Backing up files with...?

[Disgrace]

It would be a very wise thing to do but what do I use? CDs or perhaps a secondary 40-80GB HDD to have on standby? I know my dad has plenty of backup on CDs...

Another question while i'm at it, how much storage space do the CDs you can buy in shops which you can burn to have? Thanks. :)

[Panama Red]

CD's typically hold 700MB, DVD's are 4.7GB and Dual Layer DVD's are 8.5GB. I'd recommend an extenal enclosure with an oem hard drive that you install yourself. Apricorn comes highly recommended around here. Quality product and it comes with software. Add the hdd size of your choice or budget.

[FREELINE57]

yes back up and back up often! cd's are good but dvd's will hold massive amounts of data. your specs on your computer look good but that hard drive is also known as a deathstar! dump it and go with maxtor, wd or seagate.

[Disgrace]

I'd recommend an extenal enclosure with an oem hard drive that you install yourself. Apricorn comes highly recommended around here. Quality product and it comes with software. Add the hdd size of your choice or budget.


Sounds good, however, I can't find Apricorn on my vendor. Argosy, Jou Jye Computer, Raidsonic, Revoltec, Sarotech and Sharkoon are the brands to choose from for enclosures. Which one is best?

Also, would be fine to buy a simple USB 2.0 exteral/mobile HDD rather than what you have sugggested? Just exploring options. Thanks. :)

[Freakitchen]

Doesn't appear that Apricorn is at all widely available in Europe. I can't comment on the quality of any of the brands you list, but look for the right specifications, particularly the type of external connection that you want. Most have USB 2.0, but some have Firewire, and others external-SATA (which is very quick, but you won't find many motherboards with an e-SATA port yet). Also look for the internal connection - IDE is most common still, but I'd try and find one that supports SATA. Depending on how frequently, and for how long the drive will be in use, you might look for one with an internal fan - though this will obviously make the drive somewhat noisy.

I personally went for a Western Digital 'MyBook' 250GB drive, after not being able to find the enclosure I wanted. No problems with it so far.

FK

[Panama Red]

If you buy a pre-made external with the drive already installed you may sacrifice 2 years warranty on the hard drive. Here's why. The normal warranty for an external is 1 year. If you buy the hdd separate as an oem version and install it yourself, the drive will carry a 3 or 5 year warranty depending on brand. I should have checked your location before recommending the Apricorn. Sorry bout that. I'm not familiar with any of the brands you have listed. Perhaps one of our European members could offer some advice.

[glc]

Freeline - the newer Hitachis are not that bad. I'll take one over a Maxtor.

[LeftyAce]

you won't find many motherboards with an e-SATA port yet).

The Apricorn I got had an adapter cable that plugged into the internal SATA port and fit in a PCI slot on the back of the PC. Gave me an external eSATA port that way (Works better than the eSATA port built into my mobo. Go figure...)

I realize Apricorn isn't available to you, but for full system backups, I'd look and see that you get an eSATA enclosure that comes with some kind of sata adapter. The speed is really nice; I left the eSATA cable somewhere and had to do a full backup through USB, and it took significantly longer than through eSATA; I can clone my entire 160GB disk image over in less than an hour.


ps, even the junky Vantec enclosure I got had the cable for internal to external SATA.

[Disgrace]

Thanks for all the advice received so far... will give it a good think-over and will do some research. :)

Freeline - the newer Hitachis are not that bad. I'll take one over a Maxtor.

Thanks for the reassuring words!

[Disgrace]

How about a LaCie 'movile drive' external HDD... they seem slick and relatively small and therefore easy to store. Any opinions? Cheers.

[glc]

Overpriced but decent drives.