How to Back Up Your Computer With a Portable Hard Drive
Many people who have a computer do not own a portable hard drive, a very useful tool for backing up your files. If you do not have one, you are missing out on an easy and efficient way for backing up your computer files and storing them in one place. Some people still go through the daunting task of backing up their computer through multiple CDs. Some individuals simply do not realize that a portable hard drive is the easiest way to make sure you do not lose any of your files in the event your main hard drive goes bad. Backing up your computer files on another drive is really not that difficult to do.
Determine Which Files Are the Most Important to Back Up
Look through your personal computer and determine which files you would like to back up to a portable hard drive. This is crucial, as you need to make sure that you have the correct amount of storage space to complete the task. This is generally figured in megabytes (MB) or if you have a lot of very large files, gigabytes (GB). Once you’ve done this, you will have the general idea of the portable hard drive size you will need. It is always good to add extra storage so that you can add more files later if you choose.
Purchase a Portable Hard Drive if You Don’t Already Have One
The next step is to actual purchase of the portable hard drive. While there are multiple steps to the purchase, there are a few easy tips to follow. Find a good brand that is reputable (research this online) and find the size closest to the size that you need. You may want to do some price comparisons but do not always make your entire purchasing decision based upon price alone. If you would like to save money, you could consider a refurbished portable hard drive.
Set Up
Your portable hard drive should come with a power cable cord and a USB cable. Using the power cord, plug it into your power supply (either directly into the wall or a power strip), while one end of the cable will simply plug into your portable hard drive and the other, flatter looking end plugs into one of your USB ports located on your computer. It is important to note, however, that many newer drives have a simple extending USB port that, attached directly to the drive that simply plugs directly into your USB port.
Moving or Copying Your Files
You have already identified the files you want to move onto the portable hard drive, so now it’s time to move them. Simply “drag and drop” the files you want to move onto the folder that designates the portable hard drive in your “My Computer” window. It may take a few minutes for larger files to move over to the portable hard drive. If you feel like moving (and not simply copying), just delete the files on your computer from their original location once they have been moved safely.
Once you have managed to finish all the steps, you have officially backed up your files on a portable hard drive. If the hard drive in your computer is full, you can actually use the hard drive as extra storage space. You can keep files on both hard drives, but you can also keep files on only the portable hard drive itself, allowing you to effectively double or triple your hard drive space for any new files you would like to store.
