The Seagate Expansion desktop drive provides extra storage for your ever-growing collection of files. Add space for more files instantly, consolidate all your files to a single location, or free space on your computer's internal drive for improved performance. Set-up is straightforward. Simply plug in the power supply and USB cable and you are ready to go. It is automatically recognized by the operating system, so there is no software to install and nothing to configure. Saving files is easy too, just drag and drop. Take advantage of the fast data transfer speeds with the USB 3.0 interface by connecting to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0 for additional system compatibility.
The Seagate Expansion desktop drive provides extra storage for your ever-growing collection of files. Add space for more files instantly, consolidate all your files to a single location, or free space on your computer's internal drive for improved performance. Set-up is straightforward. Simply plug in the power supply and USB cable and you are ready to go. It is automatically recognized by the operating system, so there is no software to install and nothing to configure. Saving files is easy too, just drag and drop. Take advantage of the fast data transfer speeds with the USB 3.0 interface by connecting to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0 for additional system compatibility.
in 3 offers
The lowest price for Seagate Expansion STEA4000400 - Hard Drive - 4 TB - External (Portable) - 2.5" - USB 3.0 right now is $149.95 at Smooth Sales, compared across 3 retailers.
The all-time low was $149.95 on 30 Sept 2025. That's the lowest price we've ever tracked — a great time to buy.
Prices last updated 17 Sept 2026.
Seagate Expansion STEA4000400 - Hard Drive - 4 TB - External (Portable) - 2.5" - USB 3.0
The Seagate Expansion desktop drive provides extra storage for your ever-growing collection of files. Add space for more files instantly, consolidate all your files to a single location, or free space on your computer's internal drive for improved performance. Set-up is straightforward. Simply plug in the power supply and USB cable and you are ready to go. It is automatically recognized by the operating system, so there is no software to install and nothing to configure. Saving files is easy too, just drag and drop. Take advantage of the fast data transfer speeds with the USB 3.0 interface by connecting to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0 for additional system compatibility.
The Seagate Expansion desktop drive provides extra storage for your ever-growing collection of files. Add space for more files instantly, consolidate all your files to a single location, or free space on your computer's internal drive for improved performance. Set-up is straightforward. Simply plug in the power supply and USB cable and you are ready to go. It is automatically recognized by the operating system, so there is no software to install and nothing to configure. Saving files is easy too, just drag and drop. Take advantage of the fast data transfer speeds with the USB 3.0 interface by connecting to a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0 for additional system compatibility.
Last updated at 17/09/2026 09:40:38
Seagate STEA4000400 4TB Expansion Portable,BLACK
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Seagate Expansion Portable Drive 4TB
Delivery between 23–28 Sept $7.95
Seagate Expansion 4tb Ext 2.5" Usb3.0 Expansion Portable G2 Stea4000400
Save $10 for orders over $500
originally posted on ebay.com
Back up your life in this lifeboat. Seagate is a trusted name in HDDs just like Western Digital. An external HDD that you load up and store doesn't need to move as often, and its moving parts won't wear out as soon as your SATA-connected HDD in the machine. And even if you have solid state drives, well, those can go out too. As you know, "all things that have form lose their form one of these days." That's doubly true for your data. Who knows when Dropbox might accidentally lose some or all of your data? They are massively backed up worldwide, but still--things happen. Solar mass eruptions, for example. Back up your life in this affordable, fast, roomy HDD and stick it in a Faraday cage with a bit of lead sheeting for good measure, and your kitty pictures/baby ... MoreBack up your life in this lifeboat. Seagate is a trusted name in HDDs just like Western Digital. An external HDD that you load up and store doesn't need to move as often, and its moving parts won't wear out as soon as your SATA-connected HDD in the machine. And even if you have solid state drives, well, those can go out too. As you know, "all things that have form lose their form one of these days." That's doubly true for your data. Who knows when Dropbox might accidentally lose some or all of your data? They are massively backed up worldwide, but still--things happen. Solar mass eruptions, for example. Back up your life in this affordable, fast, roomy HDD and stick it in a Faraday cage with a bit of lead sheeting for good measure, and your kitty pictures/baby videos/personal information will be safe. Better yet, duplicate it on another of these fine Seagate HDDs.
