External hard drive lifespan: 5 ways to make it last longer

External hard drives serve many purposes and bring us great convenience. But can you use them forever? Undoubtedly, the answer is no. But do you know about the lifespan of external hard drives? This guide will delve into that in detail. Keep reading to learn more.

How long do external hard drives last?

In this part, we focus on the lifespan of an external hard drive. Assuming no physical damage occurs, the average lifespan of an external hard drive is around 3-5 years. If you handle it with care, yours will surely last longer. However, hard drives are fragile hardware, and a slight bump or drop can cause significant damage.

An external hard drive is a portable storage device that can be connected to a computer or other device via USB or other interface. It allows users to store and transfer large amounts of data, such as documents, photos, videos, and applications, externally from their computer's internal hard drive. These drives come in various sizes and storage capacities, ranging from a few hundred gigabytes to several terabytes. They are often used for backup purposes, archiving old files, or for transferring data between different devices. External hard drives are usually enclosed in a protective case to shield the disk from physical damage and often have shock resistance features to prevent data loss in case of accidental drops.

Additionally, there are some differences between SSDs, HDDs, and SD cards. This link can provide more information about their lifespans.

If you use an external hard drive for backups, you can replace it every few years to ensure your data stays safe. An even safer bet is to back up your external hard drive to another external drive or a NAS. Why do external hard drives have different lifespans? Read on to find out.

What affects the lifespan of an external hard drive?

The lifespan of an external hard drive depends largely on how we use it, as well as factors like its build, brand, size, and environment. Let's see how these influence its longevity.

1. Configuration

Some external hard disk drives contain moving parts, making them more susceptible to physical damage. Moreover, the mechanical nature of HDDs' architecture makes them vulnerable to random failures. By contrast, SSDs have fewer moving parts, are more resistant to shock, and generate less heat, giving them an average lifespan of more than five years.

2. Environment

And where do you keep your portable drive? Environmental conditions matter a lot. Temperature, humidity, and dust can all have big effects on how long a hard drive will last.

Unlike desktop hard drives, portable ones are designed to be carried around, and are thus more prone to moisture damage.

Humidity:

Once moisture is in the air, it can lead to rust on the circuit boards and other internal components, and a little rust can cause the heads to fail. The ideal humidity is between 45% and 65%.

Temperature:

For temperature, anything too high or too low can cause issues with the drive's circuit components. Ideally, it should be kept between 20 to 25 °C.

Dust:

Dust is not trivial. It can enter an external drive and accumulate over time on the internal circuitry and components, affecting the ability of electronic parts to dissipate heat.

Brand

Their brands are also different, with the best known being Seagate, WD (Western Digital), Toshiba, and Hitachi (acquired by WD in 2012).

Both Toshiba and WD external hard drives are great. Seagate's are the cheapest, but they're less reliable. Hitachi has always been reliable. According to Backblaze's tests, Seagate drives have a higher failure rate than WD and Hitachi drives. Also, according to Backblaze's tests, you can see that Toshiba drives are more reliable than both WD and Seagate drives.

If you're curious about the lifespan of hard drives, there's a link that can help you with that.

Since there are so many factors that can affect the lifespan of an external hard drive, it's important to take good care of yours so that it lasts as long as possible. But how? Read on to find out.

How to Prolong the Life of an External Hard Drive - 5 Tips

Maintaining the longevity of an external hard drive is crucial, as it may store personal data or other important information. Here are five tips to help prolong its lifespan: 1. **Proper Storage**: Keep the external hard drive in a dry, cool, and dust-free location, away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. 2. **Safe Ejection**: Ensure your computer has finished reading or writing operations before disconnecting the hard drive. Avoid abruptly unplugging it during data transfer. 3. **Regular Backup**: Frequently back up the data on the hard drive to protect against unexpected damage. Don't store all important files on a single drive to diversify the risk. 4. **Antivirus Protection**: Install antivirus software and run regular scans to prevent viruses or malware from harming the hard drive. 5. **Moderate Usage**: Avoid overusing the drive and don't let it operate continuously for extended periods. Turn it off or unplug it occasionally to reduce hardware stress. By following these guidelines, your external hard drive will serve you well for a longer time.

1. Regularly monitor the health status of external hard disk drives.

Regular checks are important, for which you might need to know about the tools Partition Master Free, a professional hard disk management tool that can fix a corrupted file system to repair an external hard drive. There are two guides on how to use it to monitor the status of your external hard drive.

