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General discussion

Why are External HDs better for backup?

May 7, 2005 3:11PM PDT

I am looking into getting an external HD for backup for my videos and pictures. I like the look of them and like how they are simply hooked up to your USB port. But why are they "better" for backup? Is it just because it's easier to set up? How is it better than me just installing an internal drive?

Thanks,

Scott

Discussion is locked

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Your choice.
Jun 5, 2005 4:31AM PDT

The stuff I can't lose fits on 3 DVDRWs. If you have 44 to 47GB of stuff that you can't lose that changes that often you need to look into tape.

I have another 10 disks of stuff that rarely changes. Or never.

Bob

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So what kind of backup do you order
Jun 5, 2005 11:30AM PDT

Is that an incremental backup.

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None.
Jun 5, 2005 11:36AM PDT

I don't use incremental backup since it fails far too often.

Instead I use an old tried and true (for me) method. I organize my stuff in directories that are less then 4.4GB. Then it's no big deal to erase the DVDRW and record that directory with any number of recording softwares. Recovery is just a copy back in away and ... setting the read-only flags.

-> You need to develop what you will be comfortable with.

Bob

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Very simple!
Jun 6, 2005 10:16AM PDT

Your idea sounds very simple and effective so i've decided to back up about 4Gb each to a DVD - that leaves me with 50 discs if I ever filled up half my system HD space of 200Gb. I'm not being funny here or anything but having huge amounts of storage is bound to cause some problems and Proffitt idea fits the bill quite well.

If you need to know whats on each disc of a batch of 30, 40,50, etc.. just do a printout of the names of each folder that briefly describes what it contains. Like PC Utils would contain BIOS tweaks, RAM apps, ad-aware progs. Keep these folders under 4Gb and list the size next to the folder names under the discs numbers on double-sided A4 (which you'll keep in a box with the DVDs in cases) stored in you loft or filing cabenet.

As other posts have mentioned, do 3 sets of copies if it's important, otherwise 2 copies should be the minimum. What I also found very limiting with DVD backups is the number of characters allowed and that you have to keep it under 50 character to make it readible. Also no dodgy ones like "

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I like free stuff.
Jun 6, 2005 10:20AM PDT
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Actually you all above are WRONG!!!!!!!!!!
May 14, 2005 6:04AM PDT

Having lost alot of data in my life, the only (readily available) backup strategy is to back up both to a harddrive (external or enternal is a secondary issue if not going to do both==with an external getting my nod as it will be free from the one virus that gets thru===>many virii will infect an entire system--not just the harddrive the OS is on) and then a disk image to CD or DVD and in general I don't consider that accomplished unless two different brands of media have been used and tested to contain a good image.

For "important" data the above two minimum up to 4 minimum back up will be made. I use Acronis Back Up with good results but it seems to be glitchy spanning multiple disks which has made an image to a harddrive and another to dvd my preferred method.

I think web back up has many advantages but it generally costs a bit ((I wonder if you can email a drive image to yourself at Google Mail?)) and your data is "out there" not that it matters to most of us.

Happy Back ups.///bobbo.

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leaglebob: How do you test the image on the DVD
Jun 5, 2005 9:40PM PDT

to ensure that it is good?

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no back up is complete until it is tested.
Sep 30, 2005 6:21PM PDT

and that is what I do. I try to mount the image on a backup hard drive partition==that way I have a back up on a hard drive AND a confirmed working dvd image.

STILL--I had a failure and my "guaranteed" dvd image would not load!!!!!!! Thats when my comfort level shifted to the hard drive image--because it did work.

Sorry for late response.///bobbo.

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External Hard Drive as Backup
Jun 8, 2005 2:05PM PDT

Putting all your photos and folders onto an external hard drive is easy to do and easy to retrieve.I put years of photos and folders onto a Western Digital hard drive and then the hard drive stopped spinning. My photos and folders were lost(#*%@# etc.).Now I backup important folders on CDs and also another external hard drive for the ease of reviewing them. Always backup on CDs first and then use the external hard drive.I learned the hard way!I love the forum for great information from all you swell people out there.

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For Frankdal25.
Jun 8, 2005 9:06PM PDT

I think you will be fine from here on out. Take some solice in that better than 1/2 out there only learn about backup the way you did.

-> More to the point, if you still have that old external did you try removing the internal drive and putting it in some PC? Sometimes, if it's still spinning I can use photo file recovery software.

Over in the Digital Camera Forum we have a post with the list of such software. If it still spins, you could try the demo of said software then decide to buy or not.

Bob