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Sunday
March 14, 2010 Since 1922 |
USB connectors differ per computer
By Aaron Barbee
Contributor Published May 3, 2009 Question: Aaron, I plugged my external hard drive into my computer and I got a strange message. It said something about plugging it into a USB 2.0 connection so it will operate faster. Do I need to do something different? Is this a problem?
Answer: Basically USB (which stands for Universal Serial Bus) has been used more and more in the past few years. You can use a USB connector for printers, keyboards, mice, external hard drives, etc. Even though the USB connectors all look the same, on the inside of the computer, they can behave differently.
Depending on the age of the computer, you can have USB 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, or even 3.0. USB 1.0 is the oldest type connector and 3.0 is the newest. As I said above, depending on what version of USB your computer happens to have in it, the connector will behave differently.
The main difference between the USB versions is the speed in which it communicates with your device. Also, USB connectors can be used to supply electrical power to some small devices as well, such as cell phones, cameras, small speakers, mini-vacuum cleaners, etc. So, you can use your USB device to charge your phone or camera in some cases.
Since different USB connectors operate at different speeds, to get the fastest copy speed to your external hard drive, you need to use the latest USB connector type. The only issue is that your external hard drive can only go so fast. So, if your external hard drive supports speeds up to USB 2.0, and you plug it into a 1.1 connector, Windows will alert you to that and suggest you plug it into a 2.0 connector to maximize the speed. The hitch is that you might not have a 2.0 connector on your computer.
To get a higher USB connector on your computer, you have to buy a device from a computer store. However, just know that you’ll have to open your computer and plug an expansion card inside it. If you’re comfortable opening the computer it won’t be a big deal. The card will come with instructions and software. Laptops can’t be done because they are so compact they don’t have the capability of hardware expansion like a desktop does. If you’re uncomfortable upgrading your USB, you can always bring it in and we can do it for you.
Now that all this has been said, I suggest you don’t do anything about it. Since speed is essentially the only reason to upgrade your USB connector, it only affects external hard drives. Keyboards, mice, printers and devices like that won’t see a bit of a change. And, you would have to be backing up an excessive amount of data for it to become an issue for external hard drives. Now, if your backups are taking hours, it may be worth it for you to upgrade. If you’re doing that, you may want to rethink your whole process and figure out if everything you’re backing up really needs to be backed up. That’s a whole other discussion.
Check out my Web site www.TexasComputerGuru.com for supplemental information and previous articles as well.
Aaron Barbee owns Texas Computer Guru, a local computer services company for on-site business and residential needs. He can be contacted at 281-628-5099. E-mail questions for Aaron to sunnews(at)baytownsun.com.
Contributor Published May 3, 2009 Question: Aaron, I plugged my external hard drive into my computer and I got a strange message. It said something about plugging it into a USB 2.0 connection so it will operate faster. Do I need to do something different? Is this a problem?
Answer: Basically USB (which stands for Universal Serial Bus) has been used more and more in the past few years. You can use a USB connector for printers, keyboards, mice, external hard drives, etc. Even though the USB connectors all look the same, on the inside of the computer, they can behave differently.
Depending on the age of the computer, you can have USB 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, or even 3.0. USB 1.0 is the oldest type connector and 3.0 is the newest. As I said above, depending on what version of USB your computer happens to have in it, the connector will behave differently.
The main difference between the USB versions is the speed in which it communicates with your device. Also, USB connectors can be used to supply electrical power to some small devices as well, such as cell phones, cameras, small speakers, mini-vacuum cleaners, etc. So, you can use your USB device to charge your phone or camera in some cases.
Since different USB connectors operate at different speeds, to get the fastest copy speed to your external hard drive, you need to use the latest USB connector type. The only issue is that your external hard drive can only go so fast. So, if your external hard drive supports speeds up to USB 2.0, and you plug it into a 1.1 connector, Windows will alert you to that and suggest you plug it into a 2.0 connector to maximize the speed. The hitch is that you might not have a 2.0 connector on your computer.
To get a higher USB connector on your computer, you have to buy a device from a computer store. However, just know that you’ll have to open your computer and plug an expansion card inside it. If you’re comfortable opening the computer it won’t be a big deal. The card will come with instructions and software. Laptops can’t be done because they are so compact they don’t have the capability of hardware expansion like a desktop does. If you’re uncomfortable upgrading your USB, you can always bring it in and we can do it for you.
Now that all this has been said, I suggest you don’t do anything about it. Since speed is essentially the only reason to upgrade your USB connector, it only affects external hard drives. Keyboards, mice, printers and devices like that won’t see a bit of a change. And, you would have to be backing up an excessive amount of data for it to become an issue for external hard drives. Now, if your backups are taking hours, it may be worth it for you to upgrade. If you’re doing that, you may want to rethink your whole process and figure out if everything you’re backing up really needs to be backed up. That’s a whole other discussion.
Check out my Web site www.TexasComputerGuru.com for supplemental information and previous articles as well.
Aaron Barbee owns Texas Computer Guru, a local computer services company for on-site business and residential needs. He can be contacted at 281-628-5099. E-mail questions for Aaron to sunnews(at)baytownsun.com.