Using an external drive to back up vital information and move files from one computer to another is a great way.
Almost all external or external drives are now lightweight and small in size, making them convenient to carry anywhere.
They can hold a lot of data, including documents, spreadsheets, presentations, music, and movies, despite their small size.
Most external hard drives connect to a computer via USB or eSATA, and many of them are powered by the computer’s USB port.
Follow the information on how to connect and disconnect an external hard drive.
How to connect an external hard drive
- Connect the power cable to the back of the external hard drive if necessary.
A small circular connection is usually found at the end of the power cable that connects to the drive.
Plug the opposite end of the power cord into the outlet. - If you haven’t already done so, connect the USB cable to the drive and the other end to a USB port on your computer.
- Connect the opposite end of the USB cable to the USB port of the computer.
- After you connect an external drive to your computer, the operating system should recognize it immediately.
All necessary drivers should be found and installed on your computer. - File Explorer can automatically launch in Windows and display the contents of an external drive.
If File Explorer does not open automatically, open it manually and browse for the drive.
Remove the external drive from the system
Select the operating system on your computer and follow the steps provided to properly disconnect the external hard drive from the computer.
Using the notification area in Microsoft Windows
- To see the items in the system tray, click the up arrow in the notification area of the taskbar.
- After that, right-click the Eject Media button.
- You can remove removable media from the menu.
Select the name of the external drive.
The option to eject the external hard drive in this case is called Eject My Passport Ultra.
Before removing the external drive from the computer, wait for a message confirming that it is safe to remove the hardware after pressing the eject option.
If no notification appears after five seconds, the external drive is probably safe to disconnect.
macOS
Command+E shortcut
- On the desktop, look for the external drive.
- To select it, click it once.
- Press the Apple Command key on the keyboard.
- To remove the external hard drive, press Command+E.
U Finder u
- Start the Finder.
- Find External Drive under Devices on the left side of the Finder window.
- To the right of the external hard drive, click the Eject icon.
Move to trash
Drag and drop your external drive icon from the macOS desktop to the Trash icon on the dock to eject it.
- On the desktop, click the external drive icon.
- Drag the icon around the screen (click it, hold down the mouse button and move the mouse).
When you start swiping, the trash symbol will turn into an eject icon. - Hover over the eject icon.
- Release the mouse button.
An external drive is ejected when its icon disappears from the desktop and you can safely disconnect it.
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