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Question

HDD

Mar 10, 2016 8:34AM PST

I recently lost an external hdd which went bad on me, luckily I lost little of any importance. My question is about replacing, not a size question but which type, again not a question about manufacturer. I need a new hdd for a desk top computer, I already have one working on it. Should I get a portable or a permanent one, by permanent I mean one that has to be plugged in to the mains. Looking at prices for some reason the portables are much cheaper, why I do not know so they seem to be the one for me. They also will have the ability for me to move them elsewhere easily if necessary. I do not do this very much but maybe I will need to at some time. Any help would be very useful.

Tantalus

Discussion is locked

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Answer
The thing is
Mar 10, 2016 8:41AM PST

While it's accepted the internal models last longer the reason is that it's hard to drop the desktop vs an external. But this still means we must backup what we can't lose.

It's awful but when I buy an external I get two. That way I can sync the second for safety.

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Answer
Portable vs fixed
Mar 10, 2016 8:34PM PST

If you need to move this unit between machines then a portable is a better fit.

Depending on your storage needs and your budget look into a portable ssd.

It's not that they don't fail but they might take more knocking around that a portable gets.

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Answer
External if the HDD is for backup
Mar 14, 2016 2:42AM PDT

Hi @pop_moo!

It depends more or less on the personal preference and what you're going to use it for, but I would prefer to have an external drive if it's about backups.

Indeed an internal backup drive will serve a useful function, in that the backup can be immediate, and the restoration quick and easy. If your main hard drive crashes, an internal backup will come in handy. However, a hard drive crash is only one of many disasters that will make you glad you've been backing up.

A good example for what I mean is that if you've been backing up to an internal drive and someone steals your computer, you lose your hard drive and your backup. A fire, flood, or power surge will also likely destroy both drives.

For that reasons IMO a good backup system always should make provisions to isolate the device carrying the data for safety, protecting it from electrical glitches, etc and physical damage. Among other things, that means you should be able to disconnect it completely from any electrical supply and from the computer. Ideally, the unit should be physically stored in a different location to guard against rare events like fire, flood, etc.

Hope this helps and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Cheers! Happy