Hi 
So I’ve never used a drive a large as this 12TB WD Elements external drive, and am wanting to keep it healthy for as long as possible.
Therefore are certain things important to do, such as unplugging the power when the computer is off? Or not allowing spin down according to some forums?
What things should I be aware of to use the drive fairly often but keep it in good health?
Thanks! 
There’s no need to unplug the power supply when the computer is off. It’s also generally ok to leave the USB cable plugged in after shutdown as well, although it’s probably best to either " safely remove " via windows or simply unplug the USB cable after shutdown as sometimes USB drives can act a little hinky during boot. Finally, keeping the drive cool helps extend its life. I have 4 WD external drives and I was seeing temps around 45- 50°C, plus a drive tipping over is always a concern so I came up with a solution for both problems. First, I purchased a 5 section file sorter ( $15.00 ). It’s wire mesh on the dividers and bottom and it sits about 1/4 inch off the ground so air can freely pass through the bottom vent on the drives ( better ventilation, in fact than just sitting on a desk or book shelf ). The height and width are a perfect fit with about 1/8th inch of space on either side so the drives just slide right in without being too tight. So the tipping problem is solved, but what about the heat? I bought an AC Infinity S7 dual USB fan set ( 200mm size-$15.00 ) which I have running as exhaust ( placed on top ) for two drives each. It’s 3 speed adjustable but even on high, these things are extremely quiet. Also, if you don’t have a spare USB port, you can purchase an AC adapter or perhaps just use an old cellphone charger. After a couple of weeks of monitoring, all four of my drives run consistently between 30-35°C no matter how much I’m using them