- The report states that small units face 4 times the risk of failure compared to their high capacity counterparts
- Usecure expulsion practices increase the risk of data loss by an amazing 75%, according to researchers
- Frequent transfers and careless use leave small units vulnerable to serious damage to the file system
New investigation has revealed a worrying trend in external storage reliability: external external capacity of small capacity are significantly more prone to failure than their high capacity counterparts.
According to the data collected from more than three million storage devices in the first quarter of 2025, the report of the claims of the recovery lip of Facus data below 64 GB has approximately four times more likely to suffer a loss of data compared to the units greater than 4TB.
The reasons behind this disparity are found both in use patterns and in hardware limitations. The smallest units are often used for rapid files of files or as temporary backups, which subjects them to enclose and disconnect frequent.
Use habits increase vulnerability
“The frequent plug and disconception, high temperature and high humidity, and sudden energy failure during data transmission can lead to file system errors, damage to the partition and loss of data,” explains the report.
Users who neglect safe expulsion aggravate even more the problem. The data indicates that the logical errors of insecure elimination exceed the average risk by 75%.
From the point of view of the hardware, cost reduction measures in smaller units can lead to lower quality components.
“Some manufacturers are committed to manufacturing processes and materials to reduce costs, such as the use of low quality controller chips,” says Facusus.
These weaknesses are naturally translated into higher failure rates, particularly under prolonged or intensive use.
The file system is another contributing factor. While high capacity units often use more robust systems such as GPT, NTFS or Exfat, which best adapt to the management of large volumes of data, small capacity discs still depend on FAT32.
“By storing a large number of small files, the partition table should be updated frequently, and the risk of survey of metadata is high,” says the report.
Interestingly, SSD shows similar trends, although the fault rate gap is less dramatic. External SSDs of less than 256 GB have approximately twice as probabilities to fail that those over 4TB.
This is attributed to similar factors: frequent use, less flash chips and less advanced controllers.
“Small capacity SSDs have fewer chips. Once they are damaged, the risk of data loss is greater,” says the findings.
Although SSDs are generally more resistant and lack mobile components, the report warns against approximate use and advises careful management.
Users are encouraged to continue with safe management practices and consider buying high capacity storage of accredited brands to reduce their risk.
The use of a high quality portable SSD or external HDD will reduce the possibility of data loss, but no solution is perfect. Therefore, having access to the best data recovery software is a successful caution, especially when it comes to logical errors or accidental deletions.
