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EASTENDERS fans are convinced Nigel Bates’ return means one huge soap legend will make a shock comeback after years of rumours. Paul Bradley , 69, has left BBC viewers stunned as he reprises his legendary character for Christmas , leading many to believe that another show legend could be heading back to Albert Square. Advertisement 3 EastEnders fans are convinced Nigel Bates’ return means one huge soap legend will make a shock comeback Credit: BBC For years, there's been speculation surrounding the return of Grant Mitchell, one of EastEnders' most memorable and explosive characters. The rumours gained further momentum last month when actor Ross Kemp , 60, was spotted leaving the Walford set in a car with dark-tinted windows. Grant’s exit from the soap back in 2006 left a significant void, with his turbulent relationship with brother Phil and his fiery temper making him a household name. However, despite numerous rumors over the years, Grant has not yet made his comeback. Advertisement read more on EastEnders EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy reveals disgusting advice June Brown gave her Xmas shocker Paul Bradley reveals why he returned to EastEnders after 26 years Now, with Nigel’s sudden reappearance, fans are convinced the stage is being set. The two characters share a history , as Nigel's role in the show has always been tied to the Mitchell family, and his return has sparked wild theories about the possibility of Grant's re-emergence. Social media has been buzzing with excitement since the news broke, with fans eager to see what the future holds for the Mitchell family. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one wrote: "Actually this makes sense, cause grant and Nigel were best friends back in the day, so if phil needs saving who bettervtgen to bring back grant #eastenders." Advertisement Most read in Soaps Xmas shocker Paul Bradley reveals why he returned to EastEnders after 26 years jack the lad Inside EastEnders star Scott Maslen’s life off-screen with stunning wife memory lane EastEnders fans insist they ‘didn’t recognise’ soap legend after shock comeback GUILTY AS CIN EastEnders fans ‘work out’ who stole the USB as crisis looms for Cindy Another added: "There's a mention of " Ghosts returning from the past" during tomorrow's 2nd episode of #EastEnders. "If Grant returns during the 2nd episode for Phil's storyline I think I'll lose my mind." Someone else gushed: "This was such a lovely surprise! I didn’t recognise him at first though! But surely this means a Grant return must also be on the cards at some point." EastEnders legend makes shock comeback after 26 years - and he's hiding huge secret One more concluded: "IM CRYING WE JUST NEED GRANT." Advertisement Ross became a fan favourite while playing tough guy Grant from 1990 to 1999. Although he left the show to pursue other ventures, he has made a number of memorable comebacks over the years. His latest appearance was in 2016 for the emotional funeral of his on-screen mother, Peggy Mitchell, played by the late Barbara Windsor. This September, The Sun reported that Ross would be participating in the anniversary festivities by hosting a one-off documentary about the soap. Advertisement A source revealed: "He will interview stars past and present about why it is so good and how important it is. "EastEnders will always have a special place in his heart and he's really excited." While Ross has been tight-lipped about any potential on-screen return, his recent sighting near the EastEnders production set has left fans abuzz. During a recent This Morning interview, Alison Hammond pressed the actor about the rumors, asking: "What is going on, are you going back for the 40th anniversary? Tell us what’s going on." Advertisement Ross responded cryptically, saying: "I can tell you nothing. "I am very proud of the show celebrating 40 years and I wouldn’t have had a career, good or bad, without it. I absolutely love it and I still support it." The BBC has been keeping details of the anniversary week under wraps but has teased that it will feature an unprecedented live episode with an interactive element. Fans will be given the chance to vote on the outcome of a pivotal love story, with the cast and crew adapting live to the audience's choice. Advertisement The live broadcast is set for February 2025 and promises to be a historic moment for the show. Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw said: "The 40th anniversary is a milestone event for EastEnders, and we have been planning this week for a long time to ensure that it’s a week full of drama and surprises." EastEnders Christmas and New Year schedule Monday December 23 - 6am iPlayer & 7:30pm BBC One Tuesday December 24 - 6am iPlayer & 7:45pm BBC One Christmas Day - 7:30pm & 10:35pm BBC One & iPlayer Boxing Day - 8:30pm BBC One & iPlayer Monday December 30 - 6am iPlayer & 7:30pm BBC One Tuesday December 31 - 6am iPlayer & 7:30pm BBC One New Year's Day - 10pm BBC One & iPlayer Thursday January 2 - 6am iPlayer & 7:30pm BBC One This week, Paul revealed exactly why he agreed to return to his old job. Nigel could be seen back in Walford having fallen on hard times during EastEnders' Christmas Eve episode. Advertisement However, it appears from today’s episode his life has changed significantly. Nigel