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
5 stars because it's an excellent little hard drive, as Seagate products typically are.However, for buyer research, I want to expand on a question regarding compatibility with iPad, and echo what I've written in the Q&A:All answers in the Q&A section say that it's not compatible with iPad, but in my experience, it works just fine with my 3rd Gen iPad Pro (USB-C*) if the drive is formatted in either exFAT or Mac OS Extended Journaled (both in GUID partition).*An iPad with a Lightning connector would likely require the use of Apple's Lightning to USB Camera AdapterHowever the one caveat is that I can't get the iPad to recognize it if it's encrypted. When formatted in Mac OS Extended Journaled Encrypted, the drive would power on, but it would not be recognized ... More5 stars because it's an excellent little hard drive, as Seagate products typically are.However, for buyer research, I want to expand on a question regarding compatibility with iPad, and echo what I've written in the Q&A:All answers in the Q&A section say that it's not compatible with iPad, but in my experience, it works just fine with my 3rd Gen iPad Pro (USB-C*) if the drive is formatted in either exFAT or Mac OS Extended Journaled (both in GUID partition).*An iPad with a Lightning connector would likely require the use of Apple's Lightning to USB Camera AdapterHowever the one caveat is that I can't get the iPad to recognize it if it's encrypted. When formatted in Mac OS Extended Journaled Encrypted, the drive would power on, but it would not be recognized by the iPad in the Files app. My SSD and USB flash drive work fine formatted in APFS Encrypted, but APFS is not recommended for hard disks.Therefore, if you want to use this drive with encryption, format it in Mac OS Extended Journaled Encrypted and use it with a Mac. But if you want something encrypted for direct use with your iPad, use a flash drive or an external SSD and use APFS Encrypted.Otherwise, this is a fine hard disk drive all around and will see use as a compact backup for the iPad's flash drive and other personal files (using a Mac for file management).
originally posted on bestbuy.ca
Just got a 1TB Seagate external expansion drive. That day was loading it with 80 GB of data from other drives, when it got very hot. After 30 GB or so, I let it cool down. Several hours later, began loading files again. It got hot within 10GB or so. Stopped copying files and declared it a dud. Reformatted it and brought it back to the store the next day for a straight swap for another of the same type. The store was helpful with the swap, and the second drive runs much cooler. It still gets warm after 60 GB of continuous transfer. It seemed more reasonable and I am not concerned about it burning itself up. I use Linux Ubuntu 18 and it works fine with the drive's ntfs formatting out of the box. Transfer rates slow to 3.5 MB after an hour of copying. They start at ... MoreJust got a 1TB Seagate external expansion drive. That day was loading it with 80 GB of data from other drives, when it got very hot. After 30 GB or so, I let it cool down. Several hours later, began loading files again. It got hot within 10GB or so. Stopped copying files and declared it a dud. Reformatted it and brought it back to the store the next day for a straight swap for another of the same type. The store was helpful with the swap, and the second drive runs much cooler. It still gets warm after 60 GB of continuous transfer. It seemed more reasonable and I am not concerned about it burning itself up. I use Linux Ubuntu 18 and it works fine with the drive's ntfs formatting out of the box. Transfer rates slow to 3.5 MB after an hour of copying. They start at 40MB or so. Files mostly transferred from another external drive going through USB 2 and 3. Rates are not much better when I go from the hard drive to the USB 3 external when massive copies are done. An okay type of drive once the files are loaded and incremental changes are made either as backup or synchronization with another computer.
