I have a 250 external Hard Drive...is it ok to leave it on always???

Question

I have a 250 external Hard Drive...should i leave it on no matter what even thought my computer is turned off ...in fact i don't even open anything exept when i'm going to back up some data.....don't HD damage if they stay off for too long???...help out plz..

Answer 1

I agree with many here, leave it on as long its well ventilated.
As of turning on/off PC daily it does reduce PC components life such as the CPU.
Its alot healthier to hibernate, or just leave it on. (again if well ventilated)

Answer 2

Anything with moving parts wears out more quickly the longer it is used. However, hard drives have become particularly hardy. Normally, you'd think that it is smarter to turn it off, but some people hold to the theory that the turning on and off causes expansion and contraction of the circuitboards, thus causing an early demise. In the final analysis, it doesn't hurt much to leave them on.

Answer 3

HDD damage themselves more often then a toddler does falling down. Don't worry to much about it, just don't shut it off by pulling the power cord, make sure to shut it down properly to aviod the most serious damage.

Answer 4

i bet i have the same drive as you. its an external usb 250 gig western digital hard drive. i always leave mines on.

Answer 5

no need to turn it off. it will be perfectly fine running all the time. i never turn my PC off, because in my opinion, electronics turning on and off is actually what makes them break down. the change in temperature from hot to ambient is the cause of this.

Answer 6

Hi

Well in a sense you can leave it on but in someplace it dosent take too much heat

Answer 7

actually leaving it on is better for it than turning it off and on, most people turn them off though