Thankfully there are lots of ways you can get more storage on a laptop. Some are more expensive or require more technical skills than others. So choose the solution that best suits your needs.
How to Increase Storage on a Laptop
The most expensive way to get the most additional storage on your laptop is to upgrade the internal drive. The least costly is using cloud storage. Use the following tips to decide which option is best for you.
Upgrade internal drive: This option is best if you do a lot of offline work with your laptop and want a significant size upgrade. It’s also the most convenient since you won’t have to worry about bringing anything with you, and you won’t have to worry about getting files off the internet.Use an external drive: If you access most of your files only rarely and only need very few files accessible all the time, an external drive is your best option. Thumb drives and Micro-SD cards would be considered external drives in this case.Cloud storage: Cloud storage doesn’t cost anything to use up to a specific limit. After a certain limit, you’ll only have to pay a small monthly fee, and you can even sync a folder on your PC with cloud storage.
How to Upgrade the Internal Drive
If you’ve decided upgrading your internal drive is the best option, you’ll need to get a few things ready. You’ll need a small screwdriver, a clean surface free of clutter, and an anti-static wrist strap. We’re going to use Crucial in our example, but you should choose a vendor you like best.
Using External Drives and Other Storage Devices
Rather than going through the process of replacing the internal drive, many people opt for the easier external storage option. You have a few options to choose from if you prefer this route.
Using Cloud Storage
Why purchase hardware if you don’t have to? So long as you have a reliable internet connection, cloud storage offers you a perfect solution to increase storage on a laptop. There are many free cloud storage solutions to choose from that range anywhere from 2 GB up to 100 GB. For example, Google Drive offers 15 GB of storage free, which is shared across Gmail, Google Photos, and all your Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard files, but you can purchase 100 GB for $1.99 up to 10 TB for $49.99 (per year). Each service offers software that lets you connect and sync with your cloud storage on either Mac or Windows 10. You can also continue updating synced files while offline, and they’ll automatically update once you reconnect.
