Using external HDD constantly?

yonyz

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Jan 10, 2009
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Hi,

My 60GB SSD is running out of space with the amount of photos I'm storing and the movies I have. I need an additional drive, and since my OS is already running super fast thanks to the SSD, I don't need another SSD, so I am considering an external HDD because I may get a laptop in the future and would like to be able to work on my photos there too.

I wonder, however, whether external drives are meant for "occasional use" such as backups or can they be connected 24/7 to a computer and be used as much as you'd use an internal drive? Are they simply the same as internal ones but with a fancy enclosure?

Thank you.

 
Solution
You can use it all the time if having it plugged in is not a problem. They are meant for occasional use and data storage but you can theoretically use it all the time.

yonyz

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Jan 10, 2009
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Your second sentence is the part that kinda scares me. I intent on using them "full time" to store important photos that I probably won't have backed up for a while. Are external drives unreliable compared to internal ones?

Looking at a local price comparison website, I see almost as many external drives as there are internal ones, so I thought they've become more "mainstream" by now.

Thanks again. More replies are welcome. :)