If you have old files that you don’t want to lose, it doesn’t make sense to keep them on your PC. For example, old photos or various copies of documents. It would be a good idea to store them on a special hard drive.

But you have to make sure that you store your HDD properly. The fact is that if you don’t store your HDD properly, you risk losing your data or damaging it significantly. Don’t worry, these rules are quite simple to follow and they will be very easy to do.

What to do to store your HDD?

If you are storing files on an external HDD or you just pulled your old hard drive out of your PC, the rules for storage will be broadly similar. The biggest problem that can occur is mechanical damage to your HDD. This can cause your data to become corrupted. Among the main rules for storing your HDD:

• Plug it in from time to time. If your HDD lies inactive for a long time, you should connect it to the network from time to time and let it work a bit. This is because your HDD has moving parts that use oil between the moving parts. The oil can dry out over time. To avoid this you should switch your HDD on from time to time.
• You have to make sure the place where you store your HDD has the right climate. This means it is not too humid, your HDD is not in direct sunlight and it does not overheat. Usually, humidity or overheating should not have a big effect on your HDD, but in some cases, they can destroy the HDD.
• Be careful during transport. In order not to damage your HDD you should be very careful when moving it to another place. You should not shake it and make sure it is not dropped or bumped. Because of the moving parts inside your hard drive, various external damages can cause data loss.

If you follow these simple rules, nothing bad should happen to your HDD. The best idea is to just put it in a dry place in the closet and not touch it unnecessarily. I would also advise against storing very important data on such a HDD. If there is data in there that you are really afraid of losing, then the best idea would be to make a backup and keep a copy of it.

Where is better to store your data: on HDD or SSD?

If you are just planning to buy a storage device and you think it is better to choose SSD or HDD. Then you should study some pros and cons of both types of storage to make the final decision.

If you want to choose HDD, it is a cheaper type of storage whose main disadvantage is its structure. The thing is that it has different mechanical parts that can get damaged. In addition, HDD takes more space because the structure of the drive itself will be in the size quite large.

On the other hand, SSD is more expensive, but offers users a faster data transfer and has no mechanical reserves. This means that the data on it is less likely to be damaged. However, you should still understand that SSDs have less writeability. This means that if you are constantly overwriting data on your drive, it will fail faster.

Is it worth storing data in the Cloud?

Another question that many people have is whether it is worth storing data on disk or whether it is better to use the Cloud. This also has its pros and cons.

Among the advantages of the cloud is that you can access your files at any time from any device, you do not need to connect the disk to your computer. It will be enough to log into your account and you will have full access to your files.

Among the disadvantages, I would mention that you have to pay for cloud services all the time, while HDD storage requires no investment other than the purchase of an HDD. Another notable disadvantage is that your PC can be hacked and hackers can get access to the cloud. And if you store your data on a disconnected HDD, no one can get to it unless they steal the HDD itself. And it will be much more difficult to do that.

Read also:

• What is the difference between eMMC and SSD storage
• Is a magnet harmful to a smartphone or PC?
• How to disable ‘These Files Might Be Harmful to Your Computer’ warning

How to use HDD

When using your HDD, you also need to adhere to some simple rules. Especially it concerns old HDD because it is more prone to various problems and breakdowns because of its service life. In order to avoid problems with the disk you should:

• Place it vertically on a flat surface. The first thing you should do is always keep the HDD upright and on a flat surface during operation. This is because the physical drive is spinning around inside the case during operation. If you place the HDD at an angle, the HDD can scratch the case and damage it.
• Monitor the temperature of your PC. When you put the HDD inside your PC you have to make sure that it does not overheat, as this may adversely affect its performance.
• Do not overwrite files on it too often. You should avoid overwriting your drive too often because all hardware has a lifespan. You can hasten its failure if you overwork it.

By sticking to these simple rules, you can keep your HDD running for a long time. I would say you do not have to worry too much about your hard drive as it is one of those devices which are hard to break and have a long lifespan.