Thread: External HD's -- Safe to leave on all the time?

Hi Folks,

When I got my Mac I bought a 750GB Lacie external which has it's own transformer. I'm wondering if it's safe to leave it on all the time. For me I've only used my externals to backup and restore files then unplug it.

I also have a little 120GB Western Digital passport which plugs in via USB. I've got that HD plugged into a self powered hub which means even when I turn off the computer the external is still powered on.

Is this safe? I don't want to burn them out faster than they normally would.

Thanks,
Dan

I do myself so it can make an auto backup

Most harddrives are now made to handle 24/7 usage so it shouldn't be a problem.. only thing is they are more likely to be damaged while running vs if they arnt running if they are dropped..

It's not gonna be a problem
The only ways to damage it is drop them or unsafe unplug them

My friend, leaves his external hard drive open all the time. But he manage to put a small fan for it. He says he doesn't want it to heat up. So I guess you should have no worries at all.

Yes... it is the safest mechanism for backup data

I wouldn't leave my external hard drive on all the time. I have WD MyBook 1TB and unfortunately it doesn't have an off switch. So as long as my computer is on, it is also on. It does have a sleep mode though but I much rather just pull the plug to play it safe.

In the case of Grim I think that is the way to go if you have an auto backup in place; to which I should!

I do not backup nearly often enough and I know better!

But I do not leave mine on all the time. I think if they are on, and even 'asleep' it still counts towards their lifetime...I agree with others drives nowadays are less likely to be affected?? I don't know.

I not only turn them off while they are not in use, I also make sure the power strip that they are plugged into is off! The transformer still chews up electricity even if the device is not on; not much sure but hey, I bet over the span of a year it might be $10 who knows....they suckers are HOT even when not in use!

Depends on the drive. A good drive that runs cool will be fine but drive that spins up to 7200RPM, runs hot, and is trapped in a tiny case with no fan might die pretty quick under "always on" conditions. We had a drive on the set of our movie this summer than would turn itself into a hot plate after a couple hours of being on.

Its safest . One my friend had the same problem.

Originally Posted by HansOlaf

Depends on the drive. A good drive that runs cool will be fine but drive that spins up to 7200RPM, runs hot, and is trapped in a tiny case with no fan might die pretty quick under "always on" conditions. We had a drive on the set of our movie this summer than would turn itself into a hot plate after a couple hours of being on.

keeps your coffee warm! :energetic:

toss some potpourri on there and have yourself a nice little aroma therapy working :content:

I do not leave my External hd on. OK it is old, but one days it stayed on for 4 hours and thought it was going to melt. So i transfer my files - word or excel, of course - then turn it off. It hasnt blown up yet.

Hasn't anyone done an official "crash test" for that case?

I had same idea to use external HD, but the question is still open, I'm worried because all I get is "I know the guy who says OK". This experiment cost is rather high.

I am using an external HDD on my computer. It is always plugged on the usb port so I can readily access all my files there. It's been a year since I'm using external hard drives. Until now, I haven't got a problem about it.

USB Hard Drives/devices should be unplugged from the computer and external Hard Drives with a separate power extension can be left on that will increase the life of the Hard Drive.

Originally Posted by WebDave

USB Hard Drives/devices should be unplugged from the computer and external Hard Drives with a separate power extension can be left on that will increase the life of the Hard Drive.

What do you mean increase the life of the hard drive?

Originally Posted by stickynote

What do you mean increase the life of the hard drive?

The HDD will work efficiently for a longer period with less bad sectors as that compared to other removable drives.Every product has a life span set by the manufacturer and so do the Hard Drives. That is quite simple to understand.

It is better to turn it off when it is not used. A hard drive lifespan depends also on the number of hours it was used.

Originally Posted by timsdd

keeps your coffee warm! :energetic:

toss some potpourri on there and have yourself a nice little aroma therapy working :content:

hehe, bring out the usb toasters and lava lamps!

Plug it whenever you wish to use it else keep it unplug and at safe place for longer life...
No matter how durable electronic equipment is, the more we will use the sooner it will expire....

I have left mine on all the time, but I am not the one paying for the electricity. So, if you want to pay the money for the hard drive to run all the time go ahead, nothing will happen to it.

Leaving on all the time is better than having it off. You are less likely to have a head crash.

You should look into getting a raid 1 set-up.

I always leave mine on, never had a problem with it, I leave my computer on all the time also.

Originally Posted by Riccur

I have left mine on all the time, but I am not the one paying for the electricity. So, if you want to pay the money for the hard drive to run all the time go ahead, nothing will happen to it.

How much electricity does a hard drive use?

Originally Posted by Bogart

How much electricity does a hard drive use?

you'd probably only save a few $ over the life of the HDD.

but when pennies count

Originally Posted by timsdd

you'd probably only save a few $ over the life of the HDD.

but when pennies count

You should get a SDD drive :smartass:

Originally Posted by Bogart

You should get a SDD drive :smartass:

I think I will the next time I buy a drive!

By the time that happens they'll really have a lot better selection and prices too I bet. :goofy:

Originally Posted by timsdd

I think I will the next time I buy a drive!

By the time that happens they'll really have a lot better selection and prices too I bet. :goofy:

The 256gb drive is out. The drives are a lot lighter than normal drives and less prone to damage.