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I have also noticed some of the external drives come just with a USB cable that has two connectors at the end. I am not 100% certain but I believe these external closures also have 2.5" (laptop) drives in them.
Typically one connection should be enough but for whatever reason it cannot seem to provide ample juice through just one connection, then you can connect the secondary connection that should (presumably) help the drive work properly.
None of the USB3 drive enclosures seem to have this though. I guess adequate power transfer through USB3 is not an issue?
I also noticed the USB2 type external drives and memory stick to work a bit faster through USB3 ports on the machines.
USB 2.0 ports are supposed to put out 500ma. So if a port is a little on the low side or the device wants a little too much, the second connection can get it working. I have one of those cables that came with a USB DVD-RW. I also use it for a USB hard drive since they're both Mini-B. I think I've needed the second connector only one time and that was for the DVD-RW, not the hard drive.
I believe USB 3.0 is supposed to supply 900ma which is far enough from 500ma that the little hard drives aren't in much danger of overloading the port.
grannynancy you are indeed lucky having you ex work that long. I have given up on storing anything important on ex drives. Had two just bomb out on me. The first one I lost everything, client work. The second one I managed to get up and running but not recognized on the desktop, so I transferred everything off and made Cd's. Now if I use it at all its just to take work to another computer. Never again. ugh. When they stop working they just stop. No warning.
I've had good luck with the WD external USB drives, and have five of them currently, 2tb each and they are quiet, reliable, and affordable. I've had WD drives in the past that are now defunct, and they lasted me about five years, which is pretty good for the price. Can't complain about WD drives.
grannynancy you are indeed lucky having you ex work that long. I have given up on storing anything important on ex drives. Had two just bomb out on me. The first one I lost everything, client work. The second one I managed to get up and running but not recognized on the desktop, so I transferred everything off and made Cd's. Now if I use it at all its just to take work to another computer. Never again. ugh. When they stop working they just stop. No warning.
Not sure if you'll read this reply of mine but where do you like to store your files since you've given up on ex drives?
I purchased an iOmega (which I was told was manufactured by Samsung), off of one of those "Groupon" type promotions and it experienced a catastrophic failure less than two weeks after the warranty ran out. The data (500gb) could not be recovered.
My advice would be to use some cloud-based storage service rather than a hard drive. I was not happy with my experience, as you might well imagine.
grannynancy you are indeed lucky having you ex work that long. I have given up on storing anything important on ex drives. Had two just bomb out on me. The first one I lost everything, client work. The second one I managed to get up and running but not recognized on the desktop, so I transferred everything off and made Cd's. Now if I use it at all its just to take work to another computer. Never again. ugh. When they stop working they just stop. No warning.
^^^^
this
from now on it's cloud based for me.
20yrsinBranson
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