Background

• Hard disk drives store electronic information. The internal hard drive in your computer stores all of your programs, settings and data files. A portable hard drive allows you to store additional data or backups on an external drive, which can be taken with you.
  
  

Usage

• You can use a portable hard drive to work on data files in more than one location, transporting the files on the drive. Other uses include using the drives for backups of important data, or as additional storage for music and video files, allowing you to save space on the internal hard drive in your computer.
  
  

Considerations

• Portable hard drives are available with a variety of data capacities, usually measured in gigabytes. When buying a portable hard drive, ensure it has sufficient capacity to store all the data you need.
  
  

Types

• Portable drives are available with various different connections to attach them to your PC, such as USB and FireWire.
  
  

Alternatives

• There are alternative means of storing electronic data so it is easy to transport, including optical discs such as DVDs and solid-state devices such as USB memory sticks.