was last seen in 1998 when he left Walford for a new life in Scotland with wife Julie, daughter Clare and stepson Josh. But, now back in Walford, Nigel was seen looking homeless as he came into contact with Yolande Trueman at the community centre’s soup kitchen. Paul said he is still recognised on the street by soap fans and said the cast have been friendly and welcoming. Advertisement He said: “I’m thrilled and honoured to be back as Nigel. Despite it being such a long time ago, I still get recognised as Nigel in the street. "Returning has been great as I’m so familiar with many of the faces at EastEnders, and they are a very friendly bunch. "It’s fantastic to work with Steve McFadden again - I’m a huge admirer of his work, and he sets the bar really high. I’m having a really good time.” Despite his new life in Scotland, Nigel has mysteriously returned to Walford alone as Phil will get a visit from the ghost of Christmas past. Advertisement Read more on the Scottish Sun SHOCK SWOOP Former Celtic boss 'lines up shock January transfer swoop for Kyogo Furuhashi' MAKE THE YULETIDE GREY White Christmas update for Scots as snow & 80mph winds wreak chaos The Sun on Sunday exclusively revealed how Paul was making a shock comeback in time for the 40th anniversary. However, his return for Christmas was totally unexpected. 3 Paul Bradley is back in EastEnders after 26 years Credit: BBC 3 Ross Kemp played Grant Mitchell from 1990 to 1999 Credit: BBC AdvertisementIowa moves on without injured quarterback Brendan Sullivan when the Hawkeyes visit Maryland for a Big Ten Conference contest on Saturday afternoon. Former starter Cade McNamara is not ready to return from a concussion, so Iowa (6-4, 4-3) turns to former walk-on and fourth-stringer Jackson Stratton to lead the offense in College Park, Md. "Confident that he'll do a great job," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of Stratton on his weekly radio show. "He stepped in, did a really nice job in our last ballgame. And he's got a good ability to throw the football, and he's learning every day. ... We'll go with him and see what we can do." Iowa had been on an upswing with Sullivan, who had sparked the Hawkeyes to convincing wins over Northwestern and Wisconsin before suffering an ankle injury in a 20-17 loss at UCLA on Nov. 8. Stratton came on in relief against the Bruins and completed 3 of 6 passes for 28 yards. Another storyline for Saturday is that Ferentz will be opposing his son, Brian Ferentz, an assistant at Maryland. Brian Ferentz was Iowa's offensive coordinator from 2017-23. "We've all got business to take care of on Saturday," Kirk Ferentz said. "I think his experience has been good and everything I know about it. As a parent, I'm glad he's with good people." Maryland (4-6, 1-6) needs a win to keep its hopes alive for a fourth straight bowl appearance under Mike Locksley. The Terrapins have dropped five of their last six games, all by at least 14 points, including a 31-17 loss at home to Rutgers last weekend. "It's been a challenging last few weeks to say the least," Locksley said. The challenge this week will be to stop Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, who leads the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,328) and touchdowns (20), averaging 7.1 yards per carry. "With running backs, it's not always about speed. It's about power, vision and the ability to make something out of nothing," Locksley said. "This guy is a load and runs behind his pads." Maryland answers with quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who leads the Big Ten in passing yards per game (285.5) and completions (268). His top target is Tai Felton, who leads the conference in catches (86) and receiving yards (1,040). --Field Level Media
has a case to be considered the greatest player of all time thanks to his achievements on the field, primarily with and the . On Monday, he reminded his more than 500 million followers on that even players as accomplished as Messi have icons that they look up to. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.
AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:41 p.m. EST'Tis the (deals) season! Walmart is kicking Black Friday off early with up to 70% off , which means, if you're a parent (or know and love a tiny human) it's the perfect time to grab toys and games for the holiday season. From the latest video games to must-have toys from Lego and Little Tikes, check out a few of the goodies you can grab on sale now! 1. A Harry Potter LEGO set for the Potterheads who want to live out their Hogwarts dream, but their letter seems to have gotten lost in the mail. Promising review: "This set was AWESOME... We are Harry Potter fans here in our house. The kids loved putting it together and playing with a little bit. It's going on the shelf as one of our collections soon. As always, Walmart had the best price, over $20 [at the regular non-sale price]. Thanks Walmart. We appreciate that." — Wendell Price: $45 (originally $79.99) 2. A 25-piece three-story farmhouse-style dollhouse complete with chic furniture and a cute bunny character. Suitable for ages 3+, they can even change the bunny's clothes and play with the house open or closed. Promising review: "I was very pleased and the four year old recipient was very excited. I liked the carrying case design, and was helpful