How to connect / disconnect external hard drives

How to connect and install the drive: Please follow the steps below on how to physically connect your drive to your computer:
Step 1: Plug the power adapter into a wall outlet. You can try a power strip or UPS but if you have problems with the drive, try connecting it to a wall outlet.
Step 2: Connect the power plug into the back of the drive. It's okay if the drive powers on, then off, or if you see some lights come on for a brief second.
Step 3: Connect the USB or FireWire cable directly into your computer (do not use a USB or FireWire hub). If your drive has more than one port, only use one. Do not connect both the USB and FireWire together to the computer.
Step 4: Connect the other end of the USB or FireWire cable into the external drive. The drive should then power on (you shouldn't need to use the power switch), if your computer is on, Windows should detect and install the native Windows drivers for your drive. If the drive is formatted for your computer system, it should show up in My Computer with a drive letter.

How to disconnect the drive: Please follow the directions below to disconnect the external hard drive from a computer using USB 3.0, USB 2.0 or FireWire.
Step 1: Please ensure that any files residing on the external hard drive are closed and no programs are accessing the hard drive.

Step 2: Locate and highlight the external hard drive in the list of available devices.

Step 3: Click on the Stop button to safely remove the drive from the Operating System.
Step 4: The hard drive will spin down and turn off on it's own. When prompted, it's safe to unplug the data cable and/or power cable.