OT- External hard drive advice/ recommendations needed

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  • fatstrat
    fatstrat Posts: 216
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    I skipped over the replies because I'm trying to waste less time at work. HA!

    Anyway, I would think any of the external USB drives should work fine as long as they have enough space for what you want. Just keep in mind that external drives can crash too, and no piece of electronic equipment is 100%. So, if you have something invaluable (like family photos) you should back them up to another source. My home studio recordings are backed up to both an external USB 320GB Toshiba drive <i>and</i> DVD-RW. Finished tracks eventually end up on a couple of standard DVDs, and on the HD just in case.

    If you're getting rid of the old computer I would make a backup of the ENTIRE drive as well as a separate backup of things you already know you want. It never fails, after I format a hard drive I always remember something that I wish I had backed up, like Internet favorites, etc... When you're sure there's nothing more that you want to save, then delete that directory.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    Thanks Fatstrat!!! Always good advice to double back up. I've lost data before when a backup failed.

    My grandfather-in-law has two externals. He backs up his computer once a month, keeping one back up in his garage (no idea why) and the other at his neighbor's house. (The neighbor does the same thing, and they swap, holding each other's drives. I guess they are password protected/ encrypted/ really trustworthy neighbors.)
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Thanks Fatstrat!!! Always good advice to double back up. I've lost data before when a backup failed.

    My grandfather-in-law has two externals. He backs up his computer once a month, keeping one back up in his garage (no idea why) and the other at his neighbor's house. (The neighbor does the same thing, and they swap, holding each other's drives. I guess they are password protected/ encrypted/ really trustworthy neighbors.)

    See, if you were bold, you would build a linux box out of one of your old computers, plug in all your old hard drives, software RAID them, build a giant 3 TB array out of all of it, throw it up on the Wireless N with Samba, and use an automatic free backup software to copy your main computer every 8 hours, that's what I do. LOL, I know I know, I'm such a nerd. But never once have I ever lost data!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Haha. STALKER! j/k :0) I'm in MA, just south of Boston.

    Just south of Boston hmm? Quincy, Milton, Brookline, Braintree, the berry?...Cmon give a guy a hint. How can I stalk you if I don't know which city to look in. :tongue:

    I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. :bigsmile:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Oh, wait, Duh, Weymouth, right, shoulda checked the profile. I'm the dumbest smart kid I know!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Oh, wait, Duh, Weymouth, right, shoulda checked the profile. I'm the dumbest smart kid I know!
  • fishernd
    fishernd Posts: 140 Member
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    Just south of Boston hmm? Quincy, Milton, Brookline, Braintree, the berry?...Cmon give a guy a hint. How can I stalk you if I don't know which city to look in. :tongue:

    I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. :bigsmile:

    Haha. Weymouth! The only one you didn't mention! What's 'the berry'? I live here but I didn't grow up here!
  • fishernd
    fishernd Posts: 140 Member
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    Oh, wait, Duh, Weymouth, right, shoulda checked the profile. I'm the dumbest smart kid I know!

    Yes, indeed. For all that talk about hard drives, you look past the simple things!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Just south of Boston hmm? Quincy, Milton, Brookline, Braintree, the berry?...Cmon give a guy a hint. How can I stalk you if I don't know which city to look in. :tongue:

    I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. :bigsmile:

    Haha. Weymouth! The only one you didn't mention! What's 'the berry'? I live here but I didn't grow up here!

    Roxberry. Yuck!
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    you'll pay extra for 1 touch backup, and those colors too.

    I know, I know.
    But that is how manufacturers lure us women in.
    OOOOOOH LOOKIT-- PINK!!! :bigsmile:
    (That's how they get me at least...... as I deflect, in case I get attacked by a feminist :laugh: )

    I'm shaking my head right now :ohwell:

    You guys are why apple's still in business. LOL!

    Just kiddin Lauryn!:flowerforyou:

    You ain't kidding!!
    All I wanted for Christmas was an orange iPod. I think it's only like a 16g, but it's ORANGE. MY COLOR.
    Instead I got the mammoth 160g silver iPod.
    I mean, not to be unappreciative for sure... but the orange is more my style, and I don't care about the storage space that much.... although I have almost used 16g :wink:
  • Mom_To_5
    Mom_To_5 Posts: 646 Member
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    HOLY CRAP!!

    i go run on my treadmill for an hour and come back to see if there is anymore info in this thread and come back to 2 pages!!! I will have to read them in a bit to see what everyone else has said, for right now my shower is desperatley calling me!!!!
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    HOLY CRAP!!

    i go run on my treadmill for an hour and come back to see if there is anymore info in this thread and come back to 2 pages!!! I will have to read them in a bit to see what everyone else has said, for right now my shower is desperatley calling me!!!!

    Git outta here, stinky! :wink: The info will still be here upon your return!
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
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    FYI lauryn, if all you want to do right this second is transfer the files to the new laptop, you can go to Bestbuy or something, and ask them if they have a "direct USB transfer cable" (wallmart wouldn't have this, it's too technical for them). Then you can use the Vista easy file and settings tranfer to do it. The cable should only be about 35 bucks, and it will allow you to shop online and find a FAR better deal and find something you really want instead of something that just works for you. Here is the link for microsoft's easy file transfer.

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928635

    It's pretty easy, there is a wizard to walk you through it. Especially if you really wanted to save your favorites, emails, settings...etc along with your pictures and music and stuff.
    you just plug the cable into the new and old PC, then walk through the wizard, I used to do this all the time for customers.

