u/bbucy

Hi everyone, I have a Samsung 1TB external SSD containing some extremely valuable photos. I regularly access these photos from my computer for editing, and this is both part of my work and one of my hobbies. Because of that, I often leave the external SSD connected to my Windows PC for long periods of time, sometimes for days or longer.

My questions are:

1. Is it generally safe to leave an external SSD connected to a computer continuously?
2. How often, if ever, should I safely eject it?
3. Can keeping it connected all the time significantly shorten its lifespan or increase the risk of data corruption? Would it be better to disconnect it whenever I am not actively using it?

I have additional copies of the photos, but still wanna some practical advice about how to manage external SSDs that are used frequently.

https://preview.redd.it/i5ln4r8ng3kh1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6d2ed6e9fb15a0dab192c4710721c3485b4754c

Hi everyone, I often see people say that USB flash drives are unreliable and unsuitable for long-term storage. However, I’ve used several drives for years without any problems. I mainly use them to transfer movies and work files because they’re convenient and portable. I also have external hard drives, but USB flash drives are easier to carry. I understand that important files shouldn’t exist on only one drive. Still, are USB flash drives really that unreliable for everyday use or as a secondary backup?