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General discussion

Need Advice : External Desktop Hard drive vs Portable Hard d

Mar 29, 2011 9:50PM PDT

I need an external hard drive for taking regular backups of all of my data.
When i searched the internet I got two options:
1. Porable HDD [high cost, slower speed but don't need external power]
2. Desktop HDD [low cost, higher speed but need external power]

I want to know that...
1. Which hard disk's live longer? Porable or Desktop.
2. I heared that pulling off USB cable of Portable HDD may cause data lose because it also supplies power to hdd.
What will happpen if Power goes off from Desktop HDD? Will my data/Hard disk remain protected?
3. Level of safety of data on moving or shaking on both Desktop and Portable HDD.
4. Can we install os and boot from portable and desktop external hdd?

Discussion is locked

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Re: disk
Mar 29, 2011 10:01PM PDT

Personally I prefer an externally powered drive. Especially when a laptop runs on battery it gives just enough power via its USB for the external drive. So I consider externally powered to be more safe.

Generally, only a 2.5" laptop disk can do without external power. For the 3.5" disk you'll need that adapter.

And your questions:
1. No systematic difference.
2. No. Don't do it. It really needs that power.
3. Like #1.
4. Like #1.

Kees

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Is there any advantage of Desktop HDD over portable?
Mar 29, 2011 11:55PM PDT

Is there any advantage of Desktop HDD over Portable version? or Portable version is best

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The jury is out.
Mar 29, 2011 11:53PM PDT

1. So far both externals seem to lose data with equal speed.
2. True for both. While this can be mitigated by using NTFS and when we do that the loss is rare, it's not unheard of. Fix? Don't do that.
3. None.
4. Are we talking Windows? No.

Remember this is a BACKUP COPY. So if we lose a backup we have the ORIGINAL.

I find people forget that we don't want to drive what we can't lose to ONE COPY. Externals are fine things with loss being rare but not unheard of. This is why you hear folk say "We only lose what we don't backup."
Bob