How do you use your external HDD?

[MilkBone]

Just got my 1st Wii U. Has the 32GB HDD, but with MK8 pre-loaded, it's already getting full. I have a 160GB HDD that I have currently set up as a back-up and am currently only using it to back-up the game files and normally have it off otherwise.

Looking for ideas on how others use theirs? May sound like a stupid question, but having that thing run all of the time seems like it wouldn't be good for it. Or maybe I'm being too sensitive about it.

Another one of the things is that it has to be a powered external drive. Too bad it can't just be a HDD that can just be powered off of the USB.

 

[grahamf]

I have eveything running off the HDD. I use a Y-connector so I can plug in a portable dive.

 

[MilkBone]

@grahamf So with a Y cable do you still have to have it powered?

 

[grahamf]

Only if the drive needs AC power. Most travel drives can get all the power that they need from the USB port, but the Wii U's ports individually do not give enough power. A Y-cable allows you to pull power from two USB ports, which is enough to run travel drives.

 

[MilkBone]

@grahamf Gotcha, thanks! Do you ever back up the external drive? Just in case it fails. Or are you not too concerned about it?

 

[grahamf]

Honestly I'm not really that concerned. Although It would be a good idea to have a backup of at least my saves, it's really time consuming and a process to pull off - while I have full trust in the harddrive I'm using.

 

[dustinb12]

my seagate is powered, i figured if i had to spend money, i might as well go all in. Never had a problem, the ONLY time i noticed anything was during playing Splatoon, in the main hub, other characters came onto the screen a hair slower which really means nothing at all. Id a never guessed when i first got my wii u that id got through 32 GB. It didn't last long

 

[MilkBone]

@grahamf @dustinb12 Thanks for your suggestions and help guys! I think I might search newegg or something similar for a portable HDD. My only concern is the age of my HDD that I have hooked up. It's pretty old (10+ years if I remember correctly). It still seems to work, but I would probably cry if I had 100+ hours into a game and then the HDD failed. Grown men crying over video games isn't pretty lol.