1.  Keep away from water, direct sunlight, extreme temperatures and magnetic fields.  Take care not to drop your external hard drive or flash drive because this might destroy your device.

2.  Avoid plugging your external memory device to your computer for extended periods of time because they can get hot fairly quickly.  Edit and save your work in your computer’s hard drive, then save a copy on your external hard drive or flash disk.  This will minimize wear on your device and prolong its life.

3.  Use an anti-virus to scan your device regularly.

4.  Make sure to eject the device properly before pulling it out from the USB port to avoid data loss and damage to the device.

5.  Clean the USB connectors with a soft, dry cloth regularly.