Western Digital Desktop External Hard Drives

Western Digital® desktop external hard drives provide added storage space and data security for users with high-volume or sensitive data storage needs. Computers begin to experience performance issues when their hard drive nears maximum capacity, necessitating additional storage space such as an external hard drive. External drives also offer the means to back up crucial files and replace lost or corrupted data. Portable drives are convenient for travel and sharing between groups of multiple users. These drives come in a range of capacities, some with as much as 12 terabytes. This makes them well-suited for storing large media files, such as movies and photo collections.

Western Digital Desktop External Hard Drives Are Conveniently Portable

With portable external hard drives, it is easy to take data on the go. Models such as the portable WD Elements™ and the G-Drive have slim dimensions and are easy to fit into a laptop bag for use along with a portable computer. Capabilities such as plug-and-play, drag-and-drop file copying and rapid USB 3.0 transfer rates add further efficiency. Some models have USB-C™ compatibility to simplify a port connection. A WD Elements Desktop model is also available with the same convenient features and abilities in a larger size and storage capacity.

Use an External Drive to Expand Game System Storage

A WD Black™ game drive works with an Xbox® console, storing downloaded content and games while conserving space on the system's hard drive. It is also equipped to support gamers with active cooling technology to prevent overheating. These game drives even have ports for connecting and charging controllers and other gear. Similar in size to a desktop USB hard drive, they fit conveniently alongside the console.

Make Data Accessible With Network-Attached Storage

Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices allow for keeping data in a single location while making it accessible to users on the network, even when they are in remote locations. Many allow access from mobile devices, and support media streaming with powerful processors. Keep everyone in the enterprise up to date with automatic file syncing. Upload photos, videos and other files, even while in the field using personal cloud devices. These devices read SD cards, making them especially convenient to videographers and photographers. They support live video streaming as well as cloud uploading for later retrieval and for an additional data backup.

External Drives Offer Multiple Back-Up Options

Models such as the WD My Book Hard Drive include backup software that works with both Windows® PCs and the Time Machine application on Mac devices, helping to protect against lost or mistakenly deleted files. Additionally, external drives keep files secure with 256-bit AES encryption, preventing unauthorized access. Many other Mac hard drives also offer Apple device compatibility. Several Western Digital desktop external hard drives support different RAID configurations, such as RAID 0 and RAID 1. These create mirrored or striped data sets to act as a backup and failsafe.