How to keep external drives when not using for lot of time?

November 7, 2012 5:42:21 AM

I use my external hdd only to take backup of sensitive data so it is not used much.
Now my pc is down for repairs and i won't be using it for 3weeks.
How do i store it?
Do external drives have inherent protection against electrostatic charge?
I am asking this because when my external was shipped, it was shipped in a simple clear plastic wrapper and a cardboard box. It is a WD 500GB PASSPORT ESSENTIALS

More about : external drives lot time

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abbadon_34

November 7, 2012 5:59:28 AM

Under normal conditions, not BFE, once a drive is powered down it's pretty safe. I hope by clear platic wrappper you mean the gray anti-static bag, but regardless just leave it where it won't get moved or bumped. The cover or bag some people buy with it is fine. The external case a drive is in does provide some envirnmental protection, but it would count on ESD unless it specifically says so.

And consider how sensitive your sensitive data is. A simple second copy on another drive may not be enough.

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fasihxkhatib

November 7, 2012 8:44:59 AM

abbadon_34 said:

Under normal conditions, not BFE, once a drive is powered down it's pretty safe. I hope by clear platic wrappper you mean the gray anti-static bag, but regardless just leave it where it won't get moved or bumped. The cover or bag some people buy with it is fine. The external case a drive is in does provide some envirnmental protection, but it would count on ESD unless it specifically says so.

And consider how sensitive your sensitive data is. A simple second copy on another drive may not be enough.

No it is not the grey anti static bag. It is just a simple clear plastic bag. I have kept the drive in cardboard box in which it was shipped with some silica gel to protect against moisture. The box is sturdy enough to take vagaries of transport so will it be enough for 3week protection?

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