Secure all the important files on your computers by regularly backing them up with Verbatim external hard drives. An external hard drive provides easily accessible storage for files. You can use it to extend the storage capacity of your computer or use it as a mobile solution to share files between multiple computers. Staples offers a wide selection of these storage devices from Verbatim and other leading brands.

Choose Between Desktop and Portable Hard Drives
There are two types of external hard drives: desktop and portable drives. The main difference between them is their size. Desktop models are physically larger and have higher storage capacities. They usually pack 3.5-inch hard disk drives and come with AC power adapters. Verbatim Store 'n' Save drives are in this category. Portable external hard drives use smaller 2.5-inch hard disks and do not require external power sources. They have a lower energy requirement and draw power from the same USB cables used to carry data. Verbatim Store 'n' Go drives are good examples of such compact bus-powered storage devices. They are slimmer and better suited as mobile storage devices than desktop models.

Features to Consider When Comparing Verbatim External Hard Drives
Verbatim makes external hard drives in capacities ranging from 500GB to 4TB. The amount of storage you need depends on what you intend to do with your drive. Get a 500GB unit if you want a slim drive to carry around important business or personal files. To back up your computer's hard drive, you need a bigger drive. Choose a 2 to 4TB drive if you want to build a library of your HD movie collection or add more storage to your gaming console. Build quality is another important factor to consider especially for portable drives. Make sure the one you choose has a sturdy shell that can withstand the rigors of carrying it around. Verbatim makes a line of portable hard drives with rugged shock-resistant enclosures.

How Do You Connect Verbatim External Hard Drives?
To transfer files between a Verbatim drive and your PC, simply connect the storage device to the USB port of the computer. Verbatim drives use a USB 3.0 interface and can move files ten times faster than USB 2.0 drives when connected to USB 3.0 ports. You can also connect a USB 3.0 external hard drive to a USB 2.0 or 1.1 port.

Are Verbatim Hard Drives Compatible With Mac Computers?
Yes. Verbatim drives are compatible with computers running Windows 2000 or later as well as those running Mac OS X 10.1 or higher. You can also use them with Linux computers as long as they are running Kernel 2.6 or higher.

Do You Have to Format Verbatim External Hard Drives for Mac Computers?
Yes. For full compatibility, format your Verbatim drive to HFS+ as soon as you connect it to a Mac computer. The brand's drives support FAT32, NTFS and HFS+ file systems. To make it easy to reformat them for Mac users, Verbatim bundles a pre-installed formatting software with their external hard drives.

Are There External SSDs?
Yes. There are external devices that use solid state drives rather than hard disks. While they offer faster file transfer speeds, HDDs are more affordable and better for external storage because they come in much higher capacities.