Q. for users of USB drives

[serpico]

Do you leave your drive on, so that whenever your laptop is connected and turned on, the usb drive is on?

I only turn my usb drive on when I need it, so it mostly remains off. I suppose if I wasn't worried about the heat buildup in an external enclosure with no fan, I'd leave it on more often.

Because I'm reluctant to leave the usb drive on all the time, I tend to fill up my laptop drive quickly and need more space, so I'm thinking of getting a larger laptop drive. But of course I could get much more GB/$ if I went with a larger 3.5" drive in an external enclosure. Sorry, a bit rambling here. Just wondering if leaving your usb drive on whenever your laptop is on is bad for the life of the drive.

[Neil]

I only connect my external drive when I need it.

[killer]

I only connect my external drive when I need it.

Same here.

[sarbin]

same here, also. only connect usb drives when needed.

[killer]

I agree. Connect when needed and then disconnect.

[serpico]

Why not just leave them plugged in (so they turn on whenever the computer is on), especially if using a 5400rpm drive?

[sarbin]

'spose you could, but...

i only use external drives with my laptops for archiving or backups and such, so i don't access them everyday. no need for them to load up the power-on hours or risk forgetting it's attached and pulling it off the desk when grabbing the machine to go mobile. a friend did that once. the drive went flying, hit a wall and then the floor, and, no real surprise, it never worked again. it also damaged one of the laptop's usb port in the process.

ooops!

[robert213]

Why not just leave them plugged in (so they turn on whenever the computer is on), especially if using a 5400rpm drive?

While editting videos with Adobe Premeire, I used to leave my USB external drive connected to my port replicator everyday.

[Colonel O'Neill]

I tend to forget and leave drives plugged in indefinitely. I'll remember once the whooshing drive sounds get annoying.

[sarbin]

While editting videos with Adobe Premeire, I used to leave my USB external drive connected to my port replicator everyday.

attached to a port replicator makes good sense.