with the many pieces." — Vondia Price: $25 (originally $49.97) 3. Flybar's bumper car ride in a sweet pink Minnie Mouse design. It has dual joyride steering, an adjustable safety belt, and a maximum speed of 1MPH for the ultimate safety-conscious ride. The whole design is so cool, but my favorite part? The snazzy flashing lights above the wheels. Promising review: "Bought this bumper car as a birthday present for my daughter, she just turned 4 and she loves the thing. It's great quality. The lights are really cool and bright; you can't turn off the lights, but they stay on if the car is on. But it's the perfect indoor toy not too loud either. The bumper guard is great and doesn't damage any furniture. Highly recommend so glad I bought this on sale. The pink is a Barbie pink and the Minnie Mouse theme makes it so much better. Recommend for sure." — LakerFanatic Price: $69 (originally $99) 4. Jenga , the stackable game that's fun for all the family. The most suspenseful five seconds in life HAS to be when you're removing a block and the tower starts to wobble. Promising review: "This game is a classic. This particular set was smooth and fun. My two year old has found the fun of this game. Although it says 6, this is a game that doesn't divide the readers and nonreaders. Or the mathematical and not. My older son is always wondering how my two year old avoids knocking over the tower. It helps them learn patience. But my favorite is to watch the reactions that follow the tower collapse." — Disco13 Price: $9.97 (originally $15.99) 5. A remote-controlled fast toy car to give them a taste of F1 without *actually* competing. This car is suitable for all terrains and is water resistant. Promising review: "Got it as a gift for hubs, and he loved it!!! the RC CAR is super fast, quality isn't bad! i highly recommend it. Love how it has a spare battery! super fun to play with." — Tashia Price: $79.99 (originally $104) 6. A double basketball goal game that's pretty similar to those you find in the arcade but never seem to get the chance to play on because EVERYONE wants to play on them. Promising review: "We love it because it became fun for the whole family. It's durable and it lasts! I love the fact that it comes with 6 inflatable basketballs!" — Edrica Price: $36.99 (originally $159.99) 7. Super Mario: Odyssey for Nintendo Switch — the game involves exploring colorful 3D kingdoms and mastering new moves such as cap throw, cap jump, and capture. Promising review : "This particular purchase was a Christmas gift for my niece who is 20-some years younger than myself. I have also played this game as I have my own Switch. I have played Nintendo games for many years. My niece and her husband enjoyed this game, just as I did. You really cannot go wrong with a Nintendo title. This game is a must." — Kimber Price: $30 (originally $59.99) 8. And for the super Super Mario fans, a wireless controller for Nintendo Switch designed with a stunning themed graphic. Price: $35 (originally $59) 9. A Little Tikes pretend refrigerator to teach them the art of having a wonderfully organized fridge. This one even comes with an ice dispenser! Promising review: "I bought it for my granddaughter's 1st bday and both my grandkids love it! Mom said they begin their morning playing with!!" — Jamie Price: $25 (originally $50.99) 10. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for PlayStation 5 that will immerse themselves in the wonderful world of Peter Parker. Available as a single-player game, players have the option to switch between several characters during gameplay. Promising review: "My first Spider-Man game in the Sony eco, it doesn't disappoint in the least bit. It is a rollercoaster. The action is fluid and heavy with cinematic elements during combat that really delivers. This is one if not the best 3rd person action game for PS5 in my opinion. 10/10." — D Price: $30 (originally $69.99) 11. UNO Flip! , the fan-fave card game with a fun little twist. Play the flip card and allllll the double-sided cards will have to be turned over. Oooh, the drama! Promising review: "I was introduced to the game by my granddaughter. We played the game several times and it was great and fun every time. We liked it so much, we bought our own." — Larry Price: $5.99 (originally $18.50) 12. A wireless gaming headset that is compatible with many different gaming devices like PS5, PS4, Xbox, and desktop. Promising review: "We ordered 2 of these, a headset for our son to play Fortnite so he can stay connected with his friends and a set for Mom to use on work conference calls. They work great for both! I like the headset because they block out background noise effectively so I can hear my conference call and block out my son's energetic Fortnite talk!" — Mr Price: $20 (originally $39.95; available in eight colors) 13. The multi-award-winning Catan , a strategy board game that involves harvesting and trading resources. It's suitable for ages 10+ and can be played with 3-4 people. Promising review: "I wasn't sure about this game at first, but after having tried it with with my family, I enjoyed it so much, we ended up buying it as gifts for everyone else we could think of who would enjoy it and had the people to play with. This is a great game for anyone who likes strategic games or just a fun time to be had with friends or family. =)" — SunnyDodds