Ande43 Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Is it ok to have your EHD plugged into your laptop all the time?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nica Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I'll be interested to see what people's opinions are. I used to pull mine out only when I needed to back things up. After my computer crashed on Monday, I've decided to leave it plugged in all the time and let the computer remember to back things up. It had been more than a year since I remembered! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ande43 Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 I'll be interested to see what people's opinions are. I used to pull mine out only when I needed to back things up. After my computer crashed on Monday, I've decided to leave it plugged in all the time and let the computer remember to back things up. It had been more than a year since I remembered! I heard somewhere that it is not good to keep them plugged in, that they can over heat and crash.... It has taken Carbonite almost 8 months to back it up so has been plugged in for that long.....would thing the plugging and unplugging all the time would not be good either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRS Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I usually keep mine plugged in all the time, but it doesn't have a separate power source. Not sure if that matters. I also make sure I shut my computer down every night so give it a "rest". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ande43 Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 I usually keep mine plugged in all the time, but it doesn't have a separate power source. Not sure if that matters. I also make sure I shut my computer down every night so give it a "rest". Mine is a WD "My Passport" .....will have to do that now that Carbonite is backed up....well at least the basic BU....now I am cleaning and moving and driving it nuts I am sure LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferZ Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I keep mine plugged in all the time and have it set to automatic back-up nightly. I also *almost* always shut my laptop down every night, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiles Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 April advised turning EHDs off when they're not in use to make them last longer. I did burn one out sooner than I had expected to when I left it to come on whenever my desktop was on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveUK Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I don't use a laptop, but I have 2 EHD's permanently attached to my Mac setup. A 500Gb EHD and a 2 Tb EHD. Most of my data is backed up to the larger drive and the smaller one looks after my regular system backups (vital files to keep the system running). My EHD's are usually running the whole time the system is on, particularly when I'm crafting and listening to music. (All of my favourite music is on my large EHD). Never had an issue with either (so far!). However, I do tend to shut down and turn off my system if I am going to be away from the computer for a couple of hours or more. Also, take advantage of your systems "sleep" function. Many of us use screensavers while we are away from the screen, but these keep the computer and devices active. Many systems have a "sleep" function which cuts in after say, 10 minutes of the screensaver coming on. This puts the computer into a waiting state, usually for a key press or a mouse movement. Whilst in this waiting state, any connected external devices are put to sleep also. Saves a bit of power and wear and tear on the equipment. Its about the same whether you have a laptop or a desktop with connected devices. Hope someone finds this useful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaFace Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Mine are always plugged in whether or not they have an outside power source or not. But if you're powering your computer off, then they are also powering down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariJ Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I don't use a laptop, but I have 2 EHD's permanently attached to my Mac setup. A 500Gb EHD and a 2 Tb EHD. Most of my data is backed up to the larger drive and the smaller one looks after my regular system backups (vital files to keep the system running). My EHD's are usually running the whole time the system is on, particularly when I'm crafting and listening to music. (All of my favourite music is on my large EHD). Never had an issue with either (so far!). However, I do tend to shut down and turn off my system if I am going to be away from the computer for a couple of hours or more. Also, take advantage of your systems "sleep" function. Many of us use screensavers while we are away from the screen, but these keep the computer and devices active. Many systems have a "sleep" function which cuts in after say, 10 minutes of the screensaver coming on. This puts the computer into a waiting state, usually for a key press or a mouse movement. Whilst in this waiting state, any connected external devices are put to sleep also. Saves a bit of power and wear and tear on the equipment. Its about the same whether you have a laptop or a desktop with connected devices. Hope someone finds this useful! Very useful information, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiles Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Thanks, Dave! We appreciate your sharing your knowledge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ande43 Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Thanks everyone...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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