Backup Hardware Solution Opinion

[Compulady]

I have a PII 300. After my recent experience of losing files, I need to
pay attention and start routinely backing up my important files. While
I have a second hard drive in my computer, I think an external solution
is best.

At this point, I can:
- purchase an external hard drive and burn some files to CD as a
precaution.
- purchase an external DVD burner and burn to a DVDRW. I'm not sure if
my current computer is powerful enough for a DVD burner.

I'm looking at an external solution as I also have a work laptop and
want to back that up as well.

CC has a really nice WD 250 GB external hard drive with a rebate so I
am leaning in this direction.

I am open for opinions. I don't think I can buy both at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

I have a PII 300. After my recent experience of losing files, I need to
pay attention and start routinely backing up my important files. While
I have a second hard drive in my computer, I think an external solution
is best.

Another option is a removable hard drive tray. I use the one
made by Kingwin, and it works as advertized with no problems.
http://www.kingwin.com/pdut_detail.asp?LineID=&CateID=25&ID=136
You can find these on the Web going for $17, extra trays for $12.
They do require that you have a spare 5 1/2" drive bay to use.
If you have a problem in the case with fitting more ribbon cables,
go with "round" cables - they are more compact. I use round cables
from Silicon Valley Compucycle with no problems.
http://svc.com/cables-ata-100-133-round-cables.html

I use Powerquest's Drive Image 7 (now Symantec Ghost 9.0) to
clone entire partitions to the removable hard drive. (As with all
WinNT/2K/XP cloning, start the new OS for the 1st time in
isolation from its "parent". Subsequent boots with the "parent"
visible are OK.)

*TimDaniels*

 

[Arno Wagner]

I have a PII 300. After my recent experience of losing files, I need to
pay attention and start routinely backing up my important files. While
I have a second hard drive in my computer, I think an external solution
is best.

At this point, I can:
- purchase an external hard drive and burn some files to CD as a
precaution.
- purchase an external DVD burner and burn to a DVDRW. I'm not sure if
my current computer is powerful enough for a DVD burner.

I'm looking at an external solution as I also have a work laptop and
want to back that up as well.

CC has a really nice WD 250 GB external hard drive with a rebate so I
am leaning in this direction.

I am open for opinions. I don't think I can buy both at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

You are perfectly correct that an external solution is better.

I like the HDD idea better in principle. However you should have
several independent backup copies of important stuff, which makes
the DVD solution better. But CD-R/DVD+/-R(W) have this unpredictable
and often really low reliability and data lifetime....

If you can afford it, get at least 2 external drives and use them in
rotation. Better 3 drives.

Arno

 

[Rod Speed]

You are perfectly correct that an external solution is better.

I like the HDD idea better in principle. However you should have
several independent backup copies of important stuff, which makes
the DVD solution better. But CD-R/DVD+/-R(W) have this unpredictable
and often really low reliability and data lifetime....

That last is just plain wrong.

If you can afford it, get at least 2 external drives
and use them in rotation. Better 3 drives.

Only if you arent prone to dropping things.

 

[Neil Maxwell]

I have a PII 300. After my recent experience of losing files, I need to
pay attention and start routinely backing up my important files. While
I have a second hard drive in my computer, I think an external solution
is best.

Simplest is to use True Image or Ghost to automatically back up to an
external hard drive. For extra redundancy, copy those backups to DVD
now and again, but optical media lifetime is unpredictable, so don't
count on these lasting years.

You can take it to several more layers of redundancy if desired, but
just making a backup is the first step.