External hard drive

Oddjob

Hello, hoping someone can give me advice.

I want to buy a hard drive to back up my pc and laptop. I was thinking of 1tb? so that I can hopefully get two copies of each, ie, a new one and an older one, just in case!! I also want to be able to make a copy of the programs etc. so that if either has to be reformatted and restored, I can get it back to more or less what it was.

Do back up software programs, such as macrium which I have seen recommended on here let you copy programs, favourites etc? I never use Outlook for email so have no emails stored on disc - use Yahoo.

Can you recommend a good make of hard drive to buy, I was looking at one of those clickfree things but there has been another post on here a few weeks ago where people were more or less saying not to bother with it.
If I go for an ordinary hard drive, presumably I would also need a caddy for it.
I was thinking of perhaps a Seagate? Are they a good brand to get?

TIA

closed

disk imaging programs (including the free version of macrium) backup everything, programs, data, windows, settings.

Brandwise, there's not much in it, the drives inside all come from a handfull of manufacturers, go for the cheapest per GB - buying a usb caddy with a drive in, is usually the cheapest option. Seagates tend to be a little pricier than the competition at the moment.

flashg67

Good selection here - http://www.ebuyer.com/search?page=1&sort=pricelow&limit=10&store=33&cat=393&filterca76=1000
I'm currently using Seagate & Toshiba and both have been fine for 2 years+ but of course they all are, until they fail aren't they! Only safe way for precious data is to back up twice - perhaps to the 'cloud' aswell?

Oddjob

Thanks for the link. I didn't realise that Toshiba did external hard drives as well, should have done though. My laptop is a Toshiba so it would make sense that they do hard drives too.
Am I right in thinking that if its described as an external or portable drive it is already in a caddy, and doesn't need anything else?

I've looked at some in the link and some have to be plugged into the mains, I think I would prefer a portable one, they seem to look smaller and neater too. A plug and play one sounds easier for me as I'm not very technical.

Oddjob

closed wrote: »

disk imaging programs (including the free version of macrium) backup everything, programs, data, windows, settings.........

That sounds easier if they back everything up, I presume if the drive had to be reformatted and restored, as long as the copy of the backup was reasonably up to date, you wouldn't lose a lot.

I have my pictures/music all backed up on other things too, MP4 player and disc as well as having copies of them on both the pc and laptop.
My Documents need a newer back up than I already have, although, there is nothing really of much importance on there.

prowla

I guess if you want to cover your options you would buy two different brands, which would help try and make sure that any failure wouldn't happen to both at the same time (two of the same model bought at the same time would likely be from the same batch).

andy2004

Samsungs are good, i got 5 of them. 3x2tb, 1x1.5tb and 1x1tb, i've also gotten 1 WD 1.5tb which i cant recommend, due to the fact this is the 3rd WD not the original as its been replaced twice.
the Samsung 2tbs are all external, self build,
I bought the enclosures from novatech for £8 each and due to prices in drives the hdd where different prices going from £75 - £99
the cases are screwless and really simple to put the drives in.

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/harddrives-internal/sataover1tb/hd204uist200dl004.html these are the 2tb drives i got.

and the enclosures
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/harddrives-external/harddriveenclosures/usb2.0external3.5enclosure.html
my only gripe with the cases is the small lead 2ft they give you. but its really no biggy, uses the same usb lead you would use with a printer.

Oddjob

Thanks for your help guys.
I had heard that WD drives were not so good which is why I asked for recommendations.

I will have to have a look.

Inner_Zone

Oddjob wrote: »

Thanks for the link. I didn't realise that Toshiba did external hard drives as well, should have done though. My laptop is a Toshiba so it would make sense that they do hard drives too.
Am I right in thinking that if its described as an external or portable drive it is already in a caddy, and doesn't need anything else?

I've looked at some in the link and some have to be plugged into the mains, I think I would prefer a portable one, they seem to look smaller and neater too. A plug and play one sounds easier for me as I'm not very technical.

They maybe branded Toshiba on the outside but inside mine has a WD drive.

Oddjob wrote: »

Thanks for your help guys.
I had heard that WD drives were not so good which is why I asked for recommendations.

I will have to have a look.

All the manufactures have had issues. IBM (now Hitachi HDD) probably the best known for deathstar, but now past history hopefully.

Oddjob

OOps!! I'll stay clear of the Toshiba ones then!!

andy2004

The only problem i had with 1 of my samsungs was ME.
before sending the WD back i decided to format it and I formatted the samsung instead chose the wrong drive letter. "Dumbass" < quote from Big Bang Theory. which is why i got 3 of them, every recovery program i tried required a destination drive/partition of bigger/similar size.
externals, cant really hear them and they are literally 20inches away from my head, and they dont heat up like the older faster 7200rpm drives.

to give you an idea current temps on my system thats been running for 3days.
WD 44'c
samsung boot drive 1tb 39'c
samsung 1.5tb 36'c