Price: $25 (originally $49) 14. EA Sports College Football 25 for the sports lovers who have an Xbox Series X. The fast-paced game is the perfect way to bring the football field home this winter. Promising review: "My husband has been waiting for this to be released for YEARS, and he counted down the days to the release date (only for it to be delivered late). He claims it was well worth the wait. He said the graphics are amazing and look very life-like. He says it's way better than his Madden games, and he loves how up-to-date team rosters are. This was a definite “win”!" — Jennifer Price: $30 (originally $69.99) 15. A Hot Wheels City Mega Car Wash because who else ~loved~ a visit to the car wash as a kid? With cool color-changing features, this no-mess set is basically an extreme version of your regular car wash. Promising review: "Bought for my grandson. It's his new favorite thing." — V Price: $20 (originally $44.97) 16. A 10-in-one game table so you can switch out the game depending on your mood. From hockey to football to shuffleboard to ping pong, this table has it all. Promising review: "I love how sturdy this product is. It is a Christmas gift for my niece and nephew, they are going to be so excited when they see this, can't wait." — Char Price: $129.99+ (originally $345.99; available in two colors) 17. A Dungeons & Dragons Clue for making every D&D lover in your life supremely happy. Promising review: "Purchased for my boyfriend. Huge dungeons and dragons fan. He loved it. Definitely suggest for fans." — Cheri Price: $32 (originally $49.99) 18. Throw Throw Burrito , a dodgeball-meets-card game that's the best of both worlds. Don't worry, the burritos are super squishy so you can throw them at your great-grandpa without feeling bad. Promising review: "Wonderful game! Purchased as a family game night option and it's sooooo fun with my young kids! My 4 year old even made up his own game with the burritos and has had hours of fun. " — Ashley Price: $10 (originally $24.99) 19. A Star Wars lightsaber so they can step into their favorite franchise without even entering a galaxy far, far away. Promising review: "Disney park quality for a fraction of the cost! A great option for the at-home 'battles'." — JMM Price: $10 (originally $24.97) 20. Twister , the classic board game that'll leave the whole family practicing their best contortionist impressions holiday season. Promising review: "I've been playing this game since 1980! Now our grandchildren are playing! They love it. What a hoit when their cousins came over. I appreciate the quality mat, spinner and box to store being a nice quailty. So many games quality has gone down hill big time! Not Twister! Awesome!" — Walmart Customer Price: $10 (originally $17.97) You, watching your kiddos open all their new toys knowing you got them on sale at Walmart : Need ingredients for all your new recipes? Shop each recipe directly through the app, or check out Walmart’s grocery selection to get veggies, meat, seafood, and more delivered right to your door. Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
The biggest game of the weekend is set to take place in Columbus, Ohio, at 12 p.m. EST on Saturday, as the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers travel to the Horseshoe to take on the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in a highly anticipated Big Ten clash. This marks Ohio State's third matchup against a top-five opponent this season, but it’s the first one to be held at home in Ohio Stadium. The energy will undoubtedly be electric, and head coach Ryan Day, along with starting quarterback Will Howard , made sure to send a message to Buckeye Nation ahead of the high-stakes showdown. Will Howard said, “We need y’all, we need Buckeye Nation to be loud.” Ryan Day echoed his quarterback’s sentiment, adding, “One thing about being at Ohio State is you get a chance to be around the best fans in the land, and I know that this week is a huge opportunity for us to show the nation what the best damn fans in the land look like.” It’s time to show a nation, the Best Damn Fans in the Land 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/siwrXTt5yZ This matchup not only has major implications for the College Football Playoff, but also for the Big Ten title race. The winner will put themselves in position to face No. 1 Oregon in the championship game in December. For Indiana, this is being called the biggest game in program history under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. How they perform on Saturday will play a major role in how the College Football Playoff committee views them, especially as they compare them against other teams also vying for a playoff spot as the regular season winds down who may have a better resume. Ohio State, on the other hand, looks to reinforce their position as one of the country's top national title contenders. Aiming to prove they're more than just a playoff-worthy team, but one that can compete for a championship with the talent they have on both sides of the ball. © Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK With both ESPN's “ College GameDay ” and Fox's “ Big Noon Kickoff ” broadcasting from Columbus prior to the game, the energy and intensity will be off the charts, leading up to one of the most anticipated Big Ten matchups of the year. Related: Rick Neuheisel Predicts Top Five College Football Team to Lose on Saturday
