Recommendations for external hard drive please

Legacy_user

As the title says, can I please have some recommendations for an external hard drive.
My last hard drive failed unexpectedly and completely following my last computer OS upgrade (XP Home to XP Pro) taking all my photos and most of my documents with it!
I had a Western Digital My Book essentials previously and feel I don't particularly want another. (it was still under warranty and I could have got a replacement, but data extraction was another matter and as I had some personal medical information stored, I didn't really want to be sending it away anywhere)
Saying that, I've been doing some online research and the problem of sudden failure seems to be an issue for several brands.
I really need to get one as I now have replaced all my old pix with new improved ones and intend using them for my new website, which I will also want to back up.
So please ,please give me your opinions and experiences with of a recommended external hard drive as if this aging computer fails. all my stuff will go with it.
Thanks in advance,
Linda x
PS The money for it is burning a hole in my pocket, not very money saving I know :eek:

4743hudsonj

fab_n_funky_mum wrote: »

As the title says, can I please have some recommendations for an external hard drive.
My last hard drive failed unexpectedly and completely following my last computer OS upgrade (XP Home to XP Pro) taking all my photos and most of my documents with it!
I had a Western Digital My Book essentials previously and feel I don't particularly want another. (it was still under warranty and I could have got a replacement, but data extraction was another matter and as I had some personal medical information stored, I didn't really want to be sending it away anywhere)
Saying that, I've been doing some online research and the problem of sudden failure seems to be an issue for several brands.
I really need to get one as I now have replaced all my old pix with new improved ones and intend using them for my new website, which I will also want to back up.
So please ,please give me your opinions and experiences with of a recommended external hard drive as if this aging computer fails. all my stuff will go with it.
Thanks in advance,
Linda x
PS The money for it is burning a hole in my pocket, not very money saving I know :eek:

what sort of capacity are you looking at?

and i assume you want it to connect via usb

System

Hi, thanks for quick reply,
yes, it will be a usb connection and I'm looking for a minimum of 500GB capacity. It will mostly be used for storing photos and graphics as well as backup copies of web site stuff.
Linda

diable

I can't really suggest a make or model of external drive but I do advise you not the rely on just one hard drive to store your backups on as any drive can fail.

4743hudsonj

fab_n_funky_mum wrote: »

Hi, thanks for quick reply,
yes, it will be a usb connection and I'm looking for a minimum of 500GB capacity. It will mostly be used for storing photos and graphics as well as backup copies of web site stuff.
Linda

one other point

do you want it to be portable

its possible to get pocket sized ones but these are obviously a performance compromise at a higher price

other external ones can be moved, just not as easily

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136212/show_product_overview

i know you didnt like western digital but they are very very good drives

you just had a one in a million experience im afraid


http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150558


thats a larger drive for not alot more money (i dont know how you feel about 1tb of memory)

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164444

thats a good portable one (not a patch on the others for performance and pricier spec for spec but like i said, theyre very small and very light)

Pitchshifter

I personally recommend the Seagate desktop drives, I'd also suggest getting the 1TB version.
Here's a link:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/149455

flossy_splodge

Pitchshifter wrote: »

I personally recommend the Seagate desktop drives, I'd also suggest getting the 1TB version.
Here's a link:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/149455

Didn't the Op say they wanted a usb powered drive? Isn't this a mains powered?

There's this Iomega 1Tb for £71.99
http://www.staples.co.uk/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?CT=1&webid=398066&affixedcode=1F&campaign=EM-1F&ns_campaign=Mega_Weekend&ns_mchannel=EM&ns_source=1F&ns_linkname=398066_1tb_external_drive&ns_fees=0&sec_type=ext&IdTis=XTC-ZEE-SS662-DD-AAU2HY-WUAJ

or this, also from Staples, this verbatim 500Gb for £69.10.
http://www.staples.co.uk/ENG/Catalog/cat_skuset.asp?CatIds=21797,89059,21812,89069&name=uk_sk_Super_Deals_on_Data_Storage

So for about 2 quid you can get double the storage!!:rotfl:

4743hudsonj

flossy_splodge wrote: »

Didn't the Op say they wanted a usb powered drive? Isn't this a mains powered?

There's this Iomega 1Tb for £71.99
http://www.staples.co.uk/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?CT=1&webid=398066&affixedcode=1F&campaign=EM-1F&ns_campaign=Mega_Weekend&ns_mchannel=EM&ns_source=1F&ns_linkname=398066_1tb_external_drive&ns_fees=0&sec_type=ext&IdTis=XTC-ZEE-SS662-DD-AAU2HY-WUAJ

or this, also from Staples, this verbatim 500Gb for £69.10.
http://www.staples.co.uk/ENG/Catalog/cat_skuset.asp?CatIds=21797,89059,21812,89069&name=uk_sk_Super_Deals_on_Data_Storage

So for about 2 quid you can get double the storage!!:rotfl:

no they never stated that, merely that the data was to be transferred via usb and not firewire or some other data transfer bus interface

Strider590

It's all horses for courses, I have a self built Akasa Integral external drive, with a 200GB Samsung Spinpoint hard drive, nice and quiet, but can get very warm.

I also have an Antec MX-1 (fan cooled) enclosure with a 500GB 5400rpm Samsung drive, this can be left switched on permanently as part of my home server setup.

Building my own, I have paid slightly over the odds compared to shop prices, but I like my stuff to be a little more customised and I like to pick what goes into it.
To be honest there's plenty of choice out there. By the sound of it, you want a basic enclosure with a decent quality drive.

Spendless_Dosh

Hope this might help.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/labs/235956/maxtor-onetouch-4-plus.html

Best of luck in your search.

totalsolutions

Er, drive don't fail during an upgrade to the OS. Want help recovering it at all? Did you reformat it by accident then?