I've never used these, but I googled encrypt external drive and found the following: Storage Crypt It has a link for a free download but if you click through to the main site, there's also a link to purchase. I'm not sure I follow that. Here is a link to a free Open Source product: True Crypt One thing to note is that you should be very careful with drive encryption. If you forget the password, you may be completely unable to access the data.

Portable vs external - there's no standardization of terms. Though, "portable" drives are often the smaller 2.5 inch laptop drive variety, while "external" often use the larger 3.5 inch drives and so the case they're in is larger. Function and use are the same, with one exception: The larger drives often need an external (AC) power supply, which makes them less convenient to use. The smaller ones are usually powered by the USB connection itself. Don't be sucked in by marketing hype, drives are commodity products and most drives of known manufacturers (like Hitachi, WD, Seagate) are of equal high quality. These things are often on sale, if you look around, you're likely to find what you want in the $60-$80 range. Also, keep in mind that all hard drives ultimately die. Think "When", not "If". If you want to be certain to have your important files (whether photos or otherwise), make two backup copies and keep one copy at a different location (like at work or at someone else's house).

Many thanks, everybody, for your advice! That does help a lot. Yes, my photo files do seem to be saved, as they are still there when I turn the drive off and back on. Actually, once I turn the drive off the little "safely remove hardware" icon disappears from my computer screen. So I suspect it's only available when the computer can detect extra hardware plugged in. So is it okay to remove the drive from the computer, as long as the drive is turned off, without going through that "safely remove" thing first? To answer some of your questions, no, there was no pamphlet included with the drive so I didn't get the key code. It is a 500 GB drive and I think it was about 99 dollars that I paid for it. Though, as there was actually only 465 GB free on it, I knew there must be something else on there somewhere--even if it wasn't showing up! I had looked at the Seagate web site before, and I think I saw something on there which said they would send you the software if you gave them the serial number of the drive and a little other information. Though, at the time, I thought they met the installation software and I didn't think I needed that, as it had installed okay. So maybe I'll look into that--or demand a pamphlet from the seller!

Owbist, thanks for the advice. I made a comment accompanying the image backup  something like, Âfirst backup image for laptop with Vista OS Nov 09Â. So, I wonder, like in your situation, if I named the folder just Âlaptop whether it would be possible to delete the image from the HD, and then do it over again, saving it with a more detailed description? Or once something is in the HD, is it impossible to take it out? And thank you for your help, and the links, Raven. IÂm not sure if I actually created a folder when I backed up the image today. IÂll have to check. I unplugged the HD, and put it away. IÂm not really sure whether to leave it connected to my computer at all times? Also, when I tried to Âsafely remove hardware when I attempted to shut off the HD, I got a message saying something like it couldnÂt be shut down because a program was using it (which as far as I could tell, there was no program using it). I searched the internet, and see that this isnÂt an uncommon problem. I eventually resolved it by shutting down the computer and then disconnecting the HD.