    Side note, this eliminates the need to copy the files twice.

    Banks - Question if I may...

    Is there anyway to back up my e-mails on Yahoo? And the address book? I use Yahoo for my business e-mailing, and losing all of that has crossed my mind.

    Thanks for any advice!
    :smile:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    FYI lauryn, if all you want to do right this second is transfer the files to the new laptop, you can go to Bestbuy or something, and ask them if they have a "direct USB transfer cable" (wallmart wouldn't have this, it's too technical for them). Then you can use the Vista easy file and settings tranfer to do it. The cable should only be about 35 bucks, and it will allow you to shop online and find a FAR better deal and find something you really want instead of something that just works for you. Here is the link for microsoft's easy file transfer.

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928635

    It's pretty easy, there is a wizard to walk you through it. Especially if you really wanted to save your favorites, emails, settings...etc along with your pictures and music and stuff.
    you just plug the cable into the new and old PC, then walk through the wizard, I used to do this all the time for customers.

    Side note, this eliminates the need to copy the files twice.

    Banks - Question if I may...

    Is there anyway to back up my e-mails on Yahoo? And the address book? I use Yahoo for my business e-mailing, and losing all of that has crossed my mind.

    Thanks for any advice!
    :smile:

    Good question, I think yahoo offers pop connectivity, if it does, you can download it to any email client (like outlook express or thunderbird, then you can save the folders any old way you like, copy them, zip them up...etc) I'll check, back in 5
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    ok, Yahoo mail doesn't do pop connections, but if you buy the mail plus option, it's 20 bucks a year, and you can. Basically they allow pop connecitons and forwarding. Which would allow you to do what you asked. Well worth it IMHO if you need protection for your email. One thing though, unless you're worried about deleting mail by accident, I wouldn't worry about Yahoo losing your mail, they have like 50 redundant servers, all of which are backed up, in various locations throughout the world. It would take a global disaster to fully lose Yahoo.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    Maybe I should have entitled this thread "Ask Banks: The Digital Question and Answer Thread" :wink:
  • fatstrat
    fatstrat Posts: 216
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    See, if you were bold, you would build a linux box out of one of your old computers, plug in all your old hard drives, software RAID them, build a giant 3 TB array out of all of it, throw it up on the Wireless N with Samba, and use an automatic free backup software to copy your main computer every 8 hours, that's what I do. LOL, I know I know, I'm such a nerd. But never once have I ever lost data!

    No file encryption? Tsk, tsk. You obviously have no porn. I don't use encryption either, but I'm proud of my collection. You seem normal though. :laugh:
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Worked in the industry about 12 years now. I personally always reccomend Western Digital products, simply because I've always had great luck with them and terrible luck with everyone else. However their warranties aren't what they used to be, and the other manufacturers have pretty well caught up. I got my western digital mybook for 90$, for 1TB of storage at staples.

    By the way, check fatwallet.com and pricewatch.com for deals. Also, cruise staples, best buy, frys (if you have them) and other office stores. Usually someone somewhere is having a sale. Just make sure that you call and verify that they have them in stock before you go. Staples is notorious for saying they have them and then when you get there they've "just sold out but have this model thats only 30$ more." Stupid bait and switch.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    See, if you were bold, you would build a linux box out of one of your old computers, plug in all your old hard drives, software RAID them, build a giant 3 TB array out of all of it, throw it up on the Wireless N with Samba, and use an automatic free backup software to copy your main computer every 8 hours, that's what I do. LOL, I know I know, I'm such a nerd. But never once have I ever lost data!

    No file encryption? Tsk, tsk. You obviously have no porn. I don't use encryption either, but I'm proud of my collection. You seem normal though. :laugh:

    nah, why? I don't have anything on here I care about, if someone wants to hack my netscreen (no small feat) they will be surprised to find nothing of much value. Plus I do packet analysis every couple of weeks to make sure there's no extra communication going on. If someone hacks my network, I'll find out about it eventually, and I really don't care, all I have is legal music, pictures, and some random document type stuff.

    I have plenty of security at work, and use SSH or IPSEC for anything that goes over the VPN's at my office, I don't feel like slowing down my home network for security on something I really don't care about (plus it's a pain in the *kitten*!)
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    Worked in the industry about 12 years now. I personally always reccomend Western Digital products, simply because I've always had great luck with them and terrible luck with everyone else. However their warranties aren't what they used to be, and the other manufacturers have pretty well caught up. I got my western digital mybook for 90$, for 1TB of storage at staples.

    By the way, check fatwallet.com and pricewatch.com for deals. Also, cruise staples, best buy, frys (if you have them) and other office stores. Usually someone somewhere is having a sale. Just make sure that you call and verify that they have them in stock before you go. Staples is notorious for saying they have them and then when you get there they've "just sold out but have this model thats only 30$ more." Stupid bait and switch.

    see, now I find Seagate to be much more reliable than WD. Although seagate is much more of a business product then WD is. Dell uses Maxtor which I find amusing since maxtor HD's have a horrible track record. Seagate has far faster cache access times then the others. Seagate Barracuda's are kick *kitten* if you get the 15K versions of SAS, course that requires a SCSI controller, which is 200 bucks if you get a raid LSI card (the cheapest), but still far faster then SATA versions. Far more reliable too.

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