So you are looking to buy yourself a new computer, but you are not sure how much storage you will potentially need. It can be tough to judge how much space your files will take up, how quickly a hard drive will end up full, and whether or not your data is actually stored on the drive as opposed to a cloud based service. Well fear not, the storage space conundrum is not as mystical as it seems.
First off, everything takes up space, but not everything is important. Knowing which files are keepers and which can be purged is a huge part of storage management. Files like temporary internet files, cookies, your cache, and Windows update files are things that can be cleaned out regularly, as they take up room but are often not needed. The things you want to keep take priority over these space-wasters.
Secondly, it helps to know which types of files take up the most room. Things like games and videos for example, are much larger files types than say, pictures or songs. So if you plan to store many of those types of files, you are going to need a larger drive. On the contrary, if you mainly want to keep pictures, music, and certainly documents, you can probably get away with a medium-to-small sized storage drive.
Finally, do not be afraid to overshoot or even undershoot the mark. In many cases, if you run out of storage space, a computer repair shop can help you with an upgrade. If you buy too large of a drive, well, then you will just have extra space. So misjudging your needs at the time of purchase is not the end of the world. Just make sure you are not trying to run your computer on a drive that is too full, and everything will be ok.
Storage is thankfully pretty easy to upgrade in a lot of laptops and desktops. When purchasing, just keep in mind the main file types you will be keeping, how much data you might already have on your current computer, and how long you plan to keep the new device. Computer repair shops are a great place to go to help with storage upgrades should you need them, and computer sellers will often help point you in the right direction when it comes to your storage needs!
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