| General | |
| Device Type | Hard drive - external (portable) |
| Capacity | 4 TB |
| Form Factor | 2.5" |
| Interface | USB 3.0 |
Seagate STEA4000400 4TB Expansion Portable,BLACK
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Seagate Expansion Portable Drive 4TB
Delivery between 23–28 Sept $7.95
Seagate Expansion 4tb Ext 2.5" Usb3.0 Expansion Portable G2 Stea4000400
Save $10 for orders over $500
Back up your life in this lifeboat. Seagate is a trusted name in HDDs just like Western Digital. An external HDD that you load up and store doesn't need to move as often, and its moving parts won't wear out as soon as your SATA-connected HDD in the machine. And even if you have solid state drives, well, those can go out too. As you know, "all things that have form lose their form one of these days." That's doubly true for your data. Who knows when Dropbox might accidentally lose some or all of your data? They are massively backed up worldwide, but still--things happen. Solar mass eruptions, for example. Back up your life in this affordable, fast, roomy HDD and stick it in a Faraday cage with a bit of lead sheeting for good measure, and your kitty pictures/baby ... MoreBack up your life in this lifeboat. Seagate is a trusted name in HDDs just like Western Digital. An external HDD that you load up and store doesn't need to move as often, and its moving parts won't wear out as soon as your SATA-connected HDD in the machine. And even if you have solid state drives, well, those can go out too. As you know, "all things that have form lose their form one of these days." That's doubly true for your data. Who knows when Dropbox might accidentally lose some or all of your data? They are massively backed up worldwide, but still--things happen. Solar mass eruptions, for example. Back up your life in this affordable, fast, roomy HDD and stick it in a Faraday cage with a bit of lead sheeting for good measure, and your kitty pictures/baby videos/personal information will be safe. Better yet, duplicate it on another of these fine Seagate HDDs.
5 stars because it's an excellent little hard drive, as Seagate products typically are.However, for buyer research, I want to expand on a question regarding compatibility with iPad, and echo what I've written in the Q&A:All answers in the Q&A section say that it's not compatible with iPad, but in my experience, it works just fine with my 3rd Gen iPad Pro (USB-C*) if the drive is formatted in either exFAT or Mac OS Extended Journaled (both in GUID partition).*An iPad with a Lightning connector would likely require the use of Apple's Lightning to USB Camera AdapterHowever the one caveat is that I can't get the iPad to recognize it if it's encrypted. When formatted in Mac OS Extended Journaled Encrypted, the drive would power on, but it would not be recognized ... More5 stars because it's an excellent little hard drive, as Seagate products typically are.However, for buyer research, I want to expand on a question regarding compatibility with iPad, and echo what I've written in the Q&A:All answers in the Q&A section say that it's not compatible with iPad, but in my experience, it works just fine with my 3rd Gen iPad Pro (USB-C*) if the drive is formatted in either exFAT or Mac OS Extended Journaled (both in GUID partition).*An iPad with a Lightning connector would likely require the use of Apple's Lightning to USB Camera AdapterHowever the one caveat is that I can't get the iPad to recognize it if it's encrypted. When formatted in Mac OS Extended Journaled Encrypted, the drive would power on, but it would not be recognized by the iPad in the Files app. My SSD and USB flash drive work fine formatted in APFS Encrypted, but APFS is not recommended for hard disks.Therefore, if you want to use this drive with encryption, format it in Mac OS Extended Journaled Encrypted and use it with a Mac. But if you want something encrypted for direct use with your iPad, use a flash drive or an external SSD and use APFS Encrypted.Otherwise, this is a fine hard disk drive all around and will see use as a compact backup for the iPad's flash drive and other personal files (using a Mac for file management).
Just got a 1TB Seagate external expansion drive. That day was loading it with 80 GB of data from other drives, when it got very hot. After 30 GB or so, I let it cool down. Several hours later, began loading files again. It got hot within 10GB or so. Stopped copying files and declared it a dud. Reformatted it and brought it back to the store the next day for a straight swap for another of the same type. The store was helpful with the swap, and the second drive runs much cooler. It still gets warm after 60 GB of continuous transfer. It seemed more reasonable and I am not concerned about it burning itself up. I use Linux Ubuntu 18 and it works fine with the drive's ntfs formatting out of the box. Transfer rates slow to 3.5 MB after an hour of copying. They start at ... MoreJust got a 1TB Seagate external expansion drive. That day was loading it with 80 GB of data from other drives, when it got very hot. After 30 GB or so, I let it cool down. Several hours later, began loading files again. It got hot within 10GB or so. Stopped copying files and declared it a dud. Reformatted it and brought it back to the store the next day for a straight swap for another of the same type. The store was helpful with the swap, and the second drive runs much cooler. It still gets warm after 60 GB of continuous transfer. It seemed more reasonable and I am not concerned about it burning itself up. I use Linux Ubuntu 18 and it works fine with the drive's ntfs formatting out of the box. Transfer rates slow to 3.5 MB after an hour of copying. They start at 40MB or so. Files mostly transferred from another external drive going through USB 2 and 3. Rates are not much better when I go from the hard drive to the USB 3 external when massive copies are done. An okay type of drive once the files are loaded and incremental changes are made either as backup or synchronization with another computer.
