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General discussion

External HD-How do you know??

Nov 2, 2006 2:33AM PST

what type to get? And how much GB you need or should have?? I have read different reviews of HD here, and I am still confused on what type to get. My computer is 80 GB , so what amount should I get?
thanks

Discussion is locked

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I have same basic issue
Nov 2, 2006 4:48AM PST

Running a Dell Dimension 5600 and simply ran out of space on the 80GB harddrive. Considered an internal but opted for the external as I don't know how much longer I'll have this comp (it's 4 years old) so I wanted to be able to store music on this one for easy transfer to a future computer. Problem is, don't have a clue, which one to buy, whether to buy an enclosure (they don't come with these?????), which brands are good and what specs to look for. Plan on getting something in the 80GB range, but beyond that am not sure. The computer is running XP w/SP2 and I believe has USB 2.0 capability.

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Let;s start with ...what are you going to use
Nov 2, 2006 11:39AM PST

the external HDD for ?

Will you be using it with a desktop or laptop ?

Really need portability are you you just adding diskspace ?

What's the budget ?

VAPCMD

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Re: Let's start with...
Nov 2, 2006 9:52PM PST

I want to back up my entire system. But mostly I want to have my photos and music saved. I have lost my entire computer last summer, and I want to avoid that again. thanks

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RE: Lets start with
Nov 4, 2006 12:33AM PST

You only answered one of several questions asked.

Backup = 'Entire system ...esp photos and music'. OK

Budget = ???? still waiting for answer

Computer type = ???? still waiting for answer
(laptop or desktop ?)

Really need portability = still waiting for answer

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re: re:
Nov 4, 2006 3:52AM PST

computer= Dell 2400
budget= not expensive, but not cheap
portablility= not important

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Based on the limited information provided....
Nov 5, 2006 12:44AM PST

I would get the largest (in GBs) internal PATA (NOT SATA) hard disk drive your budget will afford. The difference in price is really nominal between drives in this range 120GB, 160GB, 200GB, etc.,. No matter which one you get, you can almost always use it as an internal HDD in another system or buy an external enclosure and use it that way later..

With plenty of disk space ....you can have multiple copies of your backups just in case one is corrupt. You can almost never have too much disk space or RAM.

VAPCMD

PS...you'll probably need a hard drive mounting kit
and an extra 80-wire, 40 pin IDE cable to complete the install as Dell only provides one hard drive bay in the lower part of the case.

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Why an internal harddrive?
Nov 9, 2006 5:25AM PST

I have basically the same issues as the previous writer. I would like an extra harddrive (preferably external) to safeguard all my digital photos and other various files. I have a Dell Dimension 8400, and was looking at the Western Digital Media Center 250 gig. I was also considering the Maxtor One Touch, but some of the reviews scare me. Portability is not important to me, and my price range is between $100 and $200.

So, I guess I have two questions. 1) Why did you recommend the internal drive to the last writer as opposed to an external one? 2) Which external harddrive would be right for my computer? It doesn't have to include the two mentioned above if you have a better choice.

Thanks,

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I almost never recommend adding an external if there's
Nov 9, 2006 10:52AM PST

space inside the case to add an internal HDD.

Believe some of the best reasons not to buy an external HDD...esp Maxtor, as a primary backup are found in the many posts or pleas for help on external drives.

If reading the many many problem postsabout external HDDs doesn't stimulate you to switch to an 'internal' or DVDs as a first backup source ...there's probably not much I can do to help.

VAPCMD