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[UncleUB]

I am now in the market(at last) for an external desk top hard drive.I just want it to back up my photo's and music.

My questions are

1/ Must be easy to use...are they just drag and drop ?

2/I have read about FAT32 and NTFS....what do the drives come formatted as? Is it necessary to change?

I have been looking at a couple of makes..Buffalo

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176613

and Western Digital

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/wd-my-book-essential-external-hard-drive-1tb-03701257-pdt.html?srcid=867&xtor=AL-50

or the cheaper 500GB one

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/wd-my-book-essential-external-hard-drive-500gb-03701275-pdt.html

Any thoughts would be welcome please.  

[HPsauce]

If you are happy to just drag-and-drop the Buffalo is good.
WD (and some other makes) come with automated backup software than can be a right royal pain in the wotsit, especially if you don't have a very fast PC.

If you want to be a bit cleverer on backup up Microsofts Synctoy is good and free (use contribute  ).

[roseway]

(Sorry, HP posted first, but I'll post this anyway)

USB hard drives should just make themselves available as soon as you connect them and switch them on. You will be able to access them just like any other hard disk, using a file manager to drag and drop. They will be supplied already formatted and ready to go.

However, I don't personally like USB hard drives, particularly if they take their power from the USB port. A more rugged and reliable alternative is a NAS (Network attached storage) device which connects via ethernet. They are just as easy to use.  However they are a bit more expensive.

[UncleUB]

Thanks.

I thought the desk top drives came with their own psu?The 2.5" portable ones were just usb?

This Western Digital doesn't come with back up software....does it?

http://www.mymemory.co.uk/Desktop-Hard-Drives/Western-Digital/Western-Digital-Elements-500GB-Desktop-Hard-Drive

I'm quite happy just to drag and drop folders  etc across when needed

[exo]

This Western Digital doesn't come with back up software....does it?

It would appear not.

As long as the drive is recognised by Windows, then drag and drop will be available to you.
Most external drives will have their own AC power supply.

External drives will often come formatted as FAT32.
XP will not itself create a partition greater than 32GB in FAT32 but will recognise larger drives already partitioned as FAT32.
The NTFS file system offers slightly better security features but this is not normally a selling point for home use.
The real advantage is that it can handle files in excess of 4GB capacity if this is relevant i.e. video editing.

As to which drive..........just read some reviews.
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/external-hard-drives
http://www.testfreaks.co.uk/external-hard-drives/

For backup purposes, an internal drive is just as good and will work out cheaper, unless you require the mobility of an external drive.

exo

[BritBrat]

Do you value what you are going to backup?

If so and you use a router think about a NAS drive instead.

Netgear ReadyNAS Duo RND2000 Home Storage Solution ( 2 Bay ) - No Drives Included

Also: scan.co.uk


If you look around you may still find the free drive offer, but mine has not turned up yet.

This may be a tight on time now:

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
The RND2000-100UKS must be purchased to qualify for the free 500GB hard drive. The RND2110-100UKS must be purchased to qualify for the free 1TB hard drive. The RND2120-100UKS must be purchased to
qualify for the free 2TB hard drive. Promotion for RND2110 and RND2120 starts 1st April 2010 and ends 30th September 2010. Promotion for RND2000 starts 1st May 2010 and ends 30th September 2010.

I have one of those but using it in none raid format (4TB) as it is a backup of the NV+ that is in raid format (8TB).

[UncleUB]

Thanks guys

@Britbrat......Tbh I don't want to spend that much.Its only to back up photo's and music mainly.

I think either the Buffalo Just Store 500GB or the WD 500Gb elements would be big enough for me(would consider 1TB if it wasn't much more money.I have set my self a budget of £50-£60.)

Just want something that I can drag and drop my folders across to keep them safe(I know ext drives can fail,but where do you stop)

[tuftedduck]

How about this one, unkyUb........no software, plug in and play, drag and drop. Simple, and at a decent price. Reputable brand, Seagate.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seagate-Expansions-500GB-External-Desktop/dp/B0020FVKO8/ref=dp_cp_ob_computers_title_1

[UncleUB]

Thanks TD. 

The reviews on Amazon look mostly favourable,but I had read where Seagate drives can have hibernation problems?Not sure what that means,but it does tick all my boxes as to what I'm looking for.

[roseway]

I shouldn't worry about the odd reports of problems with Seagate. I don't think you'd have much trouble finding similar reports about any make of hard drive. The problems will only apply to certain models in the manufacturer's range, and if they were serious those models would either be withdrawn or updated.

[risk_reversal]

As an aside, it is not difficult to built your own. Just purchase an external enclosure and the HD of your choice, that way you can choose the best of each. That is what I do for my externals.

3.5" external enclosures will have their own power bricks but you can also mount a 2.5" hd inside one using an adaptor which overcomes the problems that are associated with 2.5" external drives without psus.

As regards copying and synchronizing your data to the external, you can use the free edition of Syncback. Great program.

Good Luck

[HPsauce]

I bought a couple of really good, cheap external enclosures recently that would accomodate either IDE or SATA drives. Branded DynaMode.

As for Netgear NAS my neighbour had one (not sure exactly which model) and gave up in the end and binned it as it was so unfriendly and slow. The drives he bought for it ended up in a PC as internal raid backup. The only useful thing retained from it was the 12V/5W PSU which now drives my daughters PVR (where the 2W original gave up).

[jaydeee]

for HDD it is Western Digital I trust.
what did you get anyway?