Though it's still a bit early in the drive's use I'm impressed with the drive, the speed of it, the 4tb. HDD storage space, the installation, the seller and the seller's customer care re: getting the drive to me prior to the expected delivery date. The price is right, the drive is quiet, aesthetic, compact and seemingly durable. But then again I've only had it for a handful of hours. If anything changes I'll adjust the comments. P.S. I tried to attach a photo of the drive connected to the laptop while I'm writing this but the phone's camera just won't cooperate. # >>>>>>>>>>> 05/27/2021 An update to the overall review (and the other parts of this review). The drive got a little hotter than I preferred when it was slaved out and sitting flat on the desktop. I have a ... MoreThough it's still a bit early in the drive's use I'm impressed with the drive, the speed of it, the 4tb. HDD storage space, the installation, the seller and the seller's customer care re: getting the drive to me prior to the expected delivery date. The price is right, the drive is quiet, aesthetic, compact and seemingly durable. But then again I've only had it for a handful of hours. If anything changes I'll adjust the comments. P.S. I tried to attach a photo of the drive connected to the laptop while I'm writing this but the phone's camera just won't cooperate. # >>>>>>>>>>> 05/27/2021 An update to the overall review (and the other parts of this review). The drive got a little hotter than I preferred when it was slaved out and sitting flat on the desktop. I have a pack of those little, clear glue-on "spacers" so I put one in each of the four corners on the bottom of the drive, raising it off of the desktop about a quarter of an inch rather than leaving it sit wholly on the desktop. The airflow underneath the enclosed drive after I put the spacers on each of the drives corners seems to have cured the heat problem tremendously. There's no fan involved, all's self enclosed in the drive but that little bit of space gained by the spacers seems to have done the trick. It's no longer heating up anything like it did shortly after I received it. I run it anywhere from 4-8 or more hours a day and have not had any problems. I've transferred my non-critical files to the drive and am even storing photos, running some games and accessing STEAM, ORIGIN, UPLAY/UBISOFT and other sites with little or no lag. I'm a fan of this drive. It was a great investment from my point of view. I'll be back another day if anything changes on my end.
The most common question or related question seems to be: Is this normal external drive? Can I use it for files other than photos. Simple answer: It is a normal external drive and it supports any file format that you use with Windows or Mac.If you're looking for something fast(er) than consider buying a 3.5 instead of 2.5 (keep it mind 35 aren't typicall designed to be portable). The Mylio "Photo Drive" advertisement is a gimmick. Mylio isn't even bundled with drive. It's downloaded from the internet and has a limited mult-year "premuim" version but you can use the free version as well without needing to buy the drive. Mylio itself is a photo catalog app that allows editing of photos and videos. If that's something you're interested in then I recommend downloading ... MoreThe most common question or related question seems to be: Is this normal external drive? Can I use it for files other than photos. Simple answer: It is a normal external drive and it supports any file format that you use with Windows or Mac.If you're looking for something fast(er) than consider buying a 3.5 instead of 2.5 (keep it mind 35 aren't typicall designed to be portable). The Mylio "Photo Drive" advertisement is a gimmick. Mylio isn't even bundled with drive. It's downloaded from the internet and has a limited mult-year "premuim" version but you can use the free version as well without needing to buy the drive. Mylio itself is a photo catalog app that allows editing of photos and videos. If that's something you're interested in then I recommend downloading the app first to test drive it. It doesn't store your photos and videos in an offline storage (if that's something you're looking for). It does have a redundancy system in case you want to restore a previously edited file. There are however plenty of other paid and free photo and video editing tools that do a similar or better job... without needing access to all of your devices.If you're just looking for simple, cheap drive then look no further. I always recommend buying new instead from resellers or refurbished (unless you don't care about the data) when it comes to HDDs. Too many bad experiences to recommend otherwise. The drive itself is moderately quick (see attached photo). You should be able to format it to NTFS or Ext1 but it should support any other file format. It should function on any device including consoles that support up to or greater than 2TB. Backup the original HDD files to an online account before formatting the drive.I would've given this 5 stars but I don't like white enclosures, the speed, and gimmicky software/product bundling.
