---
id: external-drives.how-should-i-store-a-drive-i-rarely-use
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-should-i-store-a-drive-i-rarely-use
category: "External drives"
subcategory: "Caring for a drive"
question: "How should I store an external drive I only use now and then?"
alt_questions:
  - "Storing an external hard drive long term"
  - "Do SSDs lose data if left unplugged?"
  - "Best way to keep an archive drive"
  - "external drive in a drawer for years"
  - "cold storage external SSD Mac"
short_answer: "Keep it cool, dry and safe from knocks, plug it in every so often to check it mounts and files open, and never let it be the only copy. SSDs hold data unpowered for a long time but not forever, so power them up occasionally."
tags: ["archive", "storage", "care"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/can-i-use-the-drive-as-an-occasional-archive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-make-a-backup-of-my-fast-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-long-do-external-ssds-last"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How should I store an external drive I only use now and then?

Keep it somewhere cool, dry and safe from knocks, eject it properly before unplugging, and plug it in now and then to check it still mounts and your files open. Don't let a drive in a drawer be the only copy of anything.

A few specifics:

- **Hard disks** dislike drops and bumps, especially while running.
- **SSDs** hold data without power for a long time, but not indefinitely — manufacturers advise against leaving one unpowered for very long periods, so power it up occasionally.
- Note what's on it, so you know what you'd lose.

If the drive holds items Storage Studio moved, plug it in before you need them — see [using the drive as an occasional archive](https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/can-i-use-the-drive-as-an-occasional-archive).