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External hard drive recommendations
lonestarfan
Posts: 1,232 Forumite
in Techie Stuff
I am trying to get round to sorting out everyones photos so they are backed up and protected etc following good advice I received on this forum last July! Takes a while to get things done in my house! and so I need to buy 2 external hardrives. I don't know what specification I would need. It's for 3 separate families digital photos. We all have a desktop pc running windows vista if that's relevant. Can anyone advise on what I should be looking for and what I should be paying.
Also I plan to save them to DVD as well. I usually save to CD. Do I need any special software to save them on DVD?
Many thanks for any help.
Also I plan to save them to DVD as well. I usually save to CD. Do I need any special software to save them on DVD?
Many thanks for any help.
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Comments
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Sorry, why do you need two HDs? For other family members?
External HDs are cheap these days. You might be able to get away with a 32GB USB pen drive.
How large are all the photos size wise?0 -
Sorry, why do you need two HDs? For other family members?
External HDs are cheap these days. You might be able to get away with a 32GB USB pen drive.
How large are all the photos size wise?
It's one for Grandmas house for her and the grandkids and one for my house as I live quite a distance away. We've got digital photos going back to 2002 to store safely as they are on a variety of pc's, cd's and memory sticks. We are also adding more photos weekly from iphones, Itouch and digital cameras so its going to be an ongoing volume.0 -
lonestarfan wrote: »It's one for Grandmas house for her and the grandkids and one for my house as I live quite a distance away. We've got digital photos going back to 2002 to store safely as they are on a variety of pc's, cd's and memory sticks. We are also adding more photos weekly from iphones, Itouch and digital cameras so its going to be an ongoing volume.
That doesn't really answer the question but anyhow...
a 64GB pen drive will be around £40
a 1000GB external HD around £60
a 2000GB around £90
A Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go external hard drive are very petite and portable but there are many brands and models out there....0 -
Not really sure how to answer tbh! My pictures folder says its got 20 gb and 170 folders so we've all got that. I'm managing 3 families so it would be 60gb as at today plus ongoing photos for 3 families. Advice I got on this forum last year was to do a 3 stage process - put them on the pc, and an external hard drive, copy onto DVD and put in an online storage facility. I've used memory sticks instead of cd's on occasions but have at least 3 knocking around plus the digital photo frame memory sticks plus loads of back ups on cds its driving me insane so I'd like to get it all on DVD's , online and on hard drives. Does that help?Thanks so much.That doesn't really answer the question but anyhow...
a 64GB pen drive will be around £40
a 1000GB external HD around £60
a 2000GB around £90
A Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go external hard drive are very petite and portable but there are many brands and models out there....
Have just realised that Verbatim is a brand name! Lol! I'll have a look for one of them - is a 1 TB the same as a 1000GB?0 -
Are there three separate 20GB folders or do you wish to replicate the 20Gb three times? I understood the latter firstly...
Seems then a 64Gb USB pen drive would suffice....0 -
It's 3 separate 20gb folders. I'd be worried that a 64gb pen drive would be ok for todays needs but I'd like something that meets our ongoing needs as well so I don't have to keep buying ongoing sticks etc. Thanks for the help.Are there three separate 20GB folders or do you wish to replicate the 20Gb three times? I understood the latter firstly...
Seems then a 64Gb USB pen drive would suffice....0 -
lonestarfan wrote: »It's 3 separate 20gb folders. I'd be worried that a 64gb pen drive would be ok for todays needs but I'd like something that meets our ongoing needs as well so I don't have to keep buying ongoing sticks etc. Thanks for the help.
Then buy 3 x 2TB hard drive. I doubt you'll ever fill it up with 2000GB's worth of photos!0 -
Then buy 3 x 2TB hard drive. I doubt you'll ever fill it up with 2000GB's worth of photos!
Agreed ! :jThanks. That's one more job done - you've helped me with both. I now need to search for best price for a 2TB.
I have pages and pages of 'to do' - and these have featured for more than 2 years on the list - worsened since we all got iphones as that means more photos ! - so I was determined to sort this job out whilst i have a few days leave!
Will all join flickr and have an external hard drive.
Off to get a treat now - give yourself one too!
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I'm not sure you really need 2 x 2TB.
2 x 1TB would be more than adequate in my opinion. You could probably get away with 2 x 500GB to be honest but the price difference isn't that big so I'd plump for the 1TB anyway.
Will you be moving them around much? If so I'd suggest getting a portable one, rather than a desktop one.
Portable = powered by USB. So you don't need a cable and power pack to carry around
Desktop = power required, so you'll need a plug socket handy and have to carry around a cable and power pack whenever you want to move it.
Maybe something like this:
Buffalo 1TB MiniStation Portable Hard Drive - USB 2.0 - Black0
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