External hard drive opinions?

glatt · 07-08-2016, 08:50 AM

I'm running out of space on my current hard drives.

I was just looking at Amazon's selection and am drawn to either a Western Digital or a Seagte 4TB USB external drive. Is one generally known to be more reliable than another? Is there a brand I should be thinking of instead? Currently, I manually drag folders into the external drives using windows explorer. Don't bother with backup software. Between my phone's pictures, my camera's pictures, and my GoPro's video and pictures, all this digital media adds up fast. We've also got a couple laptops floating around, in addition to the desktop setup, and I should also be bugging family members to back up their shit too. I think a portable USB drive that I can connect to one device after another is a good way to tame the hydra that is spewing out all this digital content.

I used to archive by burning stuff to CDs and then later DVDs, but that is way too time consuming. And who knows how long that media will last without degrading.

Got off on a tangent there. Seagate or WD, or something else?

Undertoad · 07-08-2016, 09:44 AM

I don't really know cos I'm not a Windows guy, but you're pretty organized... you should set up one system that is always on, get Windows networking going, then set up automated backups across the network. Walking that one drive around is going to be a pita!

Other than that, for this application you can pretty much pick whichever drive, because it's not going to see a lot of use. I have always gone crazy and bought Western Digital Black because I like the idea of a 5-year warranty.

footfootfoot · 07-08-2016, 09:46 AM

I've had disappointing experiences with WD drives. My passport 1TB drive died after only about 4,000 hours. I've got another with about 60,000 that is failing. That's a lot better, but most of those hours are idle, it's a manual back-up drive.

Amazon has a Seagate 3 trilobyte

drive for 89.00

It got decent reviews.

glatt · 07-08-2016, 10:14 AM

I'm feeling a little disorganized right now. I need to take a few hours and look at all the drives I have floating around and make sure at least one of them has everything all nice and neat and organized.

xoxoxoBruce · 07-08-2016, 02:03 PM

And someday you'll say what is this shit and why did I save it.

glatt · 07-08-2016, 02:26 PM

Nah. My kids will say that, though.

Gravdigr · 07-08-2016, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Hey, what's this 'shceisseporn' folder?

Crimson Ghost · 07-09-2016, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

Hey, what's this 'shceisseporn' folder?

Cartman's mom might know...

I'm German, and I approve this folder...

Pamela · 07-08-2016, 05:12 PM

I use Passports from WD to house my music and movie (no, not THAT kind, pervs! ) collections since both would overflow my laptop's internal hd. I do not, however, leave them running idle. I unplug and store them when not in use. No issues to report in three years.

Take that for what it's worth.

You may want to look at a personal cloud in a Drobo or some similar enclosure instead.

DanaC · 07-09-2016, 03:35 AM

zwei Mädchen eine Tasse

Gravdigr · 07-09-2016, 02:56 PM

xoxoxoBruce · 07-09-2016, 05:29 PM

Don't put that on your resume.

07-08-2016, 08:50 AM	#1
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	External hard drive opinions? I'm running out of space on my current hard drives. I was just looking at Amazon's selection and am drawn to either a Western Digital or a Seagte 4TB USB external drive. Is one generally known to be more reliable than another? Is there a brand I should be thinking of instead? Currently, I manually drag folders into the external drives using windows explorer. Don't bother with backup software. Between my phone's pictures, my camera's pictures, and my GoPro's video and pictures, all this digital media adds up fast. We've also got a couple laptops floating around, in addition to the desktop setup, and I should also be bugging family members to back up their shit too. I think a portable USB drive that I can connect to one device after another is a good way to tame the hydra that is spewing out all this digital content. I used to archive by burning stuff to CDs and then later DVDs, but that is way too time consuming. And who knows how long that media will last without degrading. Got off on a tangent there. Seagate or WD, or something else?

07-08-2016, 09:46 AM	#3
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	I've had disappointing experiences with WD drives. My passport 1TB drive died after only about 4,000 hours. I've got another with about 60,000 that is failing. That's a lot better, but most of those hours are idle, it's a manual back-up drive. Amazon has a Seagate 3 trilobyte drive for 89.00 It got decent reviews. __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

07-08-2016, 02:03 PM	#5
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	And someday you'll say what is this shit and why did I save it. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

07-09-2016, 02:56 PM	#11
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	__________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

07-09-2016, 05:29 PM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Don't put that on your resume. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

07-08-2016, 09:44 AM	#2
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I don't really know cos I'm not a Windows guy, but you're pretty organized... you should set up one system that is always on, get Windows networking going, then set up automated backups across the network. Walking that one drive around is going to be a pita! Other than that, for this application you can pretty much pick whichever drive, because it's not going to see a lot of use. I have always gone crazy and bought Western Digital Black because I like the idea of a 5-year warranty.

07-08-2016, 10:14 AM	#4
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I'm feeling a little disorganized right now. I need to take a few hours and look at all the drives I have floating around and make sure at least one of them has everything all nice and neat and organized.

07-08-2016, 02:26 PM	#6
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Nah. My kids will say that, though.

07-08-2016, 05:12 PM	#9
Pamela Deplorable Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 767	I use Passports from WD to house my music and movie (no, not THAT kind, pervs! ) collections since both would overflow my laptop's internal hd. I do not, however, leave them running idle. I unplug and store them when not in use. No issues to report in three years. Take that for what it's worth. You may want to look at a personal cloud in a Drobo or some similar enclosure instead.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)