I have a second hard drive I installed in my computer to use for extra storage (pics, music, etc.) will this be safe if my computer should ever crash, get a virus, etc??? Or is a external hard drive a better alternative for backing up files?? Thanks
2007-02-01 05:36:19 · 10 answers · asked by Nick Name 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
It doesn't matter if it's internal or external. If the drive is mounted in windows when you get a virus, it can be spread to the other drive.
As for crashes, it depends on what happened. If your computer crashed because the first hard drive mechanically failed, then the data on the second one will be fine - once you get a working boot drive again you will be able to access the data. The same is true of a crash due to corrupted system files. The files on the separate drive (and most of the files on the main drive) will be fine, you just have to get your operating system working again to access them.
2007-02-01 05:39:35 · answer #1 · answered by Che jrw 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If something goes wrong with the computer, poof! there goes your main hard drive. The hard drive that is built into your computer - wait, what was that? Precisely why external drives work best. The internal drive will not be very compatible with other computers, and that's the advantage to having an external one.
The external drives can be moved from one computer to the next without the hassle of removing screws. Just a simple plug!
Yes, it is "a better alternative for backing up files." But no, it is no better than any other drive when it comes to virus protection. It is equal for the following reasons:
1. If you leave the drive unplugged unless needed, the drive has a less likely chance of receiving a virus
2. If you move the drive from one computer to the next, there's a more likely chance, as the drive is connected to more than one computer
2007-02-01 05:49:07 · answer #2 · answered by Jonnyabcde 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Computer Crash" is a very broad term. There are many reasons why a computer may stop working, and only one of them will cause complete data loss, and that is if there is a hardware or software (read virus) problem with a harddrive. Harddrives are mechanical devices, and with all mechancial devices they wear out, and eventually stop working. Which is why "Backup systems" were invented. You can copy your sensitive (not replaceable) data to a CDROM or DVD-ROM, a backup tape, or to a second harddrive. External harddrives are not immune to a virus, and it's even possible to burn a virus to a CD/DVD or Floppy disk, flash drive or anywhere, which is why you should always have an up to date AntiVirus software running on your machine. If your computer crashes because the power supply, or a Fan, or the CPU, or memory chips stop functioning due to a power spike or brown-out, you can still recover the data by fixing the broken component, or moving the harddrive to a new machine. Also some techicians can use special hardware and software to attempt to recover data from a crashed harddrive, but this depends on the damage to the drive.
2016-05-24 02:21:02 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will depend upon the type of crash. Your second hard drive could fail and cause a "crash". An external drive is really no different. I would recommend backing up your important stuff to both a second harddrive and burn them onto a CD.
2007-02-01 05:41:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the crash, but usually the answer is yes. Things like Microsoft Windows viruses can destroy data on any attached drive, including external and network attached devices.
2007-02-01 05:39:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If just your main hard drive or your OS crashes, then yes your data on the second hard drive will be safe. If you second hard drive crashes, bye bye data.
2007-02-01 05:40:56 · answer #6 · answered by Cory P 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yea
2007-02-01 05:39:06 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Format it first!
2007-02-01 05:39:23 · answer #8 · answered by maxiangelo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