Buying an external hard drive is one of the best decisions a PC or Mac user can make. It gives you the option of backing up your data in a form factor that detaches from the machine, allowing you to keep your data safe in a different location. Millions have lost all of their photos, music, videos, and important documents because their computer's hard drive fried or because they lost their device entirely. So, if you're wondering if having a backup drive is a smart idea, then you'll be happy to know that it absolutely is. However, like any product category, there are some things people should know before buying an external hard drive and some situations where one type of external hard drive is better than another. For example, what you'll use your external drive for will help determine what kind you want. Some folks have tons of photos and videos that they want to back up, so cost and storage matters the most. Others may want to load an entire operating system on their hard drive and carry it around, which works best with a different kind of drive. Even the nomenclature can be confusing for first timers. For example, many people still refer to all storage drives as hard drives, even though hard drives refer to a specific kind of drive. We'll go over the various things you should know before buying a storage drive so that you can go into your purchase as educated as possible. There are three main types of external storage. The first are mechanical drives, which are old school HDDs. These have been around for decades and have improved immensely over the years. Despite their advanced age, there are benefits to having an HDD. The price per GB is the best of any type of storage and you can easily find 4 TB external hard drives for under $100 when sales are going on. HDDs are best for bulk storage, backups, and similar applications. Over the last couple of decades, solid state drives, also known as SSDs, have become more common. Typically, you'll find them as storage drives in more expensive laptops, desktop PCs, and even modern game systems like the PlayStation 5 Pro . However, you can also buy them as external hard drives. Like their internal counterparts, SSDs are more expensive for how much space you get but the read and write speeds are significantly faster. They're best for moving files around between multiple devices quickly. Finally, we come to flash storage. Flash drives are the smallest form factor when it comes to external storage. They are faster than HDDs but slower than SSDs. Their main claim to fame is being imminently portable, fitting into a pocket or a bag while taking up minimal space. However, its biggest advantage is also its biggest weakness. The smaller drives have the most storage options available but have a lower maximum storage amount than SSDs or HDDs. Compatibility is rarely an issue these days. Virtually any external hard drive is compatible with virtually any computer and even gaming console. Generally speaking, even if a hard drive isn't immediately compatible, you can use your OS to reformat the drive and make it work. Game consoles like Xbox will ask if you want to do this the first time you plug in a drive. However, there are some instances where the hard drive you choose may not be the best option. The best example of this is game consoles. The Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 both have limitations as to what external storage can do in general. In both cases, Xbox Enhanced Games and PlayStation 5 games cannot be played from any type of external hard drive, be it HDD or SSD . This is due to the external drives being too slow over a USB connection to load assets fast enough for optimal game play. For PlayStation, Sony recommends offloading games you don't intend to play for a while onto external storage. Xbox owners can purchase storage expansion cards from Seagate or Western Digital , which acts like internal storage and bypasses the restriction. Fortunately, such issues are mostly limited to gaming consoles these days. In some cases, you may hear someone tell you that you need to buy a specific type of external hard drive for MacOS or something like that but in virtually all cases, you can simply reformat any old drive to be compatible with whatever OS you're working with. This one seems obvious — mostly because it is. External storage devices have to connect to your computer in order to be of any use and thus, you'll want to make sure that whatever drive you buy will actually fit into your computer. For desktop PCs, this is rarely an issue as most desktop PCs come with an assortment of USB ports to choose from. Laptops, on the other hand, can get a little tricky depending on which one you own. One excellent example is the MacBook lineup of laptops. The 2024 MacBook Air M3 only comes with two USB-C ports . Thus, an external drive that uses a USB-A port won't work unless you buy an adapter . So, if you own a modern MacBook, you'll want to ensure that your new external hard drive either comes with a USB-C cable or an adapter so that you can actually use the thing on your laptop. Folks with older PCs want to think about the above problem in reverse. Desktop PCs can last for many years depending on how they're used, so people with older computers may not have the modern USB-C