If you have a lot of images, video, or music files, an external hard drive with lots of room is an excellent idea. Depending on the type of data, you may want a hard drive with a very large capacity. To transfer data to an external hard drive, first select an external hard drive which will meet your storage needs. In most cases, transferring data from a computer to an external drive is as simple as plugging the drive into the computer, selecting the files on the computer you want to transfer, and copying them to the external drive. In addition, data can be backed up and archived on an external hard drive so that it doesn't take up room on a primary hard drive.

Using an external hard drive will reduce the potential for data loss or corruption. It is easy to transfer data to an external hard drive on most computers and operating systems. As demands for increased storage space and the safety of information on computers have increased, external hard drives have become a popular option.