I have so many of these types of drives because I buy them in pairs and use them as clones for data security. I am in video production, so I am often filling them, emptying them into a larger system, and filling them again. I travel and my drives often spend a lot of time in carry cases and are connected/disconnected frequently. I have typically stuck with Seagate with relatively few disappointments considering I probably have accumulated 50+ units over the last 20 odd years and only had a couple eventually stop working after extended use. One advantage to having so many drives is that I have enough cables to cover for the short connector cables included with the drives that have failed after repeated plugging/unplugging and being coiled-stowed-uncoiled-in use-and ... MoreI have so many of these types of drives because I buy them in pairs and use them as clones for data security. I am in video production, so I am often filling them, emptying them into a larger system, and filling them again. I travel and my drives often spend a lot of time in carry cases and are connected/disconnected frequently. I have typically stuck with Seagate with relatively few disappointments considering I probably have accumulated 50+ units over the last 20 odd years and only had a couple eventually stop working after extended use. One advantage to having so many drives is that I have enough cables to cover for the short connector cables included with the drives that have failed after repeated plugging/unplugging and being coiled-stowed-uncoiled-in use-and coiled again repeatedly. These little cables aren't expensive and I would recommend having a few extra around if your drives travel a lot. Be smart and backup your data as none of these hard drives are indestructible or infallible. However, these days, they are cheaper than ever...so always buy 2.
worked for around 3 weeks on ps4 and just stopped, read about the fixes and nothing worked. During those weeks the device gave frequent issues and constant repairing of the device. I bought 2 of these and the first is still holding up on a separate ps4 but have gave the exact same issues. On the first ps4 the device had cause one of the games to glitch and never allowed to redownload it again stating i don’t have it. Sometimes it doesn’t allow me to play the games i downloaded on the device and it made my ps4 freeze multiple times (this has never happened before). I thought it was great on initial plug in until shortly after it was causing many issues at random. It would say things like i corrupted my device or unplugged it when it is always in the same position, ... Moreworked for around 3 weeks on ps4 and just stopped, read about the fixes and nothing worked. During those weeks the device gave frequent issues and constant repairing of the device. I bought 2 of these and the first is still holding up on a separate ps4 but have gave the exact same issues. On the first ps4 the device had cause one of the games to glitch and never allowed to redownload it again stating i don’t have it. Sometimes it doesn’t allow me to play the games i downloaded on the device and it made my ps4 freeze multiple times (this has never happened before). I thought it was great on initial plug in until shortly after it was causing many issues at random. It would say things like i corrupted my device or unplugged it when it is always in the same position, untouched, since installed. It would also say i have to many usb devices plugged in (this is the only one) and deleted all games. The great reviews were what made me buy this but i can say i regret it, i would’ve gladly payed more money for a different brand if i knew this device would cause this many issues, possibly corrupting my ps4 for good.
