How to Make an External Hard Drive

An external hard drive is, as the name suggests, a storage device that is external to your computer. We use an external hard drive because it gives us more space for data storage, and moreover it is portable. It is also used as a backup storage device in case we lose the original data in our computer. An external hard drive is better than CDs and DVDs as it has a much higher storage space and is more durable. You can purchase a regular external hard drive, but if you have the necessary components, you can even build an external hard drive yourself. Here's how to make an external hard drive.

How to Build an External Hard Drive

• To build external hard drives, what we need is a hard drive and an enclosure. You have done well if you saved the hard drive when you threw the rest of your old computer out. If you never had an old computer, or threw the entire apparatus out, then you have to purchase an internal hard drive. Most internal hard drives for laptops use the power from a USB cable. If not, you will need a compatible AC adaptor.
• The next step to build an external hard drive is to purchase an enclosure. An enclosure is like a cover for the internal hard disk drive. It contains all the required plugs for the internal hard drive such as the USB connection and the power plug connection (if required). USB 2.0 is the most commonly used one. Open the enclosure as given in the instructions.
• Set the hard drive to 'master' setting, which is located between the ATA/SATA cable and the molex power connector. Keep reading the instructions as each hard drive may have its own setting. Next, connect the molex power connector and ATA/SATA cable to the internal hard drive. Fix the hard drive to the enclosure with the screws that came with the enclosure. Check with the manual if you've done everything right. If there are any mistakes, make sure they are found before bolting the enclosure shut. Connect the USB cord and power cord (if any) to the internal hard drive. And your external hard drive is ready!

Getting Started with the External Hard Drive

The computer is not a naturally social animal like most of us, and will need to be introduced to its new friend. So turn your computer on and connect the USB to the computer's USB port. It will promptly proclaim that there is something in the midst he doesn't know. It will either yell it out at the bottom-right part of the desktop (USB device not recognized.) or wait for you to go to 'my computer' and then tell you. Right-click on the sign that says 'Devices with Removable Storage' on the my computer screen and click 'format'. Make sure that you do not choose the quick format. Formatting will erase all the problem areas that may be on you old hard drive. You can give this drive a name that you and your computer can both agree on.

Benefits of an External Hard Drive

• Well, the reason you're going through all this work is because building a hard drive is much cheaper than buying a pre-built one, especially when you already have an old one in the house. And hey! You even learned something new!
• You can either use it as a backup device for your data or just as an extension of existing memory space. It is always advisable to NOT use up all the memory on your computer's hard drive, as it slows the computer down. If you have too much data, use an external storage device.
• It is portable and can be connected to any computer. So if you have to move around a lot with certain data (presentations, work documents, or even your music and photos) you can carry the drive instead of the whole computer.

So now that you know how to make an external hard drive, go ahead and do it today!