ports. In that case, make sure your external hard drive comes with a USB-A cable or adapter so you can use it. That should cover the vast majority of cable compatibility issues. If you wind up with one that has a connection you've never seen before, here is a helpful graphic hosted on Reddit that shows all the various connection types in case you need to buy an adapter. Okay, so we have compatibility out of the way in terms of operating system and cable types. The final consideration in terms of compatibility is your lifestyle. People use external hard drives for myriad reasons and in various conditions. How you intend to use and store your external storage drive can help you determine which one to get. For example, many external storage brands such as Samsung sell ruggedized versions of their products with IP ratings and thicker enclosures for folks who need extra storage in inclement weather or more difficult conditions. How you use your storage can help you decide what kind to buy in other ways as well. External hard drives with the old school HDDs are more susceptible to drop and shock damage, so while they are great for mass storage, you'll want a flash drive or an external SSD if you intend on taking it with you everywhere. Flash drives are the smallest form factor but are often just plastic enclosures over the internal components. Those who need survivability in their external storage would be best served with something more rugged like this Corsair Flash Survivor Stealth stick. People with active lifestyles have more to think about than those who intend to leave their hard drive at home all day. As long as it's stored in a safe place where it won't take an accidental tumble, you can buy any type of external storage for home-only use. Those who venture into the used market for external storage should be wary. Storage drives have finite lifespans, and these can range wildly depending on how much they get used. Most authorities on the matter say that mechanical hard drives can last around five years while SSDs can last around 10 years, give or take. Since external drives don't get used as often as internal ones, they tend to last much longer. However, a person simply doesn't know what an external drive was used for before it went to the open market. There are ways to find out. Programs like CrystalDiskInfo can tell you things like reads, writes, and drive usage over time. This can help ensure that you're using a drive that isn't beyond its expected lifespan. If you're dealing with an individual seller on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist, a reputable seller will have no problems booting up CrystalDiskInfo and showing you the drive's stats. Even older hard drives come with S.M.A.R.T. data, which tells you how old the drive is and how often it's been used. In general, SSDs measure their lifespan in TBW — terabytes written — while mechanical hard drives have moving parts that age just like anything else. For the most part, as long as the hard drive is relatively new, you should be fine. However, if you intend on using the drive heavily, as in the case of an external storage device for a game console or for frequently moving data from one computer to another, you may want to buy new so you can maximize the lifespan. However, S.M.A.R.T. data can only tell you so much, so it's wise to avoid nearly all external HDDs that are on the used market if you can help it. It's not necessarily that all external HDDs are bad. It's more of a risk versus reward decision. HDDs have moving parts, which degrade with age. Since it's not optimal to open an external hard drive to check its integrity, each mechanical drive you buy used is a little bit of a crapshoot as things like manufacturing tolerances and other variables can cause drives to fail sooner than expected. Tech savvy folks will buy used mechanical drives, but it usually comes with a long list of caveats. You'll want to test the drive with multiple full passes using something like Microsoft's SDelete tool to make sure the entire drive can be written and not just most of it. Less reputable sellers will also wipe or change the S.M.A.R.T. data, leaving you with no way to know how old the drive is or what it was used for in its prior life. Plus, if someone dropped the thing, the disks themselves might be damaged, which will cause failure and data loss down the road. There are complicated equations that businesses use to predict hard drive failure in server farms that use a lot of HDDs. However, unless you're a tech savvy individual who understands and accepts the risks, it's mostly better to buy a new external HDD. Then you know how many times it's been dropped and how often it's been used. Another big issue with buying external storage is underestimating how much storage you actually need. Taking a quick look at the contents of your computer or mobile phone and buying exactly enough storage to offload what's already there might seem like a sound investment in the moment, but you'll eventually run low on storage and end up having to buy a second drive. This is a waste of space, money, and time. Using external storage for gaming is the biggest and best example of this. Not long ago, it was rare to see games eclipse the 50GB mark and such games were considered massive. In 2024, such games are not only commonplace, but darn near