Read on for everything you need to know to find your ideal external hard drive, and then check out a few of our favorites before you buy. Most external hard drives look the same, but there are some big differences when it comes to capacity, stability, and speed, so it pays to know what to look for ahead of time. While they may not look like much, they can be essential tools for keeping your files backed up, and they’re ideal for transporting files that are too large to transfer over the internet. If your computer is running out of storage space, you can always add more with an external hard drive.Įxternal hard drives are small, nondescript boxes with extra storage that connect to your computer via one or more USB cables. In some circumstances, this can be panic-inducing because a lack of space can prevent you from creating or saving new files. We’ve all been there: that moment your laptop or desktop computer tells you it’s running out of hard drive space.
Buying guide for best external hard drives