An external hard drive is an accessory everyone should have and most people don’t. Many don’t even understand the need for it. It’s helpful to have some understanding of how computers work (which leaves out many not-tech-savvy individuals) and also just how vulnerable they are (which leaves out many blissfully unaware individuals). Every computer has a built-in hard drive, which is the memory bank for the computer, literally and figuratively. It’s the place where all the data is stored every time you click “Save.” All your files, all your programs, everything that you interact with on your machine that isn’t on the Internet or a network is stored on your computer’s hard drive.
Imagine then what happens if that hard drive fails. Suddenly everything, years and years of data, thousands of songs and documents and perhaps movies and games, all your digital stuff is lost. Sometimes it’s possible to recover the data, which is why there’s such a strong market for technologically-adept individuals who know all the secrets of restoration. If your computer catches on fire and then you soak it with a fire extinguisher and then it falls out the window and breaks open and some juvenile delinquent hits your hard drive with a sledgehammer (improbable, yes, but impossible?)…you’re probably stuck, which is why you want copies.
Known as backing up your data, making a copy for protection is crucial for any tangible thing that might be damaged or destroyed, and the external hard drive provides a convenient way to do so – most such devices offer a program that automatically copies the contents of your hard drive (all or specific files, depending on your settings) to the external drive. Operating systems now typically offer a data-backup program as well. After running the program, you can disconnect the drive and lock it in a safe deposit box or a radiation-shielded bunker.