[SOLVED] Some questions about storage...

[knowledge2121]

(1) I formatted my external HDD as NTFS with a cluster size of 4096 … My HDD contains both small files and large files...Is a lot of HDD space wasted this way ?

(2) Is it ok to stack HDDs ? I stacked my HDDs with bubble wrap between them and stored them away in a box...is this the right way to store HDDs ?

(3) Why is it that external USB 3.0 HDDs are compatible with USB 2.0 but if you buy a 2.5" drive and put it in an enclosure then it may not work with USB 2.0 ?

(4) Are all USB 3.0 external HDDs compatible with USB 2.0 ?

 

[hotaru.hino]

(1) I formatted my external HDD as NTFS with a cluster size of 4096 … My HDD contains both small files and large files...Is a lot of HDD space wasted this way ?

That depends. A cluster size of 4096 means the minimum size some data will take up on the drive is 4096 bytes regardless if it's being used or not. So if what you store on the drive is significantly below that, then yes, there's a lot of wasted space.

But should you worry? Well, a raw 1TB drive can store ~244 million 4096 byte files.

(2) Is it ok to stack HDDs ? I stacked my HDDs with bubble wrap between them and stored them away in a box...is this the right way to store HDDs ?

It's fine to stack them, though wrapping each drive in bubble wrap is a little excessive.

(3) Why is it that external USB 3.0 HDDs are compatible with USB 2.0 but if you buy a 2.5" drive and put it in an enclosure then it may not work with USB 2.0 ?

USB 2.0 may not supply enough power to the drive to actually operate. USB 2.0 only guarantees 2.5W of power (0.5A at 5V). This is why a lot of external drives that only have a USB 2.0 port come with cables with a second connector to plug into the computer. That second connector is there to draw more power.

(4) Are all USB 3.0 external HDDs compatible with USB 2.0 ?

Yes, USB is both forwards and backwards compatible. You just get the speeds of the slower side. So plugging in a USB 3.0 device into a USB 2.0 port will only get you USB 2.0 speeds and likewise, plugging a USB 2.0 device into a USB 3.0 port will only get you USB 2.0 speeds.

 

[knowledge2121]

Yes, USB is both forwards and backwards compatible. You just get the speeds of the slower side. So plugging in a USB 3.0 device into a USB 2.0 port will only get you USB 2.0 speeds and likewise, plugging a USB 2.0 device into a USB 3.0 port will only get you USB 2.0 speeds.

So if I plug my Seagate backup plus(which is a USB 3.0) into a USB 2.0 port, it wont have any problems ?

 

[USAFRet]

So if I plug my Seagate backup plus(which is a USB 3.0) into a USB 2.0 port, it wont have any problems ?

It will absolutely work. It will just be slower than the USB 3.0 speed.

 

[knowledge2121]

It will absolutely work. It will just be slower than the USB 3.0 speed.

Are all external USB 3.0 HDDs like that ? they can be plugged into a USB 2.0 port without any problems other than slower performance ? How about when you place a 5V/0.7A into a USB 3.0 enclosure and then connect it to a USB 2.0 port ?

 

[USAFRet]

Are all external USB 3.0 HDDs like that ? they can be plugged into a USB 2.0 port without any problems other than slower performance ? How about when you place a 5V/0.7A into a USB 3.0 enclosure and then connect it to a USB 2.0 port ?

USB is designed to be forward and backward compatible.
That capability is built in. Part of the spec.


What specific device are you referring to?

 

[knowledge2121]

This enclosure used with the following HDD plugged into a USB 2.0 port:

As you can see, the drive is rated .75A .... USB 2.0 supports max .5A .... I even have 1TB drives that are 1.00A ... Are all these drives compatible with USB 2.0 ? I don't care about slower performance...

 

[USAFRet]

They are compatible with the enclosure.
The enclosure is USB 2/3/whatever.

 

[USAFRet]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Power-related_specifications