How to connect external hard drive to PC
Let's start with the standard procedure for connect an external hard drive to the PC. You can connect an external hard drive to your computer very conveniently, using the USB cable that was provided "standard" or with any other cable of the same type. Most modern external hard drives (or SSDs) come with a cable USB 3.0 or higher which guarantees a high data transmission speed, if the PC is also equipped with a USB 3.0 port or higher.
For older external hard drives, the type of cable used is not superior toUSB 2.0, with a connector USB mini B to be connected directly to the peripheral. In some models, there is even a double USB cable, to provide sufficient power to the external hard drive.
In the event that the supplied USB cable no longer works, because it may be damaged, you can replace it, choosing one of those below.
I warn you that, generally, the USB cables for new generation external hard drives have a particular type connector USB 3.0 micro B. In case you already have a USB cable and want to adapt it for use on your external hard drive, then you can think about buying a adapter to be applied to the connector.
Also, if the external hard drive you have is not large enough, I suggest you read my guide on the best external hard drives to buy, in which I have listed some products that can surely meet your needs.
If you have everything you need, all you have to do is connect the external hard drive to your PC, using the appropriate USB port. In the case of fixed PCs, I recommend using the rear ones, which are better powered than the front ones. The reason lies in the fact that the rear USB ports are directly connected to the motherboard, while the front ones are connected via cable and voltage drops could arise if the cable is not well made.
After connecting the hard disk to the PC, in a few moments you will see a notification on the screen demonstrating the correct connection: on Windows, you will be shown a box in the lower right corner, with the message that a storage device has been connected to the PC; on MacOSinstead, you will be able to see thehard drive icon on the desk.
At this point, you can access the folders of the external hard drive by clicking on its name found in the sidebar of File Explorer Windows or the Finder say macOS.
Is your PC unable to read the hard drive? The file system of this storage device is probably not compatible with the operating system. In this regard, I suggest you read my guide on how to format the external hard drive. If you run into other problems, you can refer to my guide on how to fix hard drive errors.
How to connect an external SATA hard drive to your PC
If you have changed the hard drives in your PC with others that are larger and / or more performing, you may be wondering how to continue using the ones you just replaced, despite the fact that there is no more space inside the computer case.
The simplest and most immediate solution is to connect the internal hard disk to the PC via USB cable. The first consideration, however, is how you will have to physically connect the hard disk to the PC via USB: you can use a simple adapter or a box for its housing.
In both cases, for the choice you have to make, check the type of USB ports your computer is equipped with. You need to know that, in case there are USB 3.x, these could be more than enough to guarantee the hard disk power supply autonomously, without using external power supplies. The use of an external power supply is instead necessary in the case of USB 2.0 or lower ports, which will require a double USB cable or an external power supply from the wall socket.
After making these important considerations, I'll list a few below adapters which may be useful for you connect a SATA hard drive to the PC via USB.
In case you need an additional power supply or if you have an old hard disk with interface IDE, you can refer to this other product list.
Finally, in addition to the adapters, which I told you about in the previous paragraphs, one of the most comfortable solutions, which also keep the hard disk / SSD safe in case of accidental bumps, is the use of box: these allow to contain the storage device in a protective casing, often in plastic, which allows it to be carried comfortably in a bag. You can find some of these products below.
See offer on AmazonIn case you want to learn more about this topic, I suggest you read my guide on how to connect an internal hard disk to the PC via USB, in which I have explained in detail the adapters, boxes and also the dock station, which are conceptually a cross between the two products I told you about in the previous paragraphs.
Subsequently, you can refer to what I have already explained to you in this chapter, to know how to connect a hard disk to the PC via USB.
How to connect external hard drive to laptop
On some laptops, such as Apple's MacBooks, the classic USB ports, technically called ports, are not present USB type A: in their place, there are doors USB Type-C that allow you to manage practically any type of external device (including video and audio output, via HDMI for example), ensuring high performance in terms of speed and voltage.
For manufacturers, it is an optimal choice, as this type of port allows to reduce the thickness of laptops and to avoid having it equipped with many different ports, such as the HDMI, USB, VGA or even that Ethernet.
In this case, to connect an external hard drive to your computer, you need to have a adapter that can allow the connection of any peripheral to the portable PC, such as external hard drives. In this regard, my advice is to evaluate one of the products that I have listed below.
See offer on AmazonAlternatively, you can decide to replace the cable external hard drive, so that it is equipped with a USB Type-C connector to connect to the laptop.
Finally, if the hard disk is internal and you need a solution to connect it to the laptop via USB Type-C, you can think about buying one of the box which you find below.
If you have found the solution that best suits your needs, refer to what I have indicated in this chapter, to know how to connect the external hard drive to the PC via USB.
How to connect an external hard drive to two PCs
An external hard drive can also be connected to two PCs at the same time, using some solutions that require enabling some features in the router or operating system running on your computer, or purchasing specific devices. Let's go, however, in order, in order to make this topic clear.
An external hard drive, like any other USB peripheral, can be connected to two PCs by means of one Switch: this device is a sort of "box", through which it is possible to connect at least two computers via USB. All the peripherals connected to the switch can work on one PC or the other, simply by pressing a button, present on one side of this device.
Obviously, an external hard drive connected to a switch cannot be used simultaneously on both computers, but it could be the solution you are looking for, so as to take advantage of a single connection to manage the use of external peripherals on multiple PCs. You can see a list of valid switches below.
As an alternative to the solution I proposed in the previous paragraphs, you can take advantage of some software features of modems or operating systems, to put a hard disk on the network: by doing this, all PCs connected to the same network can access the hard disk folders to read and write data.
I warn you, however, that the data transfer speed of the hard disk could be considerably reduced if operations are performed simultaneously on several PCs. For example, if you play a video file on your hard drive with one computer and transfer files to the device with the other computer, the transfer speed may drop to the point where you can prevent either of these operations.
In case you want to use the functionality of data sharing by modem, by connecting the hard disk to the USB port of the latter, you will make it accessible at any time, as long as the modem is switched on. Instead, using the sharing operating system folders, the hard disk is accessible only and only if the computer to which it is connected is turned on.
In this regard, what I recommend is to check which of the two methods you can use on your network and computer configuration, in order to find the one that best suits your needs: you can learn more about these topics by consulting my guides on how to connect the hard disk to the modem and how to share a folder on the network.
How to connect external hard drive to PC
