This hot little external hard drive

[Mogi]

So I bought this external hard drive case for my old computer, took the hard drive out, and put it in the case. Everything works perfectly fine and it is absolutely amazing.

But last night I forgot to turn it off and it's a little hotter than it normally is, though not too significantly.

This probably isn't a big issue, but I am so paranoid about losing the files on it. Are there any problems with me leaving it on over night accidentally once every week or so? I'm normally really good about remembering to turn it off, but I forgot last night for the first time and I can foresee myself forgetting a few times more before turning it off becomes habitual.

I used to leave my old computer on all the time so that I could listen to music while I slept, but this external case doesn't have a fan.

Is there anything I should worry about after leaving it on all night like that or any issues that can arise from it being left on for long periods of time, up to around 35 hours or so?

[Crimson]

Doubtful, an external HD is simply a HD that isnt inside your machine, but when running it's doing the same thing, every HD builds up heat the longer it's turned on, but the reason Internal HD's can be kept on for as long as you want is because of the internal fan. Aslong as the external doesnt get too hot, it shouldnt be a problem.


However, there are some externals out there that arent suited for extended periods of use and overheating can damage the ball bearings, which IS a bad thing that you dont want to happen.

[Namelessfengir]

you could build a muffin fan enclosure for it, zip tie some fans together so it always has air blowing over it

[Raistlin]

You would expect it to heat up after an extra night, but if it wasn't "too significant," then it doesn't sound like a problem. You should be fine occasionally forgetting to turn it off at night, as long as it's not for many consecutive nights.

[Mogi]

Ah, okay, that's what I was thinking. I just wanted to make sure, because I don't know much about it.

If I ever have the need to leave it on longer, I'll figure out some way of make-shifting a fan. Thanks for the idea, Fengir. :3

Thanks, you three! I really appreciate it.

[Mirage]

See if you're able to get access to the HDDs internal temperature sensor while it's connected via an external HDD case. Not all external cases support that. A HDDs optimal operating temperature seems to be between 35-45 degrees celsius, according statistics gathered by Google, including several tens of thousands or hard disks from a number of manufacturers. I don't think it'll be too much of a problem if it creeps upwards to 50-55 either.

[o_O]

Realistically you can leave an average drive in as long as you like, provided it's not one prone to overheating. I've had externals plugged in and running for months before. One night is definitely not something you'd have to worry about.

[Crimson]

Still, it's better safe than sorry, External or Internal, any HD can die at any time, personally the only time I hook up my external is for an occasional backup or if I have suspicions that something is about to go horribly wrong.

[o_O]

It's arguable as to which is better for your drive. The most stressful part of a hard drive's life is spinning up and spinning down the disks, and turning off the hard drive frequently after every use is causing this to happen which places greater stress on the motor. It's either that, or put up with increased temperature.

I'd rather have faster access to my data, so for me it's a question of having a slightly hotter drive with less stress on the spindle motor, and immediate access to my data, or a cooler drive with slow data access. I choose the first one.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming that my way is better for the drive, I'm just saying that it's more convenient, and for all intents and purposes you're going to lose a negligible amount of hard drive life either way on a drive that wasn't going to die anyway.

[Mogi]

During the week, I turn it on at around 3:00PM - 3:15PM and turn it off anywhere from 10:00PM to 3:00AM. When I turn it on, it's on for a while, so it's never turned on and off in succession of even five hours, on average of course.

I think I'll be okay as long as leaving it on for a night or two won't cause any damage. Is it more stressful for a hard drive to be internal or external?

[Mirage]

I'd say it's best for a drive to be internally, but that's because it's harder to bump the drive while it's in use that way. I would say one of the main reasons external drives generally last shorter is because people treat them like books, or something.

Optimally, they should never be bumped or moved while the platters are spinning, which a lot of people do, either because they don't know, or from accidents. The same applies to hard disks in laptop computers, so these should be treated nicely when turned on too.

[Mogi]

It's in between my computer and part of my desk, so it doesn't get moved around at all. Thanks for all of the help, everyone.
:3