External hard drives – cons and pros

The external hard drives were evolved from the changing environment and may create new threats to your PCs. They can be used as an extra memory in addition to the internal hard drive. Due to ready internet access, computers are exposed to security hazards such as viruses, spyware and Trojan horses. They have to be guarded against these threats. At times, even using anti virus system and firewalls may not be able to save the computer.

When we look at the pros of the external hard drive, it is placed outside the main computer tower and hence leaves space for other actions. External hard drive consists enclosure or own casing and hard drive. Through the portable encasement the user can store information through hard drive outside the computer. Computers can be connected to the external hard drive by using high speed interface cable with plug and play. Some interfaces like Fire Wire and USB can be used. There are various advantages of an external hard drive or portable drive.

Safety and protection from internet threats are the biggest advantage of external drives which allows storing important information outside the computer. Another advantage is the portability issue. It can be operated on the basis of plug and play. Fire Wire capability or computer with USB can be recognized by external hard drive. Security is another key issue. External drives can protect the multiple users by keeping sensitive and important documents safe. Information is segregated through drives. Hard drives can be used for imaging, backup and multimedia storage. Data recovery is another benefit of external drive as it helps in recovering data from damaged or broken computer when separate hard drives are needed for storing the data. A strong casing is also an added benefit.

If you look at the cons, they can corrupt the computer easily as they are vulnerable to data loss risks like worms, data corruption and viruses due to their free access to the computer. They even bypass firewalls and anti virus installations. They are notorious for being failure prone when mishandled. External drives are also easily damaged, stolen or lost due to their small size and portability. Storage of external hard drives is another difficult task. If you store them in glove compartment, purse or deposit box, the external drives face the risk of heat, oxygen, humidity, dust, liquids and sunlight.

The external hard drive should be handled safely and dropping it accidentally may break it completely. External hard drives have to be kept upright on a flat surface. The drive should be placed in a safe location apart from sharp edges of the surface. When the drives stay connected with computer they face the risk equivalent to the risks faced by normal internal drives. It has to be ensured that the backup does not get damaged when disaster strikes the computer. Some times twisted electrical cables and cords may cause the external hard drive pulled off from the surface to the floor. To prevent this, you should ensure that the cables and cords are not twisted. Their length should be sufficient to connect electrical outlet with computer. Using wrong power cord may also play havoc.