Page 23 of Hard Drives & Data Storage

Expanding storage space with data storage devices

With external data storage devices, users increase the amount of available space for files. A computer's hard drive while it may offer ample storage is still limited. Large numbers of media files such as movies, audio, and photos can find a new home on an external drive. These drives also serve as a backup option, keeping crucial files in a secondary location, restoring them easily in the event of the loss or compromising of the primary hard drive.

Types of external hard drives

External drives, which are devices dedicated to data storage, come in a variety of designs and types:

• Desktop drives
• Portable hard drives
• USB flash drives

A desktop drive connects to a separate PC but is usually larger and holds greater amounts of data. Smaller designs like slim hard drives and USB flash drives are more portable and take up less desk space. Some larger external drives may also require their own power source.

Types of internal hard drives

There are two main types of internal hard drives and storage devices, standard hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs). HDDs use components like physical moving discs and read-write heads to store and retrieve data. SSDs operate differently, storing and retrieving data without the using of moving parts. This reduces the amount of vibration and noise that the drives generate and also makes them more durable. They remain easy to install thanks to compatibility with typical HDD connections on motherboards. Both types are available as desktop or laptop hard drives.

Other data storage options

Hard drives aren't the only choice for storing and backing up data. For many users, there is also the option of blank media such as CDs and DVDs. Blank DVDs hold more data, making them better suited to video and other media.