It’s your worst nightmare. Your dog runs past your desk and knocks your computer’s hard drive to the floor. Your work documents, financial records, even family photos may be unrecoverable. There isn’t a lot you can do to get your files back. There are some services that you can try, but there is no guarantee that they will work and they are usually very expensive. The best solution is to prevent this disaster from occurring in the first place by using an external hard drive to back up your files.
To figure out what type of external hard drive you need, you’ll first want to roughly determine the total size of the files you want to back up. You want to make sure you choose something with enough space to hold the files you have now and what you may add over the next few years.
Consider whether or not you’ll need to take your external drive with you anywhere regularly. The larger the drive, the harder it is to transport. Of course, a physically bigger drive also means higher storage capacity and better performance. But if you need to take the thing hither and yon, a smaller drive may make more sense.
Finally, think brand, budget, and warranty. The old adage that you get what you pay for applies here, too. If you’ve never heard of the brand before, you might be wise to purchase a model with a more recognizable name. Check out the hard drive’s warranty. It goes without saying, but the longer the warranty, the better. One of the most important considerations is how much you can afford to spend. More money will get you more storage and a better brand, but if you can’t afford the top of the line, that’s OK. There are plenty of reasonably priced external hard drives with good warranties and features and you are certain to be able to find one that fits your finances.