I did just about everything under the Sun in order to get this drive to write faster. I updated the drivers, reformatted the disk, plugged it into the rear I/O and still, it refused to go anywhere beyond 18 MB/s, and that's if I was lucky. Sure, it would ramp up to a speed I thought was admirable at first, only to plummet downward after a moment or two. This drive drew out the task of backing up my HDD from what I presumed would be an hour-long affair into 6+ hours. The thing looks and functions like a repurposed laptop HDD from a bygone era. It feels like the enclosure might crack open if I look at it the wrong way, so transporting this anywhere far without a robust storage case is out of the question. I may dog on this thing, but I'm sure it has its uses and I ... MoreI did just about everything under the Sun in order to get this drive to write faster. I updated the drivers, reformatted the disk, plugged it into the rear I/O and still, it refused to go anywhere beyond 18 MB/s, and that's if I was lucky. Sure, it would ramp up to a speed I thought was admirable at first, only to plummet downward after a moment or two. This drive drew out the task of backing up my HDD from what I presumed would be an hour-long affair into 6+ hours. The thing looks and functions like a repurposed laptop HDD from a bygone era. It feels like the enclosure might crack open if I look at it the wrong way, so transporting this anywhere far without a robust storage case is out of the question. I may dog on this thing, but I'm sure it has its uses and I might've just picked the wrong tool for the job. If the READ speeds are to be believed, this could fit the bill for someone whose internal storage is dwindling or needs to transport some very large files across the office for a meeting or something. I'll give Seagate the benefit of the doubt and leave it at 3 eggs, since it IS a serviceable drive, but I'll be looking to another product for my backup needs in the future.
I wanted a Hard Drive that I could install games to and run them off of. I did not know if it would work as the only descriptions were regarding extra storage uses. I took the risk and bought one on sale. I was pleasantly surprised to find it "gamed" perfectly. When the game installation software asked for the location to install to, it would suggest a location (usually on drive C:). But most install programs allow you to change to a different location. I had made a file folder on the expansion drive, and designated it as the install location. I installed 36 games totaling 299 Gb, barely making a dent in my 4 Tb expansion drive, and they all ran perfectly off the expansion drive. I don't know why the manufacturers don't use this as a selling point in the description ... MoreI wanted a Hard Drive that I could install games to and run them off of. I did not know if it would work as the only descriptions were regarding extra storage uses. I took the risk and bought one on sale. I was pleasantly surprised to find it "gamed" perfectly. When the game installation software asked for the location to install to, it would suggest a location (usually on drive C:). But most install programs allow you to change to a different location. I had made a file folder on the expansion drive, and designated it as the install location. I installed 36 games totaling 299 Gb, barely making a dent in my 4 Tb expansion drive, and they all ran perfectly off the expansion drive. I don't know why the manufacturers don't use this as a selling point in the description of their drives, but it would attract a lot of people like me who had issues with their Hard Drive (drive C:) running out of room. An expansion drive is a lot less expensive than buying a new PC with a larger drive. Especially when we are very satisfied with our current PC, but just need more hard drive space for our games.
No fancy features, no extra software necessary. If you don't want a hardware password, then buy this Seagate "Expansion Portable" USB 3.0 drive instead of the "One Touch" model. Average continuous write speed is around 29 MB/s and average read speed is somewhere over 34 MB/s. There were no errors when filling the drive with pseudo-random data and reading it back to verify, which is about two days of testing. If you have Java on your computer, you can run the same test program: https://github.com/kwfenske/erase-disk-javaNote that 4 and 5 TB models are almost twice as thick as the 1 and 2 TB models. The smaller sizes fit nicely in a shirt pocket. To keep the drive and the USB cord together when not in use, pick up a high-tech accessory from the grocery store: ... MoreNo fancy features, no extra software necessary. If you don't want a hardware password, then buy this Seagate "Expansion Portable" USB 3.0 drive instead of the "One Touch" model. Average continuous write speed is around 29 MB/s and average read speed is somewhere over 34 MB/s. There were no errors when filling the drive with pseudo-random data and reading it back to verify, which is about two days of testing. If you have Java on your computer, you can run the same test program: https://github.com/kwfenske/erase-disk-javaNote that 4 and 5 TB models are almost twice as thick as the 1 and 2 TB models. The smaller sizes fit nicely in a shirt pocket. To keep the drive and the USB cord together when not in use, pick up a high-tech accessory from the grocery store: medium-sized heavy-duty zipper freezer bags (plastic, 18 cm wide or 7 inch).
| General | |
| Device Type | Hard drive - external (portable) |
| Capacity | 4 TB |
| Form Factor | 2.5" |
| Interface | USB 3.0 |
