Does this drive go to sleep with the computer or can it be unplugged when not needed?
1330049
Your Windows power settings (assuming you're using windows) determine whether or not the drive will 'sleep'. However, the WD website states that power management settings should be set so that the drive never sleeps otherwise you may see problems. As long as you don't 'span volumes' with the drive, you should be able to remove it safely any time you wish.
1330050
I use this on a MacBook running OS X 10.9.5, and the drive sleeps according to Energy Saver settings and when the computer sleeps. No problems at all, the drive wakes up when requested and stays mounted. Not sure about Windows, never had good luck there.
2039301
As it uses an external power supply (not just power from the USB port), the power would remain on. I plug mine into a multiple power outlet device which I turn off after shutting down the computer and so the power will not be on all the time.
1094795
I didn't need to install software. I haven't identified the specific set of activities that drain the battery. However, when the drive is mounted and the computer is being used, battery life is considerably reduced. I haven't noticed any extra draining of the battery when the computer is asleep.
28724
You don't have to unplug it. I keep mine plugged in with no problems. Nothing remains running. I'm not even sure why it says that.
182680
It works but will improperly eject your drive if you put your computer to sleep. Which can cause loos of data or corruption.
2040302
Yes, it does make a noise but I did not notice that the hard drive goes into stand-by.For the second question : I think personally I can go to sleep even if there is a little noise in the room but if I speak generally I think the majority of people will find it difficult to sleep while this router is present in the same room.
1690237
I believe it writes data to hard drive, so it does not need constant power. I have lost power and unplugged it a few times with no data loss.
730633
Not sure if I understand the question but there is an on off switch. I have 7 external drives and they're all off unless I'm using them.
1200372
I use it primarily unplugged unless I am on for extended periods of time. Occasionally I have had too much data combined with long periods of use that require I plug it in because it gets so hot.
1250850
You can leave it on if you want. There is no real need to turn the power off unless you just want save energy (and I suppose increase the lifespan of the product) but even if you do want to turn it would be fine to wait until the computer is off. As far as mounting it shouldn't be necessary, it is an external drive in its own enclosure. Just set it on top of your computer or somewhere out of the way. If you meant that in a software sense the answer is still no mounting necessary. It should be totally plug-n-play, though with any storage device it is a good idea to "eject" the drive before unplugging it while your computer is on. Hope that helps
92192
Drive is powered by the computer (device) it is attached to. There is not external power or plug to attach one.
92193
The drive is powered through the usb and it does get very warm to the touch if you use it for more than a half hour so be very careful how long you use it as overheating could become an issue.
1016624
If the drive is powered from the computer's USB ports, it will turn off with the computer. If the computer is turned off it's safe to disconnect the drive anyway because there is no data transfer.Any external drive should be safely removed using the Windows icon in the tray if the computer is running.
221647
mine has a power supply which i leave hooked up. are you talking about a different drive maybe?
1010213
You should be good to go. I don't keep it up all the time, but I have left it connected for weeks at a time. The hard drive is out in the open so it won't really overheat, and there is a power switch on it, so you can turn it off but leave it all setup when the drive is not in use.
2205320
Officially, no. It takes some time plugging and unplugging into the Mac, but it will work eventually. Also, the computer will forget it's there when it falls asleep.
730632
The enclosure does not have any power management features, just an on-off power switch. If your operating system supports it, it can spin down the drive.