such as Lacie are designing them
in different
shapes and colors going away from the black casing.
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Safety Tips
Protect your external hard drive when moving from place to
place. The data canbe very valuable and sometimes not
replaceable.
Secure the external hard drive when connecting it to a personal
computer. Youcan damage the external hard drive if the cables
unexpectedly come unplugged.
Backup the data on the external, or use it as the backup. Backup
. When purchasing an external hard drive bigger is always better.
Lock your external hard drive with a safety lock cable. It is worth
the expense.
http://www.acco.com.au/products/img/Zoom/z64638%20Kensington%20ClickSafe%20Keyed%20Twin%20Laptop%20Lock%20COILED.jpg
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Examples of External Hard Drives
WD My Book Essentials 1TB External Hard Drive
(WDBACW0010HBK-NESN)
Seagate Expansion 3TB External Desktop Hard Drive (STBV3000100)
- Black
WD My Book Essentials 3TB External Hard Drive
(WDBACW0030HBK-NESN)
Seagate Goflex 1.5TB Desktop External USB 2.0 Hard Drive
(STAC1500100)
Seagate Goflex 3TB Desktop External USB 3.0 Hard Drive
(STAC3000102)
http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-1tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn/10155403.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-expansion-3tb-external-desktop-hard-drive-stbv3000100-black-stbv3000100/10207990.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-3tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn/10155405.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-1-5tb-desktop-external-usb-2-0-hard-drive-stac1500100-stac1500100/10181121.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-3tb-desktop-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-stac3000102-stac3000102/10179921.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-3tb-desktop-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-stac3000102-stac3000102/10179921.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-1-5tb-desktop-external-usb-2-0-hard-drive-stac1500100-stac1500100/10181121.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-3tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn/10155405.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-expansion-3tb-external-desktop-hard-drive-stbv3000100-black-stbv3000100/10207990.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-1tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn/10155403.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-3tb-desktop-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-stac3000102-stac3000102/10179921.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-1-5tb-desktop-external-usb-2-0-hard-drive-stac1500100-stac1500100/10181121.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-3tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn/10155405.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-expansion-3tb-external-desktop-hard-drive-stbv3000100-black-stbv3000100/10207990.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-1tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn/10155403.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-3tb-desktop-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-stac3000102-stac3000102/10179921.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-1-5tb-desktop-external-usb-2-0-hard-drive-stac1500100-stac1500100/10181121.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-3tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn/10155405.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-expansion-3tb-external-desktop-hard-drive-stbv3000100-black-stbv3000100/10207990.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-1tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn/10155403.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-3tb-desktop-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-stac3000102-stac3000102/10179921.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-1-5tb-desktop-external-usb-2-0-hard-drive-stac1500100-stac1500100/10181121.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-3tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn/10155405.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-expansion-3tb-external-desktop-hard-drive-stbv3000100-black-stbv3000100/10207990.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-1tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn/10155403.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-3tb-desktop-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-stac3000102-stac3000102/10179921.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-1-5tb-desktop-external-usb-2-0-hard-drive-stac1500100-stac1500100/10181121.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-3tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn/10155405.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-expansion-3tb-external-desktop-hard-drive-stbv3000100-black-stbv3000100/10207990.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-1tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn/10155403.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-3tb-desktop-external-usb-3-0-hard-drive-stac3000102-stac3000102/10179921.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-goflex-1-5tb-desktop-external-usb-2-0-hard-drive-stac1500100-stac1500100/10181121.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-3tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn-wdbacw0030hbk-nesn/10155405.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/seagate-seagate-expansion-3tb-external-desktop-hard-drive-stbv3000100-black-stbv3000100/10207990.aspxhttp://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/wd-wd-my-book-essentials-1tb-external-hard-drive-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn-wdbacw0010hbk-nesn/10155403.aspx
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Key Words
Megabyte: A Megabyte is approximately1,000 Kilobytes.
Gigabyte: A Gigabyte is approximately
1,000 Megabytes.
Terabyte: A Terabyte is approximately onetrillion bytes, or
1,000 Gigabytes.
NTFS
MSFAT
Mac
IDE Interface
USB 3.0
Maximum Data TransferData Buffer
- Pictures and external hard drive examples from
www.lacie.com
www.futureshop.ca
www.bing.com
1 Bit = Binary Digit
8 Bits = 1 Byte 1000 Bytes = 1 Kilobyte
1000 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte
1000 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte
1000 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte
1000 Terabytes = 1 Petabyte
1000 Petabytes = 1 Exabyte
1000 Exabytes = 1 Zettabyte
1000 Zettabytes = 1 Yottabyte
1000 Yottabytes = 1 Brontobyte
1000 Brontobytes = 1 Geopbyte