average for the segment. Some games are well over 100GB now with some even asking for over 200GB of space. Even games released years ago have grown. Destiny 2 launched at around 30GB in 2017 and now requires over 150GB as of its latest DLC in 2024. In short, things are getting bigger. Phone cameras are taking larger photos and recording larger videos. File sizes are ballooning everywhere. What's good for you right now may not be ideal in a few years. Thus, it's good practice to buy a size or two up from what you think you need. It might seem like overkill at first, but as you accumulate more files and as those files increase in size, you'll be glad you did. It's virtually always cheaper to buy a single 1 TB drive than it is to buy two 500 GB drives. Backing up personal data is one of the most common reasons to own an external hard drive. After all, it's always good to keep your personal documents backed up in case of a failure. However, offloading them onto a small device that is easily misplaced and stolen carries its own risks. Fortunately, security is plentiful on external storage devices, and you can do things like encrypt your drive to keep prying eyes out in the event your drive falls into the wrong hands. Many external hard drive makers have security software that come with their drives. These are okay for basic security and will keep prying eyes from accessing your drive. Usually, included software has simple features like password protection and full disk encryption. These certainly help deter potential ne'er-do-wells from accessing your private files. At a minimum, consider encryption and password protecting your drive. People who are serious about their privacy have other options as well. One such example is VeraCrypt . VeraCrypt allows you to do all sorts of neat things, like create hidden, encrypted partitions on your external storage that only you know how to access. These partitions are hidden from others and fully encrypted. This is not an ad for VeraCrypt and even if it was, it wouldn't matter because the app is free and open source. We're just fans of software that lets you do the kinds of things that most thieves won't even check for, like create completely hidden volumes on your hard drive. For the most part, external storage drives are very similar from product to product. They include a drive of some sort inside of an enclosure, and all you have to do is plug it in. So what if I told you that you can create your very own external storage drive with a couple of Amazon purchases? This gives you complete control over what kind of drive it is, how big it is, and which brand it's from. Additionally, this is a great way to repurpose old internal hard drives that you otherwise might not be able to use. Start by looking for hard drive enclosures. They come in many shapes and sizes and for a variety of drive types. For example, this Cenmate Aluminum Dual Bay Hard Drive Enclosure comes with a cooling fan to keep your HDDs cool. Buy one of those, pop one or two HDDS into it, and you've effectively made yourself your very own external storage drive. There are also enclosures available for 2.5-inch drives and NVMe SSDs . The technology here is fairly straightforward, as the enclosures are relatively simple pieces of tech. They come with all of the connections necessary to let an internal drive connect to your PC over a USB cable. There are other benefits as well. If your laptop fries, you may be able to salvage the data by pulling out the laptop's hard drive and using an enclosure to access the data. Plus, internal drives tend to be less expensive than their external counterparts, which might help you save money. The only downside is that purpose-built external drives are more rugged than an enclosure. Reliability is a mixed bag when it comes to storage. There are so many variables that can determine if a storage drive is going to go the distance or fail. For the most part, the big players have near equal reliability and most negative feedback is simply bad luck. It is in the nature of mass-produced goods that some just roll off the line with a defect and virtually all makers have had bad products in the past. Still, it's important to know the big players in the external hard drive space. They include Samsung, Seagate, Crucial, Western Digital, Toshiba, and SanDisk. For the best customer support and warranty support, you'll want to stick with the big guns, even if they cost a little more. However, the industry isn't as big as you think it is. For example, Micron makes flash storage for a variety of brands. Crucial is the in-house brand for Micron but the brand also sells its storage to other brands for use in their products. Another example is Samsung, which works with SanDisk to make flash storage. Thus, buying a SanDisk or Samsung external SSD will likely have components from the other company. LaCie makes storage drives, but the company is owned by Seagate. Kingston buys its tech from Micron and SK Hynix, among others. You see where this is going. Most of the industry's drives are made by the same handful of companies, so reliability is virtually the same across the entire vertical. We do recommend checking to see who supplies off-brand companies with their tech before buying, though, to make sure you're getting something good.
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