Guide 1: Use Partition Master to Test the Hard Disk Surface

It can do a surface scan to check the health of your external hard drive. There's a video on how to use MiniTool Partition Wizard to check the status of your external hard drive.

Step 1. Open MiniTool Partition Wizard. Right-click the disk you want to check, then click "Surface Test."

Step 2: The operation is performed immediately, and bad sectors are marked in red.

Tip 2. Check disk/partition errors with Partition Wizard

In addition to the disk surface test, the tools Partition Master can also check for disk and partition errors. Let's see how.

Step 1. Right-click the problematic partition.

Step 2: Select "Advanced" > "Check File System."

Step 3: Choose whether to hide the partition.

Click “Start” to begin checking your disk for errors.

After doing so, you can find bad sectors on the external hard drive to fix. In addition, Partition Master can also resize external hard drive, convert MBR to GPT without data loss, convert FAT32 to NTFS, or format your external hard drive.

2. Control the external temperature

External hard drives do get warm while powered on and in use. It's therefore important to keep the drive away from warm or hot environments that might cause it to generate even more heat, and thereby put unnecessary strain on it. It's much harder to damage a drive at lower temperatures than it is at higher ones.

3. Don't leave it plugged in all the time.

The more an external hard drive is active, the more it works – even when idle – and the more it wears out.

4. Safely Eject the External Drive from the Host System

Do this before physically disconnecting or turning off power to the drive, as this can help prevent potential data corruption that could lead to more serious hard drive failure down the line. Follow the steps below to safely remove the device.

Step 1. Right-click on the external hard drive in the bottom toolbar.

Step 2 Click “Eject,” and wait for it to be safely removed.

5. Try not to mess up the connections

Don't frequently insert and remove it, as this can damage the connection and potentially cause data corruption. Set it aside, secure the cable to your desk, or do whatever you need to so that it won't be moved. Otherwise, you might run into errors like being denied access to an external hard drive.

Conclusions

Since many factors can affect the lifespan of a hard drive, take good care of your external one and always be prepared for the possibility of data loss. It's smart to back up your external hard drive on a regular basis.

In addition, if your external hard drive doesn't show its full capacity, click

Frequently Asked Questions About External Hard Drive Lifespan

Here are some concerns about external hard drive lifespan. Read on if you're interested or encounter the same issues.

Should an external hard drive be left on all the time?

It's better not to, as the more you move an external hard drive, the greater the likelihood of wear and tear. For this reason, it's best to keep it powered off unless you need to use it.

**How can I prolong the lifespan of my external hard drive?** 1. **Proper Storage**: Keep your external hard drive in a dry and cool place, away from direct sunlight and high temperatures. 2. **Safe Ejection**: Avoid disconnecting the drive while it's reading or writing data. Make sure to safely eject or unmount the device before unplugging it. 3. **Regular Backups**: Backup important data on the hard drive to other storage media or cloud services periodically to prevent data loss. 4. **Shock and Drop Protection**: Handle the external hard drive gently and avoid rough handling or dropping, as this can damage the hardware. 5. **Moderate Usage**: Don't use the hard drive continuously for extended periods. Allow it to rest occasionally. Turn it off or unplug it when not in use. 6. **Stay Updated**: Keep the hard drive's drivers and firmware up-to-date to ensure optimal performance and compatibility. 7. **Antivirus Protection**: Install antivirus software and perform regular scans to protect the drive from viruses or malware. 8. **Cleaning Maintenance**: Gently clean the surface of the hard drive with a clean cloth to prevent dust and dirt accumulation. 9. **Avoid Overfilling**: Don't fill the hard drive to its maximum capacity. Leaving some space helps the drive function properly. 10. **Professional Repair**: If you encounter issues, don't attempt to disassemble the hard drive yourself. Seek professional assistance for repairs.

• Power on the hard drive only when needed.
• Avoid moving or shutting down the computer while it's in use.
• Eject the hard drive safely before turning off power.
• Keep it away from damp, hot, or cold environments.
• Don't overload external hard drive bays.
• Regularly monitor the health status of your external hard drive.

3. Can an external hard drive last for 10 years?

Perhaps, but most external hard drives have a lifespan of 3 to 5 years. You can prolong its life with proper care.