Need Shopping Advice:Do Some External Hard Drives have Cooling Fans?

[Steady Teddy]

I currently own a Western Digital (WD 120 B005) 120 GB USB 2.0 external hard drive. I'm not exactly sure but I think it might be going on the fritz. As I powered up my pc & Ext. HD yesterday, I heard a "clicking" noise from the Ext. HD and the pc itself did not reboot to Windows; it locked up in the setup screen but everything was OK (so far) when I performed a hard reboot. I'm still monitoring the situation as I don't know if the problem is with my pc and Windows or my Ext. HD. I've had the Ext. HD for about two years so there is no warranty.

I always leave it on 24/7 along with my pc except for one night per week when I power everything down. I'm not sure if it's wise to leave the Ext. HD on all day but some days I might need to store files on it throughout the day and some days I never use it so I just figure it's better to leave it running.

I'm trying to shop for a new Ext. HD in case I need one and I have just read that it's a good idea to get one with a cooling fan if you're goinmg to leave it on all day. This may sound really stupid but I don't even know my current unit has a cooling fan. It has no power switch either. There is nothing in the specs that says it has a cooling fan. And as I look online at some new models, I don't see any unit that's listed as having a cooling fan either.

So my questions are:
Do all or most Ext. HDs come with a cooling fan, in which case it's not listed in the specs because it's common knowledge?

If an Ext. HD has a cooling fan, would it be listed in the specs or features?

In NO Ext. HDs have cooling fans, is it wise to leave it powered up ALL day if it's not in use.

Is there a way to determine if my Ext. HD is overheating and am I waiting for an accident to happen by leaving it on all day if I'm not using it?


I'm currently looking at this WD model IF I need to buy a new one.

I'd like to get one with at least 120 GB and a power switch. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[TwoRails]

That model you're looking at looks pretty good for that sale price. It has a USB hub, 8-n-1 card reader, and 2 Firewire ports and a 160GB drive, all for a sale price of $170. I don't think you could build one with all those featues for that price.

No, it doesn't have a fan. The manufacturer's link is:

http://www.westerndigital.com/en/pro...asp?DriveID=77

[Dangermouse1]

This is what I want to get to use for an external HD.

[rjfvillarosa]

Mouse... where are you thinking of buying it? you are in the UK and the link you posted is from Circuitcity in the states, even if they will post it to the UK it will cost more than the drive is worth.

[Steady Teddy]

Thanks for your replies. But is there a model out there that does have a fan? I still haven't seen this item mentioned in any of the products I've looked at so far.

And if not, does it really matter?

[WhatsThisBoxFor?]

I have an external drive, with a 40mm fan, and I can not hear it above the sound of the harddrive spinning.

[glc]

There are some external cases that have fans and power switches, you can put any standard IDE drive into the case.

A bit pricey (because of its bundled software) but this is an outstanding case. I have one of these. The software has 2 functions - it can clone any drive (internal to internal or external - or external to internal) and it also does images like Ghost. Very easy to assemble - 4 screws - and the case is aluminum, not plastic.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...155-601&depa=0