Recommendations Please! - Backups

[Galant]

So I'm sitting on a volcano having had my laptop for a year or two but having no backup of it whatsoever. I figure it's about time to ensure I don't spend a long time crying.

What would you recommend for an external backup?

I've seen the Western Digital MyBook available in 500Gb for 60 quid. Looks alright, but it's only USB 2. My Dad picked up a 320 Gb with firewire for 80 quid a while ago.

I've also heard I'd need to reformat it from FAT to NTFS.

Is there anything I should definitely go for or that I'll need, and anything I should avoid like the plague?

500Gb would be more than enough.

Cheers!

[staffsMike]

Western Digital always get my vote.

I've got a WD passport 160GB great for my backup, very small and light.

Do you really need the speed of firewire?

[s3ds]

I have a WD250 and WD500 Mybook
the WD500 is the better and faster of the two drives
mind you the WD250 is older
I think the 250 is PATA and the 500 is SATA
cant remember about Fat or NTFS but quick format dosn't take long
One thing I look at when buying drives is warranty, how many items have you bought that brake 1 month after the warranty stops ?
so i tend to find Seagate and WD are the brands i use

The only problems with externals i've had is ones without a fan over heating

[TheReaFireblade]

Yeah... they're FAT32 so they can also be used with older OS which don't support NTFS - i.e. Windows 95/98/ME.
As suggested... if you want to convert it to NTFS, a quick-format will be all that's required

I can also vouch for the WD MyBook series

[Az00123]

I've got a WD Mybook Premium 320gb, it comes with firewire and usb2, i use the usb

I got it last christmas, haven't had any problems with it yet

[acro666]

I have two USB 2.0 externals connected, they are a 250gb and a 500gb. Both are excellent and the 500gb (7200) will cost about £55.40p. Both require an external power-supply which comes with them.

So far both have been perfect.

regards

acro666

[Galant]

Thanks guys.

I don't know that I especially need firewire, I just wondered if the USB was terribly slow.

[staffsMike]

It depends.. if it's just a back up drive then the speed isn't much of an issue in my opnion. Yeah it takes a bit longer to copy stuff over and in the event of faliure to you pc's drive takes longer to copy it back, but not that long

[Agent]

There seems to be very little difference between USB and Firewire for external HD's these days.

Esata is nicer all around though

[FifthFreedom]

Ethernet external bays are handy too if your making regular backups.

It's an overall neater solution especially if you have more than one PC.

[ed^chigliak]

Sync type backup software is useful for quick backups so you copy only the files that have been added or changed. A sync will generally update the previous full backup so you never need mess with any incremental backups. I use second copy v7 to maintain an exact copy of my files on an external USB drive.

[Galant]

So I've narrowed it down to two - The WD Passport 160Gb or the LaCie Mobile Drive, also 160Gb.

Price is the same. Specs are the same except the LaCie can be powered by an adapter.

Finding it hard to find reviews or comparisons.

Anyone have a clue about either of these, particularly the LaCie?

Cheers.

[peterb]

Some (not all) laptops have problems powering some (not all) external drives from the USB socket. Unfortunately you won't know if it is an issue until you get the drive and try it. The solution is often a double headed USB connection - so that the power from both USB sockets is used (but obviously only one is used for data transfer). That works, but takes up two USB sockets.

If the LaCie is supplied with a power adapter, then I would go for that one (slight downside is that you don't know the make of drive installed in it - which may be an issue for you). Otherwise they are pretty much of a muchness.

Edit - The LaCie looks cheaper per Gb than the WD - on Amazon but like the WD is supplied without a power adapter - but I think you said it has a socket for one, but the WD doesn't appear to have)

[Galant]

Both are for sale in Spain at 69 euros. The LaCie can take an adapter but yes, it doesn't come with one. The WD will have to be powered by the laptop.

Anyone know of any performance issues?

[joshwa]

The WD ones have a cool orange light... I think that should answer your question

They should all be quick as long as your laptop/PC supports USB2

I think the WD may need to use 2 usb ports - not sure about the Lacie - but I bought a generic caddy off ebay and put in a 160gb WD ide hdd and it only uses 1 usb port which is nice if you only have one spare USB port. (It's also successfully powered from 1 usb port).

[TAKTAK]

The WD ones have a cool orange light... I think that should answer your question

They should all be quick as long as your laptop/PC supports USB2

I think the WD may need to use 2 usb ports - not sure about the Lacie - but I bought a generic caddy off ebay and put in a 160gb WD ide hdd and it only uses 1 usb port which is nice if you only have one spare USB port. (It's also successfully powered from 1 usb port).

joshwa... i think your thinking of the seagate freeagents....

they have the cool glowing lights

i have a 160gb WD passport, and it runs fine off all USB's on an eeePC (the higher power ones and the lower power one) it uses a single USB cable for power and data

again i think joshwa has muddled cos the freeagent uses a "y" cable, but the WD passport does not

the WD passport has a blue ring of light (i'll take piccys if there wanted)